Pleased To Meet Me: Orchids

Introduce Yourself? (where are you from, what band do you play in etc...) 

AC: I’m Alex Cyprine, I come from Marseille (South of France) where I have played in a psych band called Quetzal Snakes. I’ve been living in Montreal for 4 years and I have already played in five bands haha. I’m still playing in Broken Column and Talleen and I play guitar and vocals in Orchids.

ZB: I'm Zale. I was born in Carleton County, New Brunswick and I play the guitar in Orchids. Also playing blues with Hutch Hodges. I have been in several other bands/projects through the years.

SB: Stephen, born in Toronto, Ontario playing synth in Orchids.

VK: I’m Vincent, I come from the northeast of France (Metz). I have been in Montreal since 2012 and I started a band here in 2014 called Double Date with Death, it’s more garage and psych. I play guitar and sing. 

MG: Mathieu, born and raised in Montréal. I play drums in two bands at the moment, Orchids and Double Date with Death.  

JS: Hi! Jean-Sébastien Maher, I'm a French Canadian born in the suburbs of Montreal, I play the bass guitar in Orchids.

Why do you play music? 

AC: Just to be at cool at first, but now it’s become a reason to live another day.

ZB: I make music for lots of reasons, bringing people together, dancing, civil disobedience or simply learning an instrument.

SB: For rent.

V.K: I think at first was just for fun but it with time it became a passion. Something you live for… you know. 

MG: It's the only thing I'm good at.

JS: It's good for the soul and it expresses my inner self and friendships also.

What was a major influence on you as an artist/band? 

AC: I come from new garage punk music, so I listen to a lot of Jay Reatard, Black Lips, and other bad kids. But while getting older I listen to more kinds of music like country, shoegaze, pop, psych, post-punk, noise, but yeah it’s just rock in general. For Orchids, I think the major influence is shoegaze, Britpop and psych music bands like Adorable, Spacemen 3 or Brian Jonestown Massacre.

ZB: Growing up in a small farm town was a major influence. Being a weirdo outcast in a fairly conservative place drove me to rock and roll. Playing in Orchids, I look to bands with three guitars for guidance - how bands like The Byrds or Moby Grape blend their guitars together is important to me for our sound.

SB: Friends from high school and my best friend’s cousin. 

V.K: At first it was more the Brit Pop than anything really. I was a huge fan of Oasis and Nirvana, my dream was to do something between and still is I guess. I discovered early Blur and then I was really interested in the musical scene in the UK before all the Brit Pop area. The Stones Roses, Ride and My Bloody Valentine of course. 

MG: The Montreal music scene. There's nothing more inspiring than a community of artists in a city. There's so many good bands and artists here.

JS: My parents introduced me quite young to all sorts of genres and styles of music but my father was a big fan of doo-wop bands like The Platters, Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry and my mother was a Beatles fan, that is when i knew that i wanted to play music and be in a band.

What’s your ideal festival line-up? 

AC: I’m not really into festivals, I prefer small shows. But it could be a festival with only friend’s bands jamming with Liam Gallagher.

ZB: SLUT ISLAND is a good one in MTL

SB: Comedy Bang Bang / Tim and Eric/ Dave Chappelle. 

VK: Glastonbury?... 

MG: More of a local small venue show kinda guy.

JS: Playing on the same bill as Ride or The Pixies, it'd be fun to hang around with those guys.

Do you prefer the recording process or performing live? 

AC: Definitively live, but I have to say that the last recording at Le Pantoume studio in Quebec with Orchids was my favourite party of the year.

ZB: Both

SB: I do not prefer one to the other, they are both great, I miss playing live though as I write this in quarantine 

V.K: Both I would say. Live because you don’t really have to think about anything which is amazing. And studio because you have to think and sometimes rethink every aspect of the song. It’s a good balance. 

MG:  Performing live.

JS: Both, they're both satisfying, they’re essential for a band to progress. Playing live is the perfect way to give your music credibility and exposure.

What would be a dream collaboration?

AC: Did I mentioned Liam Gallagher already? Just kidding. I think it could be interesting to work with a great producer like Phil Spector.

ZB: Blind Willie Johnson.

SB: Madlib.

V.K: Maybe Graham Coxon, he is one of my favourite guitar players. 

MG: Julian Casablancas.

