March 20, 2013
The Orchid Highway & Howard Redekopp are given the honour of participating in the Final Recording Session to take place at Vancouver's Famous Mushroom Studios.
Mushroom is known for incredible sonics, and was the birthing place for classic albums by the likes of BTO, Loverboy, Odds, Grapes Of Wrath, Sara McLaughlin, Chilliwack, Sam Roberts, and is perhaps most famous for Heart's "Dreamboat Annie".
It was at Mushroom where Redekopp (Tegan & Sara, Mother Mother, New Pornographers) and The Orchid Highway first began working together, and the band's upcoming material owes much to this relationship, and this studio.
Their collective Mushroom Swansong will be a live off the floor performance of Led Zepellin's Good Times Bad Times and a raw version of The Orchid Highway's Marketing Man.
Mushroom, like many of the world's classic studios, is slated for the wrecking ball... and it's hallowed grounds will become condos. I-tunes playlists across the globe, as a result, will suffer.
Nov 23, 2012
FEATURE LENGTH CONCERT SET:
IMU presents The ORCHID HIGHWAY, DIRTY BLUE GROOVE & The BRICE TABISH BAND @ The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir . Doors 9pm / Purchase advance tickets online @ http:// www.imuproductions.com/tix
Sept 1st, 2012
TOH's performance serves as the grand finale at International Pop Overthrow Vancouver.
July 28, 2012
IN CONCERT: TOH performs a feature length set at Vancouver's Railway Club. (579 Dunsmuir).
With guests The Stumbler's Inn opening the night, and Mojo Groovin' providing the ultimate musical after-party starting at 1 AM. Doors at 8 PM. TOH onstage at 11:00 PM. $10
May 26, 2012
The Orchid Highway perform at 10:30 pm, wrapping up AN EVENING UNDER THE STARS 2012, at the River Rock Casino.
March 31, 2012
Midnight Saturday: TOH makes a brief high-octane stopover at The Railway Club (579 Dunsmuir) and performs a half album side of material.
March 3rd, 2012
LIVE VANCOUVER APPEARANCE: TOH performs a full 90 minute concert set at The Railway Club. (579 Dunsmuir).
TOH joined by special guests Earlstown Winter & Dirty Blue Groove. Doors at 10 PM. TOH onstage at 11:00 PM. $10
Jan 1, 2012
The Orchid Highway makes a new year's resolution to spend even more time in the studio. And more time on stage. And more time releasing records. It's gonna be a busy year. And a good one! Happy New Year everyone.
Dec 4th, 2011
Studio work continues - and will do so into the new year. No plans for a live show until early 2012.
November 27th, 2011
It's official. After giving Def Leopard & Mutt Lange serious competition for possibly the most obsessive recording experience of all time, Marketing Man's lead vocal performance is TOTALLY nailed.
November 24th, 2011
Derek Macdonald buys another Hammond Organ.
November 22nd, 2011
Rory Macdonald buys a piece of audio history for Orchid Studios: part of the API console from LA's Sunset Sound studios. (As heard on records by Prince, Led Zeppellin, Beck, Sheryl Crow, Van Halen, Crowded House, Doors, and soon.... The Orchid Highway).
November 9th, 2011
Derek Macdonald buys a Hammond Organ. Nothing out of the ordinary happened today.
Sept 17th, 2011
TOH returns to perform a set at Vancouver's Railway Club. Fans can expect to hear more material from the upcoming album.
Sept 3rd, 2011
International Pop Overthrow Vancouver 2011. (Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir) IPO, the pop scene's moveable feast has travelled from LA to Liverpool, New York to Nashville, Detroit to Denver (and much more). Saturday Sept 3rd, The Orchid Highway continues the tradition of supplying IPO with it's grand sonic finale. TOH are scheduled to perform at 1:45 AM.
August, 2011
Summer finally arrives on the west coast.
TOH is able to view the changing seasons through the studio window. Recording continues.
July 22, 2011
The Orchid Highway perform at Vancouver's Railway Club.
June 23, 2012
Scott Perry buys a "new" guitar. (1973 Martin D-18)
June 15, 2011
Game 7 of Boston-Vancouver Stanley Cup Final.
The band very much on edge. No studio work today.
April 20, 2011
TOH returns to the recording studio.
