One alt-country duo is well-suited for the Okanagan with their name.
The Orchard plays at Habitat Thursday, Aug. 17 in support of their latest Jim Scott-produced album The Great Unknown, and new single Bright Eyes.
The Edmonton-based duo — comprised of singer/songwriters Kasha Anne and Mitch Smith — are hitting the national airwaves with their single, according to a band press release.
Bright Eyes exemplifies the shift toward a more pronounced, full-band Americana sound The Orchard envisioned for The Great Unknown, achieved with the help of veteran producer Jim Scott, whose resume includes work with Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams and Wilco, said the release.
Anne and Smith bonded over an undeniable need to make music together, and even outside of the band, music dominates both of their lives, said the release. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Smith is active within the Edmonton music scene as a teacher and community workshop organizer, while Anne also teaches music.
Combining their talents proved to be the right decision, as within their first year together The Orchard had signed to Royalty Records and were recording their debut album, Southern Ground (2012). It immediately got the attention of the Canadian country music industry, bringing showcases at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards, along with steady radio airplay and festival appearances.
Their second album, Georgia (2014) raised the stakes higher, as the group teamed up with JUNO-winning producer Russell Broom (Jann Arden, Chantal Kreviazuk), who focused on capturing The Orchard’s increasingly hard-hitting live sound.