Orson Wilds is an indie/alt rock band from Toronto, Ontario formed in 2019. The band’s sound combines elements of punk, folk and rock to create something that is both intimate and expansive. They released their debut EP “WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WON’T LET GO?” in late 2021 produced by Will Yip. The album was released with Will’s support on his record Black Cement (Roadrunner Records). The album combines a mixture of both hope and grief, chronicling the band’s experience with the loss as well as trying to remain hopeful. A trademark of the band’s sound; upon first listening the songs are uplifting but upon closer listening, a deep melancholy runs through them. Debut single “Stand Up” was an instant success, garnering major playlist adds and radio success and follow up single “dec 19” was placed on popular video game NHL ’22.
At the heart of the band is Eric Reid, primary songwriter and Brianna Bordihn who began collaborating after they first met nearly a decade ago when their then separate bands performed on a local bill together in Toronto. Coming from very different backgrounds – Bordihn growing up in a religious household, while Reid was adopted after a tumultuous first couple years of life – the two found common ground in music and exploring the concept of identity.An avid lover of film, Reid’s songwriting takes on a cinematic quality, with rock at the heart, and building orchestral elements and sweeping melodies to create a sprawling sonic landscape that is in equal parts familiar and unique. Eric and Brianna fill out their sound with friends and family on recordings and live performances.As a live act Orson Wilds can range from five to eight members including trumpet,saxophone and violin. The two lead singers Eric and Brianna both offer a contrasting sound with Eric’s passionate and raw vocal and Brianna’s smoother softer tones, to create something instantly recognizable as their own. The songs often break into gang vocal sing-along choruses that are rounded out by bassist Max Kennedy and guitarist Ryan Bordihn.
