May 2011 might earn a place in history for many reasons. Among music fans however, it marks the launch of Reznor’s Orchid, the debut album of We Govern We, a California-based four-piece that is here to rejuvenate, perhaps even redefine, the genre generally referred to as alternative rock.
Although this is the band’s first release, its members are far from industry novices. We Govern We are the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Panos Scourtis and Anna Karakalos, who cut their teeth in accl...
May 2011 might earn a place in history for many reasons. Among music fans however, it marks the launch of Reznor’s Orchid, the debut album of We Govern We, a California-based four-piece that is here to rejuvenate, perhaps even redefine, the genre generally referred to as alternative rock.
Although this is the band’s first release, its members are far from industry novices. We Govern We are the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Panos Scourtis and Anna Karakalos, who cut their teeth in acclaimed Greek alternative rock band Sigmatropic where they had the opportunity to open for or collaborate with such stars as Moby, Nick Cave, and Carla Torgerson (of The Walkabouts). Strongly feeling that their music would be more at home in the West Coast circuit, they moved to California where they soon found the right collaborators in Adrian Burke and John Boutin (formerly of Gwen Mars). The finishing touch and ultimate vote of confidence is provided by producer and resident sage Daniel Ash, of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets fame.
While the band has been performing together for more than two years, there is good reason for the first launch coming only now. Far from the manufactured standardization that plagues most contemporary production, Reznor’s Orchid is not so much a debut album as a carefully crafted music box, giving insights into the band’s multiple influences and the rare dynamic among its members.
Distilling those influences, Reznor’s Orchid is an eclectic but balanced mix of the band’s many facets. From the radio-friendly riff of Come Atlantis, to the mystical power of Edgar Allan Poe inspired Annabel Lee, and the teasing cover of Tears for Fears’ Shout, We Govern We have created a showpiece of immediate allure and enduring power.
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