"Out of Reach" is a haunting and dreamy track that explores introspection, frustration, and acceptance. ORCA drew inspiration for the song from her love for the ocean and surf guitar tones, which are reflected in the track's whimsical guitar tones and use of synth, keyboards, and echoing reverb. The cover art for the single shows her reaching for sunbeams in an underwater cavern, which represents the theme of accepting the present and letting go of frustration caused by unattainable goals. "Out of Reach" is part of her upcoming Ghosts EP, which blends driving guitar with surf tones, melodic riffs, and piano accents to create a modern indie rock sound with nods to early influences such as The Beatles, The Cranberries, and emo bands like Eisley and Deas Vail.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey ORCA, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey Kamil, thank you for taking the time to chat! I’m Lydia, the main artist from ORCA. I’ve always been into music but I do remember a specific moment in 6th grade when my friends and I decided that we wanted to be in a band. None of us knew how to play instruments though so we somehow convinced our parents to buy us guitars and spent a lot of time jamming in the basement of my friend’s house because she had a drum set down there, plus her parents didn’t care about the noise. I think the first thing that I learned on guitar was the intro to Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne because my crush at the time told me that it was THE song to learn on guitar. He wasn’t wrong. Anyways, I was a painfully shy kid but worked up the guts to play in the middle school talent show that year. We went on to play a few more talent shows throughout the years but we weren’t serious and stopped playing together when we went our separate ways for college.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Yes! I have a never ending stream of hobbies but my favorites are surfing, freediving, and underwater photography. I’ve been surfing for nearly 15 years and was a surf instructor for a few years during and after college. I slowly picked up freediving simply from being around the ocean so much. Whenever people ask me to explain freediving, I tell them that it’s basically extreme snorkeling because you use a mask, snorkel, and fins just like snorkeling but, instead of staying on the surface, you dive as deep as you can and stay under for as long as you can while holding your breath. It’s a very graceful sport and it builds a heightened awareness of your body and a strong connection to the ocean. One of my goals with ORCA is to use my music and art to share my passion for the ocean and marine life. For example, the cover art for “Out of Reach” is actually a photograph of me taken while freediving in an underwater cavern.
Your latest song is 'Out of Reach'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
At the time, I was listening to this band named Lyra’s Orchid and their song “Tides” really moved me. The guitar parts were particularly inspiring and I wanted to try to write something that would make others feel the same way that song made me feel. I had the rhythm guitar and bass parts written for a long time but I got stuck trying to find the right vocal melody. Eventually I got too frustrated and enlisted help from my partner who I left alone with the piano for an evening. There’s a line in the song, “I knew that this melody came from a half dream,” which is actually only a half truth… I do frequently wake up with melodies from my dreams but this particular melody was inspired by what he wrote that evening on piano. Once I finally had the melody, everything else fell into place. The lyrics were pretty much already written and are based on feelings of insecurity and inadequacy that I had to work through while trying to reach certain goals, along with some ghostly imagery to compliment the theme of the upcoming Ghosts EP that this single is a part of.
Can you reveal the recipe for a musical hit?
Oh man, that’s a secret even I don’t know! I haven’t written a hit yet but if you ever learn the recipe, I would be forever in your debt if you shared it with me.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
In addition to regular practice on guitar, bass, keyboard, and music production, I spend a lot of time online developing relationships with other artists around the world. The best way for me to learn and grow is by interacting with other people and so I really value the friendships that I’ve made through social media. The reason that I use social media for building these relationships, instead of focusing on in-person musician friendships, is because I am constantly moving due to my partner's job and therefore rarely spend enough time in the same location to develop strong friendships with other musicians. Moving so much held me back from writing music for a long time because I wasted a lot of time waiting for a band to form. As soon as it would start to happen I would have to move and then the waiting process would start over. Eventually it hit me that if I didn’t make it happen for myself then it would never happen. That would have become a huge regret in my life. So, now I focus on being a solo artist and collaborate with others when possible and am always inspired by my artist friends online.
What inspires you as an artist? Could it be the sea, the weather or something else?
I am definitely inspired by the ocean. I mean, with a name like ORCA you would hope so, right? But I am also inspired by my favorite bands growing up (which are spread across genres and generations) as well as by my own experiences and friendships. I originally wanted to play pop-punk music but my self-expression tends to come out as surf/indie rock, especially in the cleaner guitar tones that I’ve been drawn to lately. Maybe that’s an age thing, I don’t feel as much angst as I used to as a teenager.
How do you spend your free time? What makes you feel relaxed?
When I’m not surfing, I spend a lot of my free time with my cat Noodle and I love to read sci-fi and fantasy novels at home or have a beer on the beach with my partner and friends. I’m an outgoing introvert and really value my social circle but I recharge the best when I’m hanging with the kitty in the quiet comfort of home.
Do you have a mentor or coach?
Technically, no, but I have a few friends who I’ve secretly adopted as mentors! They are people who I really admire and look up to, I’m not sure whether they know if they’ve been adopted. If my secret mentors are reading this then here’s a clue… if I ask you a million questions then you’re probably an adopted mentor haha.
Do you think it's easy to become established in the music world, or is it difficult?
Honestly, I think it depends on your connections. I have very few music connections and very little money so for me, yes, it is difficult and demands a lot of time and creativity to get people to care about my projects. Especially now when it is so easy to make music and I think that is a double edged sword. On the one hand, finding the resources to make music is extremely easy and that has helped me immensely, but on the other hand it also means that the market is oversaturated with artists like myself who are hoping for some attention. I believe, though, that I’m doing the hard part now by developing myself as an artist and building the relationships from scratch. I think that down the road it will pay off and I always remind myself that I’m doing this for fun and because I simply love music.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
I would love to work more closely with some of my friends on music. One of my best friends from the original 6th grade band is an amazing musician as well and she is actually helping me with a song right now. So, we will see where that project goes! It would also be really great to start playing live. I’m moving again soon so hopefully I can hit the ground running in the new city to start developing the in-person connections that would make a live show possible!