Orchid and Hound are comprised of John Constantine and Lawrence Alarcon, who met as teenagers in LA, fell in love, and made a band.
By Patrick Cash
Despite a tumultuous breakup, they continue the band, currently establishing themselves in America and little known at all over here. Yet, due to the ever encompassing waves of the internet, we managed to fortuitously stumble over them in our aimless surfing and we now firmly believe that you should get them in your ears soon.
You see the thing is Orchid & Hound make immediately accessible, hugely beautiful, gorgeously colourful pop that soars through the mind, with choruses that linger happily in the thoughts, whilst all the time intelligently and sharply describing the young gay man’s place in the modern world. Perhaps it sounds like we’re gushing – and we totally are, because we believe this is exactly what gay music needs right now. And by gay music we mean music made by gay men describing the gay identity, not the endless manufactured merry-go-round of Britney/Kylie/Beyonce/Madonna.
At twenty-six years old each, the band cite their influences ranging from Jacques Brel to Björk to Queen, giving them a quite unique sound influenced by classic and orchestral music-makers but with a very contemporary vitality. Their latest single ‘Go On’ was released at the end of November 2013 and their previous full-length, fan-funded album ‘The Boyfriend’ – ‘a reflection of the pair’s experience in a world where young gay men still struggle to find their identity in society’ – is available to buy on iTunes. New EP ‘Better Than a Saint’ is even available right now to download free from their website.
If you’re looking to diversify your music tastes in 2014 or just want to hear a band that are trying to describe the gay man’s place in society through wonderful music, check out Orchid & Hound. Along with bands like The Irrepressibles they are championing, celebrating and exploring the gay man’s place in the world.
