The Birth of Dead Girls Academy
How often do you get a second chance at life?
Dead Girls Academy’s Michael Orlando’s kill or be killed real-life story is enough to make you a believer. Here’s a guy, a rebel who grew up in post-Motley Crue era Los Angeles, started a band, got a record deal, toured, toured, and lived rock & roll day in and day out – then BAM! Highway bus accident and his 20-something life is ruined. Michael Orlando almost died. In fact, he DID die briefly.
Throughout three grueling years of reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation, Michael’s one source of inspiration was that dream of a second chance. With the support of best-friend Ronnie Radke (Falling In Reverse), the two set out to assemble a scorching band of like-minded rockers, and Dead Girls Academy was born.
How often do you get a second chance at ROCK?!
“Oh my God here we go again!” is the first wail from Alchemy on the lead-off track “Medicine,” which sets the stage for Orlando to exorcize his inner hellion for the following 40 minutes. “No Way Out” is the newest fire-starter from Alchemy, based on manipulation and jealousy. This follows the bands previous single, the Top 30 Active Rock anthem “I’ll Find A Way,” which has punched nearly 1 million streams.
Just as any institution must reform to remain relevant, the new coming of Michael Orlando came as he sought out a new musical path, putting his former project Vampires Everywhere to rest and giving himself a shot in the arm in the form of Dead Girls Academy. “I’ve always been on the darker side of rock & roll and the name fits the sound and overall image. It’s a double metaphor – one referring to the feeling of death inside yourself, the second mirroring departed relationships, all congregated under one institution: myself.”
Like a thrilling mystery film, Alchemy peels back the layers of villains, as Orlando tells, “Fake friends, hangers-on, split personalities, social-climbing and attention-hunting whores are all the ingredients I wanted to exploit with Dead Girls Academy. I called together Ronnie, my pal Tyler Smyth and our friend Elvis Baskette (Slash, Sevendust) to start arranging songs and melodies. Growing up in Hollywood there are so many fucked up things I’ve seen, I could write six novels about them all. But that’s what breeds the creative juice and you will believe me once you hear Dead Girls Academy.”
Check out some of Dead Girls Academy’s music videos:
“Everything”
“No Way Out”
“I’ll Find A Way”
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