Biography
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra emerged as an alternative metal outfit that fused hard rock with progressive metal textures. Its lineup drew from several established acts in the field: Ben Weinman, the Dillinger Escape Plan’s songwriter and guitarist, Brent Hinds of Mastodon, Alice in Chains vocalist William Duvall, Dethklok bassist Pete Griffin, and Thomas Pridgen, longtime drummer for the Mars Volta.
Weinman and Hinds first conceived the idea of forming an entirely new collaborative unit drawn from multiple corners of the alternative scene. The concept lingered without momentum for some time, prompting Weinman on several occasions to consider abandoning it altogether. Persistence eventually prevailed when the pair resolved to assemble the precise chemistry required for the ensemble to function. Additional contributors gradually layered their own ideas onto the material that resulted.
Weinman later observed that the band’s sonic identity bore no resemblance to anything any participant had previously produced in their primary groups. Early speculation pointed to Juliette Lewis as a candidate for lead vocalist, yet she ultimately supplied only guest vocals on a single album track. William Duvall of Alice in Chains instead assumed the frontman role. The record had already been largely composed by the time Duvall entered the fold, and his vocal contribution supplied the final element that solidified the group’s overall sound.
The band unveiled its debut single, “Crucifixion,” on BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show hosted by Daniel P. Carter in June 2016. Its first live appearance followed at the U.K. Reading and Leeds Festivals that August. Giraffe Tongue Orchestra issued its debut album, Broken Lines, the next month through Cooking Vinyl in partnership with Weinman’s own Party Smasher Inc.
Weinman and Hinds first conceived the idea of forming an entirely new collaborative unit drawn from multiple corners of the alternative scene. The concept lingered without momentum for some time, prompting Weinman on several occasions to consider abandoning it altogether. Persistence eventually prevailed when the pair resolved to assemble the precise chemistry required for the ensemble to function. Additional contributors gradually layered their own ideas onto the material that resulted.
Weinman later observed that the band’s sonic identity bore no resemblance to anything any participant had previously produced in their primary groups. Early speculation pointed to Juliette Lewis as a candidate for lead vocalist, yet she ultimately supplied only guest vocals on a single album track. William Duvall of Alice in Chains instead assumed the frontman role. The record had already been largely composed by the time Duvall entered the fold, and his vocal contribution supplied the final element that solidified the group’s overall sound.
The band unveiled its debut single, “Crucifixion,” on BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show hosted by Daniel P. Carter in June 2016. Its first live appearance followed at the U.K. Reading and Leeds Festivals that August. Giraffe Tongue Orchestra issued its debut album, Broken Lines, the next month through Cooking Vinyl in partnership with Weinman’s own Party Smasher Inc.