Of all the musical combinations in Denver, across the Front Range and throughout Colorado, Orca the Band might have one of the quickest from-inception-to-fruition stories. In just barely over a year, the blues-rock foursome met, formed a band and released one debut full-length album and multiple live albums. Between writing and releasing more music, album release parties, official venue gigs and backyard shows, Orca the Band is only getting busier, and bringing some extra funk to warm up the winter months while they do so.
Photo by Alex Jones
Last spring, vocalist and guitarist John Tyson made his musical pilgrimage to Denver from Virginia. It was only last May that Tyson and hometown friend Peter Finley were asked to casually play music at a backyard birthday party. The rest is (recent) history. Friends meet friends and musicians meet musicians, and by October, Tyson and Finley had teamed up with bassist James Kaiser and drummer Frank Rodriguez. Keyboardist Rob Brown joined the group serendipitously in December through mutual friends, and just this past March, Orca the Band decided to go “full jam band” as a five-piece at Cervantes’ Other Side.
Photo by Alex Jones
With a Cervantes’ slot in the record books, Orca the Band solidified as a foursome when Finley decided to take a step back from music, and Tyson, Kaiser, Rodgriguez and Brown got to work. Recorded at Evergroove Studio in Evergreen, the debut studio album Headlights was released in August, with three more live albums following suit. Headlights is smooth yet exciting — easy listening that simultaneously makes you want to dance out of your seat, and stands out amongst a local music scene inundated with talent.
The inspiration for the quick and seemingly effortless turnaround is simple for Tyson: “It’s really just the desire to play live that inspires an album like this.” While a few songs were written some time ago, others were created while in the recording studio. “It’s easy to see how the album has inspired us as a group,” Tyson said. The album as a whole has given Orca the Band a sense of legitimacy, and for a group that leans toward the live factor of the music, these studio versions hold increasing value to them.
Photo by Anna Thompson
As an intensely young band with an impressive docket already under their belts, 2023 will see Orca the Band “trying to grow our catalog and build chemistry.” They’re still trying to figure out what is and isn’t their sound, but they’re giving that process the time and patience it deserves. In the meantime, they are always trying to meet other working bands and plan some cool shows, the latter of which they do have scheduled for the near future. Lost Lake on February 9, Revival Public House on March 19 and a highly anticipated Earth Day celebration at Your Mom’s House on April 22 are Denver’s next three chances to see what Orca the Band has cooking.