The Valley Floor

Formed in the spring of 2007 and completing the line up in early 2008 with the addition of lead singer and guitarist, Gordie Orlando, The Valley Floor fuses top-notch songs and killer performances with huge guitars, an amazing rhythm section and hooks big enough to snag the most ardent of critics.

Colin Sears, who has been the man behind the drumset in such ground-breaking bands as Dag Nasty, the Marshes and Alloy (not to mention an early incarnation of Fugazi), began playing with bassist Christian Harvey in the late 90's in the uber-tight punk outfit, Handgun Bravado. After a decade of touring the US and Europe, Handgun Bravado disbanded, and the prolific bass and drums duo decided to seek out a new guitar player and start fresh with a new project. Frustrated after several comical attempts to find the right guitarist, Christian bumped into his long-estranged old friend and fellow Humboldt County California native, Dave Becker at a rock show in early 2007. While making the small-talk common when catching up after not seeing each other for years, Dave lamented the recent break-up of his band, in which he played guitar and sang. Christian immediately siezed the opportunity and the three would begin playing on St. Patrick's Day 2007.

The chemistry was immediately apparent and the trio began writing material and developing a unique and compelling sound. While the three had spent the majority of their musical lives in punk rock, it was obvious that the songs that were turning out were cut from a different cloth. While still rooted in punk, the songs were textured and dynamic and didn't rely solely on speed and distortion, they were crafty and interesting... and damn good. The three adopted the name The Valley Floor and self-recorded a 5-song demo in the fall of 2007. While they were happy with the songs and the band, the recording made it apparent that there was still something missing from the mix. That something would burst into the picture early in 2008 in the form of singer and guitarist Gordie Orlando.

Starting in the late 1990's Gordie fronted the smashing Portland rock outfit Woke Up Falling, which toured extensively around the US and put out several releases before an untimely and devastating demise in late 2006. In the winter of 2007, after a year off from touring and recording, Gordie decided it was time to get back on the horse and began running an ad on criagslist looking for a new project to lend his considerable talents to. As anyone who has attempted to find a musical connection through craigslist can attest, the majority of replies to Gordie's ad were comical at best and his frustration grew until finally an email from the boys in The Valley Floor convinced him dust off his guitar and vocal chords and jump back into the fray.

The four knew instantly that this was no ordinary band, and the true lineup of The Valley Floor was settled. Recording their first demo as a foursome in June 2008, The Valley Floor is a formidable machine, blending elements of legendary post-punk bands like Magazine, The Comsat Angels, Gang of Four and New Model Army with the hooks and chops of bands like The Cure, Lucero, The Pixies and Hüsker Du, as well as countless others.