JS: I don't know if we talk about a dream - probably if I was able to record an album with Brian Wilson as a sound engineer and George Martin as a producer.

Describe a favourite album

AC: Recently I’m in love with Orville Peck’s album cause I can feel a lot of emotions, it sounds both vintage and new and all without being pretentious. The ambiance, the character, the music is all so perfect.

ZB: An album with soul, vocal harmony.

SB: Quiet parts/ Loud parts

V.K: I am more a song person than an album person I would say. But there are few albums I really dig. “Definitely Maybe” was one of them; every song is a classic. I like also concepts albums….”Sgt.Pepper Lonely Club Hearts Band” is maybe the best concept album of all time. But in the 2010’s area, I like more nostalgia, instrumental crescendo, experimental sound and dreamy atmosphere. I will say Smith Westerns’ “Dye It Blonde” and “Tame Impala” second LP “Lonerism” are the best examples of it.

MG: A groovy rhythm section

JS: A favourite album that is a hard one… David Bowie’s “Hunky Dory” because it is ambitious, it has a groove and it goes everywhere if we're speaking of genre and style. That goes for the other ones too: SamCooke “Ain’t That Good News” and The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds”.

What is your favourite local haunt?

AC: I’m still searching, I want to have my “QG” but there are so many good places it’s difficult to choose. Sometimes we do some parties at Bodkin Tattoo in Mile End, I love this place and the owner is so cool. I hope we can do a show there maybe one day.

ZB: La Plante, Deathhouse/Fattal, Poisson Noire was good. A lot of places have closed down in the last few years... I'm at Casa Del Popolo fairly regularly.

SB: L’esco.

VK: Like Alex, I will say Bodkin Tattoo, it’s my family. My favourite spots in town are Casa Del Popolo and maybe L’Esco. 

MG: L'Esco, classic.

JS: Favourite local haunt.. i would say Casa Del Popolo.

What’s your strangest experience while performing live? 

AC: At the last show at l’Esco I was very high and after the last song I start jamming on stage, I think nobody in the crowd noticed but the rest of the band was surprised!

ZB: Playing in the band Porn Persons was always pretty strange but ever exciting. We once did a 20 minute "who wants to be a millionaire" skit before our set where we blew a bass amp and aggravated the people watching.

V.K: Maybe the one Alex refers to haha...it was a weird but fun experience after all. 

MG: Once did a show where the opener was this one guy with a cow costume playing nonsense on a drum set with some background music that was way too loud. I got my ears ringing for close to two days. I had earplugs…

JS: Somebody gave me his hand to shake while i was playing, that was cringe didn't know what to do.

What are some of your favourite aspects of being a musician in Montreal? 

AC: You can open for a lot of great bands on tour, our first show was with Night Beats. Also, you can meet a lot of good musicians here, it’s the perfect place to have a band (or five).

ZB: Easily the community, the venues.

SB: Community. 

VK: The Montreal music scene is great and it forces you to be a better musician I think. Some bands from the scene really influence me.  

MG: The community.

JS: It’s a good place to be. Its nice when there are no language barriers as it is for Orchids, where two French Canadians, two French from France, one anglo from Ontario and one Maritimer and everyone gets along, its a big family and it's the same in the Montreal scene, it makes it easy for music to come alone as a whole where ever you come from.

If you weren’t playing music in Montreal where would you be? 

AC: Maybe Nashville, I was there for one night on tour and I fell in love with this city. But I love to travel and discover places all around the world so my dream would be to be on tour all the time everywhere.

ZB: Probably be in the Maritimes as close to the ocean as possible.

SB: Somewhere warmer 

VK: Maybe in Europe. I love Bruxelles city, it’s like Montreal from Belgium. 

MG: Anywhere that doesn't have snow in the winter.

JS: Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles California.

Any sage advice for young musicians? 

AC: Never sell your gear except to buy another.

ZB: Go to shows, support the music community, PWYC even if it's your friend's band, buy their little cassettes or pins or t-shirts, stay involved, book shows - diverse shows, don't whitewash lineups, create safe-spaces, don't be a tool.

SB: Start yesterday. 

VK: Hear some Orchids first.  

MG: Practice.

JS: Learn your instruments well kids it's the only thing that will never give up on you and don't accept anything but constructive criticism, believe in yourself and spread love around…that's good for the soul.

Orchids - Dead Keys / Another Day is available on Exag’ Records.