Overdrive Orchestra

A chat with Chris, Shaun, and Adam from Overdrive Orchestra with fans Jason, Denise and Mike. We talk about the new Overdrive Orchestra album Electric Mind and get into a bit of the history of the band. Then we all dig into favorites. Favorite songs to play, favorite stages, and favorite albums. Along the way we explore musicians who inspired the band, prospects of new music, and what is the point of pineapple on pizza.

Overdrive Orchestra and Electric Mind

Our chat took us all the way back to the formation of Overdrive Orchestra in Hartland, Michigan. Denise and Mike have been following the band since the earliest incarnations of Chris and Adam playing a Van Halen cover at a high school talent show. After a brief stint down in Nashville, Chris and Adam met up with fellow Hartland alumni Shaun, Cam, and JC (James Blevins) to round out what we now know as the Overdrive Orchestra.

In February 2020, just before all hell broke loose, Overdrive Orchestra released Electric Mind. This is a must for anyone that digs emotive rock music with a progressive almost psychedelic lean. What is even better is that they released it on vinyl. The concept behind the album is the light, the spark, the energy within each of us. Overdrive Orchestra transform the inner fire of existence into a broadcast of electric rock music. It is a beautiful thing and this band has done a great job of capturing the fire within.

A special song on the Electric Mind album by Overdrive Orchestra is called “Glass Kingdom”. A pulsating drum loop, accented with acoustic guitars and Chris’s soulful vocals is hauntingly beautiful. The main riff was developed by drummer Cameron Hill and the rest of the band fell in love with it. This riff spawns a moving composition that hints at loss and reflection. Each band member felt the drive to add their own texture and color which adds to the special vibe of the song. As Adam says about the main riff “It was a post and we were the vine crawling on it”.

Favorite Songs

Mike was interested in what is the favorite song for each band member to play. Which could be their own or any other artist. Shaun mentioned that the vibe of a show can drive which one their songs feels favorite on a given night. However, in general Shaun is down with playing anything by All Them Witches. A super solid choice for those who dig a grungy stoner psychedelic tunes pulsing with bass. Chris seconds this as he was representing with an All Them Witches shirt. Sounds like we need to get All Them Witches on the show.

For Adam the favorite song to play varies, but recently it has been “Release” off the Electric Mind album. This song features big burly foot stomping riffs and some tripped out harmonica (courtesy of Craig Griffith of the Verve Pipe). When journeying outside the Overdrive Orchestra catalog, Adam digs “No Quarter” by Zeppelin. Who can argue with that? Chris enjoys playing “Harvest”. Its moody syncopated intro builds into a torrent of fist pumping riffs.

Favorite Albums and stages

Jason piggybacked off favorites songs into favorite albums. Adam was quick to jump on 10000 Days by Tool and in particular the stellar bass playing of Justin Chancellor. Shaun digs Songs For The Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age. This album never disappoints. For Chris, the album that resonates with him is Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin. This timeless classic features perfect albums sides on A and B. Diehard fans Mike and Denise love the new Overdrive Orchestra album. We flipped this question back on Jason and he feels a great deal of nostalgia for Tommy by The Who as his dad played it quite a bit. That album when played with a candle burning will set you free.

Favorite stages made it into the conversation and the clear winner was Founders in Grand Rapids. This is based on the fan and band interactions and sound quality. Honorable mention goes to the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. This historic venue evidently was the loudest show by Overdrive Orchestra. As Shaun said louder is more better.

Inspirational Artists

After talking about favorites, we moved into inspirational musical artists which includes Dimebag Darrell, Josh Homme, Justin Chancellor, Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, and Frank Ocean. A well rounded list that gives you a peek into the diverse spectrum of influences that guide Overdrive Orchestra.

New Music and Naming of Overdrive Orchestra

Mike asked about a new album. The band has been using the quarantine period due to COVID to write new music, but want to wait to release until they can play live. This is the first time that all the band members have been working together on new tunes. The music on Electric Mind is actually a collection of music that is several years old. The new songs are more of a construction from the ground up with each member offering their unique inputs to the songs.

Jason asked about the naming of the band. Chris relays that it started early on when the band was just a trio (prior to Shaun, Cam and JC joining). The concept behind the name is layered music like an orchestra, yet the hard rock vibe captured in the word overdrive. The actual first name kicked around was simply Overdrive with Orchestra being added to complete the concepts of the band. A bonus is you can abbreviate as O2, the fuel for our lives.

Dig It

Dig into all the stories, laughs, and the merit of pineapple on pizza in this episode of Fans With Bands with Overdrive Orchestra. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.

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