Vintage rock and metal is quite the rage nowadays. One of the leading bands in the genre is San Francisco-based Orchid. Bassist Keith Nickel was keen to tell us more about his upcoming new album, his views on the rising popularity of vinyl and his personal secrets on how to survive the rigours of touring.
Hi there and thank you for doing this interview. What’s the latest in the Orchid camp?
Hello, it’s my pleasure to talk with you a bit about Orchid. We are currently just finishing up the packaging for the new full-length album for Nuclear Blast Records and getting ready for our next rare local show in San Francisco this week at the DNA Lounge.
We are all very excited about the new release. It has been a true labour of love and we hope it shows when finally released. People have been very patient with us waiting for The Mouths of Madness. Hopefully the time and care we have put into every step will shine through and the wait will be worth it!
The bulk of the recordings for Mouths of Madness were done in June 2012. Was it frustrating for you to wait for another 8 months before the album is released?
No. We really do put a lot of ourselves and our time into the music as well as packaging. We treat it like a fine wine perhaps. Certain things just need time to ferment and distil to make it the way we desire.
Guitarist Mark Thomas Baker described the recording as the best of the best the band has ever had. How so? Do you share his sentiment?
I was a little worried about being able to follow up Capricorn, to be honest. It came out so much better than any of us really expected I think, so there was a lot of pressure to do better on our next full length. Better or worse? Hmm, at this point I can’t really think like that. I find them of equal quality. However, I do agree that we have grown quite a bit as a band since Capricorn and hopefully that shows on Mouths of Madness and in this sense takes us up a notch to the listener. We are performing as a group better then ever.
How did you guys manage to capture that meaty vintage sound on Mouths of Madness?
Our production methods are cryptic trade secrets that I am not at liberty to discuss. I can say that it is more to do with how we write and play music than production techniques.
Doom and occult rock/metal seems to be pretty popular nowadays. What are your thoughts on this sudden rise?
It’s actually kind of funny to me… I really have no idea. I’ve even heard Bruce Springsteen talking about ‘doom music’, and the latest Rolling Stones song I recently heard on the radio is called ‘Doom and Gloom’, I think. I guess this has been good for Orchid so I like the fact that these things are getting so much attention lately.
Vinyl has made quite the comeback the last few years, which is quite remarkable in this internet/digital age. What are your views on that?
People always return to that which is high quality and has a aesthetic quality to it. We are tactile beings by nature and the digital world can often be cold and harsh. I think it is a sign of these things coming to light. The nostalgia of vinyl and the warm Hi-Fi quality of the audio is really undeniable if you actually put it side by side digital sources like CD and downloads. The more people do this and notice the difference the more vinyl will make a grand comeback.
Bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath have influenced entire genres of musicians. What do these bands mean to you as a person and a musician?\
I love all those bands. It’s what I grew up listening to, along with so many other great artists. I personally am a huge fan of discovering the roots of the music I listen to and so it becomes quite a journey to dig deeper into what made bands like these great. One must also listen to jazz, classical, blues, folk and other musical genres to really understand what bands like this do. The great Ozzy Osbourne said it best: ‘It’s all just music.’
Orchid spends a lot of time on touring. The touring lifestyle isn’t always that healthy. How do you stay in shape both physically and mentally?
Ummmm, well personally I spend my spare time surfing and ocean swimming. Eating healthy and lots of water helps as well. You know, we all do the best we can. Having fun should never be overlooked as a healthy habit! I always tell people who smoke cigarettes to just make sure they are enjoying it. It’s the stress that might kill you in the end, so do the things you enjoy is my personal philosophy.
Speaking of touring, what touring plans do you guys have for this year?
Spring European tour with Witchcraft coming up very soon in late April through most of May is the only confirmed tour plans so far this year. I’m sure more will be coming soon.
Finally, what are the five records that changed your life? Please motivate your answer.
I’m terrible with this kind of question. My musical taste is so diverse. I really can’t give you five records. Every album I’ve loved since I was a child till this very day changes my life on a regular basis. It can be listening to the first few Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy albums or discovering something new I like such as a band like Kadavar, Graveyard and Witchcraft. Music is always changing our lives. Having our own private soundtrack to the lives we live is one of the greatest personal experiences anyone can have. I’m sure pretty much all music lovers of any genre would agree.
Words: Raymond Westland