Introducing: The Orphaned Bee

Australian project The Orphaned Bee combines elements of rock, metal and post-punk with electronica in an atmospheric sound they describe as “cinematic synth rock.”

The Orphaned Bee is the brainchild of renowned sound engineer and multi-instrumentalist Brett Tollis, who’s based in Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He started the project last year, working with drummer Alex O’Toole (Meniscus), lyricist Laura Boettcher, drummer Tim Carr (We Lost The Sea, Matt Corby) and producer and pianist Ron Pollard (Tangled Thoughts of Leaving) to create the debut EP Thinking Without Language.

On the sound they’ve created, Brett told us: “It has been described as a ‘wall of synths’, but it also has a lot of guitar in it, as well as the vocoder vocals and minimalist/ambient electronic vibes. It moves through prog, synthwave, post-rock, stoner-rock and ambient, so there is a lot going on.”

The five-track EP opens up with the delicious Rain, which starts with atmospheric synths that develop into more dramatic synth sounds. That’s followed by the more upbeat and oddly calmingly intense Water, which Brett tells us is the track he’s most proud of: “It’s such a journey, starting with a ‘stoner-rock’ guitar riff but moving through electronic doom, as well as the use of both vocoder vocals and the distorted screaming sounds.” The track features screamed vocals that are unusually quiet and echoey, which develops into a powerful section of synths and guitars.

There’s plenty more of that through Sanctuary and Fire, before coming to a dramatic conclusion with the final track Ascendance, which you can check out in the lyric video below.

On the EP, Brett told us: “The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from reviewers, which was a surprise due to the EP covering a fair few genres. It also picked up a lot of radio play ranging from electronic programs to prog and even metal radio programs, depending on the song. It’s been wonderful to have had so much support in such a saturated music market.”

The Orphaned Bee sound has been influenced by a wide range of styles, from metal, punk and 80’s synth pop to classical and jazz. The debut EP draws heavier influences from the likes of Ghost, electronic elements from the likes of Depeche Mode and Vangelis/Jaree, as well as experimental acts like Mr Bungle.

And on what inspires him to write music, Brett explained: “I’ve been playing music since I was 5, when I started on piano and saxophone, and it has always been my outlet. I also work as a live FOH audio engineer, and I’ve found that live music is my drug. Nothing beats the feeling of being at a gig with a great band, with great musicians and great sound. It’s such a fully immersive experience. Lyrically, this EP is a philosophical journey through the stages of life, touching on anticipation, joy, sorrow, pain and acceptance of the path our lives take.”

Brett is already working on a series of collaborations with other Australian artists across a range of genres, which will begin with a post-rock project in November. The Orphaned Bee was originally intended to be a studio project, but they’ll be taking it to the live stage in December to celebrate the 15th anniversary of record label Bird’s Robe Records along with the likes of sleepmakeswaves, Caspian(USA), Closure in Moscow, Toehider and Treebeard.

And Brett added: “The EP is designed to be listened to in order, as the music itself (as well as the lyrics) take you on the journey through life. Get onboard and come for a ride with us. It’s a pretty different sound, and we’re quite proud of it.”

You can follow The Orphaned Bee on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Bluesky, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.