April 16, 2011
The Orchid Highway bring their amped-up Rock n' Roll to The Fairview Pub in Vancouver. The Orchids have long had a reputation for stellar live performances, and are increasingly becoming known for their beyond-obsessive studio work. Fans can expect to hear more of the band's yet to be released material, some of which has rarely been performed. TOH Onstage at 11 PM. Also on the bill are THE POOL HALL GOSPEL, and THE BOOM BOOMS. $10 at the door. 898 West Broadway, Vancouver, V5Z 1K1.
Feb 5th, 2011
Seattle's STUDIO 66 presents The Orchid Highway & The Green pajamas in concert at the Lo-Fi Performance Gallery (429 Eastlake Seattle, WA 98108).
Doors 9pm, TOH onstage at 10:30 pm, Tix $8. www.myspace.com/studio66
Jan 17, 2011
Recording continues. "Silverine" takes shape in studio. Sounds awesome!
Dec 3rd, 2010
The Orchid Highway perform at Tambourine Era festival
in Vancouver. Stage time 11 PM (Friday Night) at The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir. (therailwayclub.com)
Oct 13th, 2010
Studio sessions back in full swing. Final touches are added to "Marketing Man" and "Santa Maria", two songs that featured prominently at the band's summer concerts.
Sept 5th, 2010
Rory catches pneumonia. Ultimately he survives, but for weeks he coughs into microphones when attempting to sing. Sessions are postponed.
Aug 28th, 2010
The International Pop Overthrow hits Vancouver. Keeping with tradition, The Orchid Highway's performance closes the festival. Midnight Saturday at The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir. (therailwayclub.com) $10.
Aug 21st, 2010
IPO Seattle: TOH perform at El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave E. (elcorazonseattle.com) Stage time 8:30 PM. $10.
Aug 13th, 2010
The Orchid Highway perform in Portland, Oregeon at the International Pop Overthrow Festival. East End, 203 SE Grand Avenue, Onstage @ 7:30 PM. (eastendpdx.com)
July 28, 2010
Recording continues. Derek Macdonald hauls his amazingly weird Optigan out of storage.
July 1st, 2010
Jamie Macdonald takes a break from studio work and climbs aboard an air plane. And then another. And then another. Lands in Nunavut, north of the Arctic Circle. Doesn't see the night sky for two weeks. Returns to the band with a killer song born of the experience.
June 21st, 2010
The longest day of the year in studio.
June 17th, 2010
Derek Macdonald goes to California for a little R & R, and in search of strange sounding analog keyboards.
June 11th, 2010
The Orchid Highway perform at Vancouver's Media Club (695 Cambie St, themediaclub.ca) with The Parlour Steps & Adrienne Pierce.
May 13th, 2010
Some really exciting behind-the-scenes developments that we can't talk about occured on this day! Recording continues.
May 6th, 2010
Scott Perry buys another guitar. Brings it straight to the studio to record a new song he's just written.
April 21st, 2010
After a couple months of heavy studio work and heavy rain... the band has itchy feet and calls managment to ask permission to play some live dates. Management flatly refuses to allow the band out of the studio. Overdubs continue for The Orchids.
April 14th, 2010
Derek Macdonald breaks 7 strings and all but destroys a 100+ year old piano during an incredible
overdub session.
April 1st, 2010
The Orchid Highway added to the Lilith Fair lineup.
March 4th, 2010
Studio work related to the next release continues to consume the band.
Feb 16th, 2010
Sofa Surfer Girl video screened on outdoor jumbotron in downtown vancouver during 2010 Winter Olympics!
Feb 6th, 2010
The Orchid Highway return to Seattle to perform at the quarterly STUDIO 66 @ Lo-Fi Performance Gallery, 429 Eastlake Avenue East. Stage time 10:30pm.
Jan 15th, 2010
The Orchid Highway purchase a new Tour Bus. Tourist parking during the Olympics now expected to be more difficult than foreseen.
Jan 4th, 2010
Award Winning Director Robert Riendeau & The Orchid Highway meet to discuss plans for another music video collaboration.
Dec 12th, 2009
Recording continues. Derek Macdonald visits various storage lockers in East Vancouver, and discovers vintage organs he didn't know he had.
Nov 24th, 2009
It rains in Vancouver. Again. That happens a lot these days. The Orchid Highway record at their private studio. (Something else that is happening a lot these days).
Nov 20-21, 2009
Eastside Culture Crawl Echo Chamber - the infamous after party launched by TOH, rages on into it's 4th year. The band opts not to headline the festival year and instead remains focused on studio work. To promote the festival the Eastside Culture Crawl uploads a clip of The Orchid Highway performing "Legion Hall" at Echo Chamber 2008. It can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7iAl9DDghE
Nov 11, 2009
National Holiday. An ecclectic collection of microphones gather around the latest amplifier to join The Orchid's collection. Jamie sets the volume slightly past "max" - and the guys in the control room hit the record button.
