Mull It Over 005: Orchids In Bloom
A feature on a unique collaborative project released next week from the ambitious Orchids. Plus, Belfast's Brilliant Corners Jazz Festival is back for 2024.
Michael Smyth is a busy man. On his way to band practice, we manage to squeeze in an hour on a wet Belfast weeknight to talk about his ambitious new project: Orchids. I don’t ask who he is on his way to practice with; after all, alongside Orchids he shuffles time as head-honcho in Virgins, formerly helmed the bombastic Paper Tigers, finds time to run his PR company Old Crows Promotions, touring enterprise Fever Dream and regaled me with recent tales of tour managing one of Northern Ireland’s biggest acts only last Summer.
At the very least, he’s a man who’s earned something stronger than the chai latte he orders just before we sit down to chat.
Orchids was never planned as a collaborative release. Featuring six different vocalists that includes notable names like Melyssa Shannon from Wynona Bleach and Siânna Nà Laithbheartaigh of Irish punks TRAMP, the self titled album was written and recorded in its entirety, before these unique voices came on board, to drop bars and pollen all over Orchids.
Spanning alternative rock, glam, punk, dad/mum/son/daughter/brother/sister-rock, it is an enjoyable ride. The band is tight, and each unique vocal stands alone to make each track shine brighter as a result. Albums with multiple vocalists can be an exercise in overambiton resulting often in listener exasperation. Here, it works. And at nine tracks, there is a healthy restraint found from the team that is often found wanting in contemporary releases. Taylor Swift and blink-182, if you’re (most likely) reading this, it’s free advice.
As I near the end of my green tea, Michael and I veer off on tangents into the merits of early Aerosmith albums and his experience at Slowdive’s first ever Irish show last year in Belfast’s Mandela Hall amongst a host of other topics one might once have found in the verticals of the pages of Q Magazine. He is clearly a music lover, and a lover of what he does. This enthusiasm can be heard in each track on the Orchids release; as I ask if this was meant to be the next Paper Tigers album, I am provided with a diplomatic answer.
Orchids is a labour of love; that is evidenced by the lengths gone to in order to make it happen. It most likely won’t happen again. I’m happy for the band that the world can finally hear these songs. Maybe not as intended, but that is no bad thing. On January 31st, you can hear them for yourself.
Standout tracks:
Revolutions (feat. Daisy Johnston)
Mannequin (feat. Siânna)
Sins (feat. Frances Ellen)
The current single from Orchids, Mannequin featuring Siânna is out now and can be found on the Mull It Over Spotify playlist below.
The Orchids album is released on Monday 31st January.
Jazzercise
Back for round twelve this year, if you can believe it, is the magnificent Brilliant Corners Jazz Festival, in association with Moving On Music. Spread out across the city over nine nights during the first two weeks of March, expect jazz from across the musical spectrum. I’ve been to gigs at Brilliant Corners where I’ve left wondering if the genre-bending couple of hours I just experienced inside the Black Box of a Sunday afternoon was even music, let alone jazz. This is not an insult.
This is truly one of the best mini festivals Northern Ireland has to offer, so grab tickets if you can. A ‘Golden Ticket’ grants you access to every show, for only £45.
There will be more on Brilliant Corners and the homegrown talent involved in the March edition of the Cool Gig Guide, which will be published in a couple of weeks.
For now, you can grab tickets below:
March 1st - 9th
Brilliant Corners: A Festival of Jazz. Tickets
Thanks for reading Issue 005 of Mull It Over. Please subscribe if you haven’t already, to have every newsletter dropped into your inbox upon release. You can also follow the Spotify playlist below, featuring the best in Northern Irish music.