Orchids Release New Single OUT TODAY – Album – A Unique Project Featuring Multiple Female/Non Binary Singers

Orchids Release New Single OUT TODAY and Album – A Unique Project Featuring Multiple Female/Non Binary Singers – (NI Based alt rock)

‘Mannequin’ featuring Sianna (they/them) from Tramp is the third single taken from the album. After a short clean guitar intro, a machine gun snare fill launches us into the rhythmic post-hardcore track, reminiscent of El Paso’s best, At The Drive-In. Matthew Milner delivers a signature drum pattern for the verse that while busy never feels cluttered or over played. It’s a clever part that adds purpose to the sparse verses, made up of Emma Rose’s driving bass line and some picky guitar melodies, that pull back to accentuate the ferocity of the choruses. Michael’s guitar throughout the song is played with such intensity you can almost hear the instrument groan under the pressure. This intensity is juxtaposed with some backing vocals reminiscent of some American 60’s girl groups. Sianna speaks to the themes explored in the lyrics, “These are thoughts from inside the AFAB (asigned female at birth) body about ways we are still unfree. With the lyrics immediately painting imagery of ‘the Red Light District’ – Mannequin brings you to the debate on ’empowerment or exploitation?’ A cathartic scream about the sexualisation, sexual policing, the profiting & the violence towards the feminine. The rage in every lyric surfaces from a deep collective experience. That even the ideal crafted woman; the mannequin – used for selling dreams and maintaining the repression, will never be good enough.”

Orchids – Mannequin (Spotify link)

About The Album:

Orchids are a unique project featuring some of the best female/non-binary vocalists from Northern Ireland and brings together some of the finest musicians, producers, engineers, mix and mastering engineers to create an album that stands alone as a creative endeavour. This massive undertaking began following the dissolution of a previous project. Songwriter and guitarist Michael Smyth was left with 9 recorded songs, featuring Emma Rose on bass and Matthew Milner on drums, but in need of vocals. Unwilling to let these songs wither and die on the vine, Michael sought a solution that would give the songs the audience they deserved and a way to breathe new life into them. Written with a female vocal in mind, Michael made the decision to reach out to a number of female/non-binary vocalists from Northern Ireland, inviting them to lend their considerable talents to the music and feature on a number of different tracks.

The result is an explorative alt-rock album, each song given its own identity by its’ respective vocalists unique voice and perspective, but tied together by the consistency of a band having spent countless hours in a practice space running songs over and over so they become second nature. The self-titled album is grandiose and questing, songs range from the mid-west emo drive of ‘Memoria’, to the expansive and emotional ‘Run’, to delicate melodic alt-rock of ‘Sins’.

The album explodes out of the speakers as ‘Memoria’ begins with a kick snare pattern that sounds like a gunshot in the night. Featuring Melyssa Shannon of Wynona Bleach on vocals, the track is driving alt rock with more than a tinge of mid-western emo thrown in. The first single to be taken from the album, lyrically the track is about words falling on the deaf ears of a partner feigning interest in a relationship when the truth is much the opposite. A statement of intent that instantly pulls the listener in and prepares them for the remaining 8 tracks.

‘Revolutions’ takes the stakes and doubles them. Featuring Daisy Johnston whose almost soulful vocals add a melodic counter point to the punk fury of the track. The punctuating chorus of ‘If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be a part of your revolution’ is a quote taken from the anarchist revolutionary Emma Goldman. The track speaks of internal and external revolution but also the importance of joyous celebration.

This is followed by ‘Hourglass’, one of three tracks on the album featuring Rebecca Dow of Virgins. The taut and tense verses driven by Matt Milner’s rim shot snare drum, give way to triumphant choruses full of spikey post-hardcore guitars that build to a fuzzed out solo before a middle 8 that’s accentuated by call and response vocals between Michael and Rebecca, offering a new sonic texture to the track. Lyrically it tackles beauty standards thrust upon us by modern media and the ultimate rejection of these unfounded external expectations.