Oct 24th, 2009
The Orchid Highway performs in Bellingham, Washington.
Oct 12th, 2009
Scott Perry records a really great guitar part.
September, 2009
FUSE ON DEMAND adds Sofa Surfer Girl for the duration of September making Summer last a little longer.
Aug 21st, 2009
The Orchids perform at IPO Seattle.
Aug 16th, 2009
TOH perform at the International Pop Overthrow in Porland Oregeon.
July 9th, 2009
Sofa Surfer Girl is broadcast Nationwide on Canada's premiere music channel MuchMusic. (The Wedge)
July 3rd, 2009
The Orchid Highway's “Sofa Surfer Girl” music video, directed by Robert Riendeau, is officially released in the United States.
July 1st, 2009
David Bash, Founder of the International Pop Overthrow Festival, celebrates his favorite Canadian bands of all time (Collectors, Grapes of Wrath, The Orchid Highway) in honor of the country's National Holiday. Regarding TOH – he had this to say: “The Orchid Highway, are without doubt, one of the best pop bands in Canada today.”
June 21st, 2009
The first day of Summer, and while not all the band is present, the day marks the first session at The Orchids private studio, when Derek Macdonald adds a sickly, wheezing, circa 1936 Hammond to a song under consideration for the band's next album.
June 17th, 2009
Producer Steven Drake (TOH/Odds/ Marcy Playground/Tragically Hip) inspects The Orchid Highway's private recording facility and declares Orchid Studios “overdub ready”.
May 26th, 2009
The band sifts through material recorded with Howard Redekopp (New Pornographers / Tegan & Sara) and the follow up release takes shape.
May 11th, 2009
One year anniversary of the US release of TOH album on Rainbow Quartz records.
March 21st, 2009
Austin, Texas: The Orchid Highway's performance blows the roof off B.D. Riley's during the Rainbow Quartz SXSW showcase.
March 20th, 2009
Austin, Texas: Orchids Drummer cheats death! A 45 ft tent pole topples, and crashes into the Spiderhouse Cafe outdoor stage during the band's soundcheck. It misses Adrian Buckley's head by an inch, and seriously damages two of Derek Macdonald's (musical) organs!
March 19th, 2009
In-store performance at Austin's Blue Velvet Vintage.
March 17th, 2009
The US Department of Homeland Security approves P1 Work Visas for The Orchid Highway allowing the band to perform in the United States.
Dec 28 2008
Shooting begins on the “Sofa Surfer Girl” music video, directed by Robert Riendeau.
Sept 25th, 2008
Tom Harrison of The Vancouver Province rates The Orchid Highway's self titled LP as 5th best album of 2008 in his Best of the West Coast article.
July 31st, 2008
Paste Magazine makes NEXT WORLD their "Video Of The Day".
July 18th, 2008
The Orchid Highway reaches their first #1 chart position on US Radio: WDPS - DAYTON OHIO.
July 17th, 2008
Construction begins on The Orchids Highway's private recording studio; where the finishing touches will be added to the next record.
June 25th - 28th, 2008
The Orchid Highway book into Vancouver's famous "Mushroom Studios" (now named HippoWest) and gets started on their next record. At the controls is Howard Redekopp (New Pornographers, Tegan & Sara).
June 2008
The video for "NEXT WORLD" reaches Number One on the Roxwel.com Indie Chart.
June 11th, 2008
Rainbow Quartz releases THE ORCHID HIGHWAY album in Canada.
June 9th, 2008
U.K. release of THE ORCHID HIGHWAY LP.
May 2008
MTV Latin America adds the "Next World" video to their playlist; reaching a potential viewing audience of 35 million in the United States - and an additional 21 countries in Central and South America.
May 13th, 2008
The Orchid Highway's self titled album is released in the USA on Rainbow Quartz Records.
April 28th, 2008
The Orchids get their first ever add to US Commercial Radio. KEAO (Maui) plugs them immediately into heavy rotation. The intended single (Next World) is not added to their playlist for several weeks. Instead Program Director Michael McCartney becomes the first to introduce SOFA SURFER GIRL to American airwaves~! The song remains in heavy rotation (at 3 spins a day) for months.
April, 2008
The Orchid Highway shoots the "NEXT WORLD" video with award winning filmmaker Robert Riendeau.
