The Orchid Highway - ProfilesArchive

About Me

The Orchid Highway is one of Vancouver's longest-running bands, and their dogged die-hard attitude is more than justified by the quality of the music they write. Trousers-deep in a rapturously ongoing obsession with mid-60s Britpop and psychedelia, the ten songs on their self-titled debut (stunningly recorded in lush psycho-stereo by engineering wizard Steven Drake at Greenhouse Studios) contain imaginatively melodic arrangements that would knock Brian Wilson out of his housecoat and on his fat ass in his piano-equipped sandbox (and ressurect poor old Syd Barrett from the acid-casualty dead while they were at it). Songs like "Sofa Surfer Girl" (one of OH's live favorites; haven't we all met a sofa-surfer girl at one time or another?) are fine examples of the clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics of the Macdonald brothers Rory (bass, vocals) and Jamie (guitar, vocals), fleshed out by the powerfully superb instrumental hammerings and fully-fleshed vocals harmonies of their fraternal wingman Derek Macdonald (keyboards), drummer Adrian Buckley, and the guitar fracas of John Woods (whose vacancy on the Highway has been taken by the equally-talented Scott Perry, who it must be noted is a strong addition rather than a convenient replacement). The Orchid Highway finally have a strong record to be forever proud of. Now all they need is to parachute this record by the thousandfold into the hearts and minds and ears and stereos of the nation's vast power-pop audience. Vancouver needs a Sloan of its West Coast own, and with this record, we now have one.-Ferdy Belland NERVE MAGAZINE

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 12/7/2005
Band Website: orchidhighway.com
Band Members:

E-MAIL

CLOSEST MAJOR CITY

STATE/PROVINCE

COUNTRY

Influences: Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, The Beatles, Paul Butterfield, The Who, Neil Finn, The Kinks, Jellyfish, Brian Wilson, Supergrass, Cuff (anyone know what happened to them?), Bob Dylan, The Clash, Fellini, Geoff Emerick, The Band, Fountains of Wayne, The Stones, Steppenwolf, The Zombies, Steven Drake, The New Pornographers, Ron Hawkins, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Jim Moginie... it's good to spend an afternoon with vinyl.
Sounds Like: a rock and roll band that underwent several years of musical exile to London (UK)... relocated to Lotusland (vancouver) and toured themselves into bankruptcy by driving a psychedelic schoolbus across Canada many many times... before uniting with the "ideal" production guru Steven Drake (Odds, , Marcy Playground, Tragically Hip) to capture it all on tape. (and i mean "tape" literally).all the classic british, west coast, and road band influences legitimately apply.
Record Label: Rainbow Quartz International
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Orchids on CBCs Grant Lawrence Podcast 145

We have been receiving some fine emails in recent days. This just dropped into our inbox. Congratulations! You have been selected to appear in this week's "CBC Radio 3Podcast with Grant Lawrence"...Ch...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:41:00 PST

Powerpop Top 10 of 2007

The Absolute Powerpop Reader Top 10 of 2007.1. The Red Button-She's About to Cross my Mind 2. Jackdaw4-Bipolar Diversions 3. The Shins-Wincing The Night Away 4. The Nines-Gran Jukle's Field 5. Everybo...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:25:00 PST

Latest Review : Powerpopaholic

Here's the latest review to hit the web of THE ORCHID HIGHWAY self titled release. Seems like the power pop community can't say enough about this album these days! Also goes on to praise ...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:56:00 PST

Italian Review In.....We think its a gooder.......

Arriva dal Canada il pop-rock degli Orchid Highwaydi Isabella Weiss surf the article on it's home turfAncora poco conosciuti al grande pubblico, gli Orchid Highway hanno molti fan sparsi in tutto il ...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:04:00 PST

Orchids Album 8th on IPO'S David Bash Top 25 of 2007

1. The Fast Camels-The Magic Optician2. Peachfuzz-Catch Your Snap3. The Scruffs-Pop Manifesto4. David Brookings-Obsessed5. The Singles-Start Again6. The Red Button-She's About To Cross My Mind7. Fount...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:17:00 PST

Absolute Power Pop’s CD of the Day

CD of the Day, 8/22/07: The Orchid Highway Those of you who saw David Bash's midyear top 25 last month may have noticed a band that hasn't been talked about a lot in the power pop coummunity listed at...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:04:00 PST

A masterpiece with few equals! - RADIO BANDCOUVER

Finally the wait is over for one of the best Pop albums ever recorded in Vancouver , or anywhere in recent memory for that matter. I've been airing Ochid Highway's music on my Radio Bandcouver sh...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 12:21:00 PST

"Arrangements that would knock Brian Wilson out of his housecoat!" NERVE MAGAZINE

The first CD review is in... a Nerve Magazine exclusive:The Orchid Highway is one of Vancouver's longest-running bands, and their dogged die-hard attitude is more than justified...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 12:15:00 PST

THE ORCHID HIGHWAY self-titled CD release party NOV 2nd!!!

The new album is officially released Thursday at the YALE Hotel in Vancouver... but the first review is in... a Nerve Magazine exclusive:The Orchid Highway is one of...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Wed, 01 Nov 2006 03:36:00 PST

CD Release Thursday Nov 2 at the Yale Hotel

The Orchid Highway CD Release Thursday November 2 The Yale Hotel 1300 Granville As part of The Eastside Culture Crawls 10 yr AnniversaryThe Orchid Highway CD release Onstage at 8alsoHawks and Keefer F...
Posted by The Orchid Highway on Sat, 28 Oct 2006 02:04:00 PST