The second of Rebecca’s tracks, ‘Run’, changes pace of the album completely. Opening with sparkly and reverb drenched guitars, it’s a nod to Rebecca and Michaels shoegaze band, Virgins. The track builds around Rebecca’s ethereal vocals, while the interplay between Emma Rose’s and Michaels guitars help create a moody ambiance. This is all before a gargantuan chorus that’s the sonic equivalent of a dam wall breaking, it’s an emotional and musical outpouring as lead guitar wails behind the vocals, while the drums and bass lock in to create a substantial thump. The track feels like waves building and breaking as were sucked in and spat out again and again. Perhaps the only alt-rock track to feature prominent xylophone embellishment. A song that quickly becomes the centre piece of album.

Thinking of the album as a vinyl record ‘Mannequin’ featuring Sianna (they/them) from Tramp starts side 2. After a short clean guitar intro, a machine gun snare fill launches us into the rhythmic post-hardcore track, reminiscent of El Paso’s best, At The Drive-In. Matthew Milner delivers a signature drum pattern for the verse that while busy never feels cluttered or over played. It’s a clever part that adds purpose to the sparse verses that pull back to accentuate the ferocity of the choruses. Sianna says, “These are thoughts from inside the AFAB (asigned female at birth) body about ways we are still unfree. With the lyrics immediately painting imagery of ‘the Red Light District’ – Mannequin brings you to the debate on ’empowerment or exploitation?’ A cathartic scream about the sexualisation, sexual policing, the profiting & the violence towards the feminine. The rage in every lyric surfaces from a deep collective experience. That even the ideal crafted woman; the mannequin – used for selling dreams and maintaining the repression, will never be good enough.”

‘Do Better’ follows and ramps up the tension with an intricate riff over a thunderous drum part. The second track to be released from the album and features Clodagh May on vocals. The track is an exercise in tension and release, with verses that feel like a mad dog tethered to a stake, waiting for the chain to break. The fury and energy of the chorus is reflected in Clodagh’s lyrics, an in your face statement about the everyday frustrations of being a fem-presenting person and watching the scene around you explode with virtue signalling, self-righteousness and band wagoning when it comes to women and LGBTQ+ rights.

The pace is brought back down by ‘Sins’ featuring Frances Ellen of Effie on vocals. A delicate melodic guitar intro is matched by the raw emotion of Frances vocals, speaking of heartbreak and emotional turmoil, both are joined by driving drums and a tastefully restrained bass line. The chorus erupts taking the song into stadium rock territory, a simple two-chord back and forth allows for weight and punch. The second verse gives us some post-hardcore guitar stabs and we’re carried home by Frances refrain of ‘It’s where we lay’ and an incendiary guitar solo.

Penultimate track and second featuring Melyssa Shannon on vocals, ‘Smile’ draws you in juxtaposing a riff that seemingly covers every part of the fretboard with a simple hi-hat count and the question Melyssa poses of ‘Would it kill you, just to smile?’. Unhurried, the verse and pre-chorus loop round letting the anticipation build before the torrent of guitars unleash in chorus. Overdriven chords and a slinky guitar lead play off each other before Michael’s vocals add an untethered frenzy to the track. Its fast and catchy post-hardcore without falling into conventional patterns.

‘…And Ghosts’ closes out the album with the third of Rebecca’s contributions to the album. Paired with ‘Run’ the two were conceived as sister songs to close out each ‘side’ of the record. The inimitable sound of the Roland Jazz Chorus guitars coupled with Rebeccas gossamer vocals provide an entry point for the listener. There’s a hint of 80’s power ballad to the track before distortion pedals are kicked on and saturated lead guitars come ripping out of the speakers in the chorus. An empyreal middle eight creates space before snapping us back to reality with the impassioned final chorus.

The album is comprehensive in its exploration of sounds and ideas, with tense, cathartic, fervent tracks sitting side by side with ethereal, spacious atmospheres and rangy, confident songs. There are no verbal Rorschach blots here, with a red thread of emotional and socially conscious lyrics running throughout. The album delivers a colossal sleek sound and the contributions from each of the vocalists allow each song to feel like it could be a single in its own right. A unique album that highlights the massive talent that resides in Northern Ireland.

The album was recorded with Ryan McGroarty in Start Together, mixed by Jonny Woods out of his 1980 Something Studio and mastered by Jon Moorehead at Moosetronix.

The band on all tracks are Michael Smyth on guitar/vocals, Emma Rose on bass and Matthew Milner on drums.

The full track listing for the self-titled album, due out January 31^st is: