Orson

In 2000 the alternative pop outfit Orson came together in Hollywood. Vocalist Jason Pebworth and guitarist George Astasio, the two founders, took the band’s name from screen legend Orson Welles; their Tinseltown background likewise prompted the decision to appear onstage in vintage suits and fedoras. Lead guitarist Chad Rachild, bassist Johnny Lonely and drummer Chris Cano rounded out the first lineup, which played Los Angeles clubs without attracting notice until fall 2005, when the group issued its debut album, Bright Idea, on its own label. Rachild left shortly afterward; with Kevin Roentgen stepping in on guitar, Orson headed to the U.K., where the mercurial British music press quickly embraced the band and opening slots for Duran Duran helped build a European audience. After a brief return to Hollywood the musicians moved to London in early 2006, signed with Mercury and reissued Bright Idea that spring. The album reached the top of the U.K. charts while its lead single, “No Tomorrow,” also climbed to number one. In 2007 Orson played the Concert for Diana and delivered its second album, Culture Vultures, which earned the Brit Award for Best International Breakthrough Act. Further touring and festival dates followed, yet the group ultimately chose to disband. Pebworth and Astasio later formed the behind-the-scenes songwriting team The Invisible Men with Xenomania’s Jon Shave, while Cano, Lonely and Roentgen launched the band Goldsboro.