Spotlight’s On: The Sordid Orchids

A Rock Band That Doesn’t Sit Still

Looking for a little scandal onstage? You’ve found the right group.

Left to right: Tynan Wheeler, Kylen Kintigh, Aaron Rossan & Kash Peck. Photo taken by Arriam Kane.

Eclectic rock quartet The Sordid Orchids stand out when they take the stage, with an instrument-switching routine that dates back to their founding in the fall of 2022. Sure to please anyone with a good ear for rock, the band has dabbled in a range of subgenres– from prog, psych, and punk rock to incorporating elements of jazz, blues, and classic rock.

Even for the band, sometimes words fall short of being able to describe their unique sound.

“We experiment with a lot of different sounds and we can end up completely hopping genres when switching from song to song. I think experimental indie would be the correct term but not necessarily the most descriptive,” explained Kylen Kintigh, who plays guitar, drums, and vocals. “As for mood and vibe, we bounce between silly and serious quite a bit which is probably a good thing because taking everything seriously isn't necessarily a good thing.”

From Classmates to Bandmates

Kintigh and Tynan Wheeler (keys, bass, vocals, tambourine, and maracas) and met as roommates through Northwestern Michigan College’s (NMC) Audio Technology program, and quickly shared a goal of starting a band. Bringing in former member Geoff Norman-Anderson, The Sordid Orchids were born—but not done recruiting yet.

“We soon realized we needed an extra hand to fill out the sound and often found ourselves switching instruments to form ideas. We brought in Aaron Rossan when 2023 rolled around, and we decided to keep the instrument-switching schtick since Aaron also played multiple instruments… plus there aren’t many bands out there who do that,” Wheeler shared. “It keeps things interesting.”

Early Shows and Evolving Lineups

“We did our first show at NMC as part of an audio tech student-run music festival (with fellow student bands), and then we did a handful of shows over the next couple years before Geoff left the band in January of 2025,” he continued. “He left us on good terms, and Geoff and I still host a radio show together on WNMC!”

Now, as they prepare to perform again on familiar turf on Saturday, April 25, at NMC’s 75th Anniversary Student and Community Block Party—alongside indie pop trio and Audio Tech alumni Trillium Groove, as well as current Audio Tech student Alessandra McKenzie—the lineup looks a little different. 

Enter Kash Peck, who, along with Rossan, is another NMC Audio Tech alumnus. After auditioning in the spring of 2025, he joined The Sordid Orchids as a rhythm guitarist, bassist, drummer, and vocalist. 

Momentum, New Recordings, and What’s Next

The band performed last Friday at Eugene’s Record Co-op in Downtown Traverse City with local band, Hail Your Highness, as well as West Michigan groups Glassfield and Focus Ring. Now, with the upcoming (free!) outdoor show at NMC’s Block Bash, momentum is building as they roll into summer.

Even with the release of Live in ‘25 last September, Peck and Rossan note that the band has additional studio recordings in the works. 

After releasing both solo projects and now recordings done with the band, Peck is taking steps forward toward a major aspiration in his music career— his goal of “inspiring people’s creativity the same way my favorite artists have done for me,” naming Green Day as a notable influence. 

The Sordid Orchids performing at Eugene's Record co-op. Taken by Staton Lorenz.

As for Rossan, the lyricist behind a band favorite, “Everything” off of their recent album, the music is his road to expression. 

“Music is a very intimate connection. If you listen to my music, you’re reading my journal, feeling my emotions, learning my experiences, but you’re hearing my life through your perspective,” he described.

“As long as my art, my story, resonates with just one person I can die happy knowing I made an impact in this world no matter how small. My art will be around longer than me. My art will reach more life than I can. It makes music worth pouring hours into," Rossan finished.

With influences spanning alternative, indie, classic rock, and more, his musical muses are held near and dear to his soul— especially his inspiration to drum in the first place: his older brother. 

“My inspiration comes from the love of the people I surround myself with, the ups and downs of life, or listening to songs that breathe better than I can. I create music anytime words can’t express the magnitude of how I feel because I speak clearer through the instruments I play,” Rossan recounted.

The same sentiment rings true for Kintigh, who holds music close as a way to communicate things that aren’t as easily described. 

“I'd like to express myself in a way that language isn't necessarily the best at,” he said. “I mostly create for self expression because a lot of times it can be difficult to portray emotions through the lens of social norms.”

Back to Where it All Began

For Wheeler, a founding member who’s dedicated to the enduring industry motto (“the show must go on”), this return to old stomping grounds is something exciting and nostalgic, all at once, especially as they approach the four-year anniversary of the band.

“We’re going back to where it all began, not just the place we started, but the place where we played our first notes, and having current and former students of NMC’s Audio Tech program playing live music for this celebration of NMC’s 75th anniversary makes this all the more special for us,” Wheeler detailed.

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The Sordid Orchids will be performing at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 at NMC’s 75th Anniversary Student and Community Block Party, which is free for students and community members. Find more details or register for the event here. As for The Sordid Orchids, you can keep up with them via their Linktree or Instagram at thee_sordid.orchids!