Zach Sobiech Soaring High at #1 with “Clouds”

It’s been two days since Zach Sobiech succumbed to the Osteosarcoma that plagued his body for the past four years, but it’s now clear that his inspiring attitude and music are not to suffer the same fate. Thanks to the support of all those who connected with his uplifting tunes and story, his single “Clouds” just hit the #1 spot on iTunes’ Singles chart.

“Clouds” is being released through Rock The Cause, the label that excels at bringing music and philanthropy together. True to form, proceeds from “Clouds” are going to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund.

Help lift the spirit of someone in need of positive energy; support the research to treat an illness that’s the eighth most common form of childhood cancer; and keep a small part of Zach Sobiech’s endless optimism in your pocket by adding “Clouds” to your music library.

And if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a video on Zach’s last days that will give you a glimpse inside this amazing boy’s mindset:

Welcome, Antoine!

Introducing Antoine Wilson, Assistant Manager, Data Analyst

What’s up? I’m Antoine and I’m hyped to join The Orchard team! I’m a native of Brooklyn, NY and graduated from Cornell University in 2009. What I love most is traveling. I spent my first two years after college teaching English in South Korea, and have traveled to 13 countries over the past 5 years. I’m always looking for new cultural adventures whether abroad or right here in NY. Besides travel, in my spare time I enjoy Muay Thai, biking, good food and of course, good music. In particular, I love classic Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul, Disco, Acid Jazz, and various forms of Electronica. If I had to pick a single favorite group, it’d probably be A Tribe Called Quest.

Zach Sobiech, Gone But Not Forgotten

You may not know the name Zach Sobiech, but you absolutely should. This week, we lost Zach to a rare form of bone cancer, but not before he was able to inspire millions with his story and music.

In 2009, at age 14, Zach was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a disease with no viable treatment. Several operations and bouts of chemotherapy followed, but last year, doctors told him that the cancer had spread and that he only had a few months to live. Zach funneled the frustration and fear of that diagnosis into “Clouds,” a goodbye ode that has accumulated millions of YouTube views and a surge of support towards his story via CNN, Billboard, and a host of other media outlets.

I’ve worked with Zach’s record label, Rock the Cause, for the last two years and followed Zach’s story every step along the way — as local press turned to national press and national press turned to a record album charting on the Billboard Heatseekers and Folk Charts. The most astounding part about Zach was that while each piece was about him, it was never actually about him. Zach never let the dire complexity of his situation derail him and continued doing what he loved to raise funds to support others diagnosed with his disease.

Last week, as Zach was nearing the end of his time with us, a host of celebrities contributed to a cover version of “Clouds,” a fitting goodbye to a young man trying to find the best way to express that very sentiment. So, minimize the e-mail you’re writing, the text you just received, or whatever other ancillary task is currently holding your attention, and check out the video below. Zach may be gone, but he will not be forgotten.

Proceeds from “Clouds” go to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund, which you can donate to and read more about here.

Update: “Clouds” is now #1 on iTunes! Thanks for helping him get there.

The Balconies Inaugurate The Orchard Biscuit Factory Sessions

Fresh from the Rival Sons tour, Toronto’s The Balconies just brought their European run to a close with two packed shows at The Great Escape. The first was on Thursday (16th May) at a Canadian showcase held at Blind Tiger Club which saw the band win over a large crowd in mid-afternoon, with the second a packed sweat box Green Store Door (18th May) where the band made sure everyone was still awake at 2AM!

The Balconies have just released their new Kill Count EP in Europe, joining friends Two Hours Traffic for several dates including a showcase at the Dauw Pop Festival in Holland. Kill Count combines straight-up Rock with Pop harmonies for a highly accessible appeal. Produced by Jon Drew (Tokyo Police Club, Fucked Up), the EP has been met with critical acclaim — something the band will be looking to build on when they release their debut album later this year.

The band recently launched a PledgeMusic campaign to raise money to finish the project — and met their goal in only two weeks! The album has been recorded by well-renowned producer Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, Simple Plan).

Before hitting The Great Escape, The Balconies were kind enough to swing by The Orchard’s new UK offices for what would be The Biscuit Factory Sessions’ debut performance. Here are some images from their set, taken by yours truly.

Prepare to LOL: YouTube’s Comedy Week Is Here

Comedy is arguably the top category on YouTube after Music. Most of the programming innovations are coming from Comedy channels; a lot of YouTube’s original content funding is going to Comedy channels; and a lot of viewers are heading to YouTube to LOL. In honor of this, YouTube launched its first ever Comedy Week last night at 8PM ET, and new live shows will stream each night at that time until Saturday, May 25.

Numerous promos have run the past couple of weeks, though the team responsible for YouTube at The Orchard has a favorite in the in-house video created by YouTube featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger. You can find others over at this AdWeek piece.

YouTube’s own channel is serving as the official guide to Comedy Week. They’re even showing off an interesting shift toward dedicated viewing times further down on the page. Today’s highlights include The Lonely Island, Reggie Watts, The Gregory Brothers, Ricky Gervais, Improv Everywhere, Sarah Silverman, and numerous others.

Keep an eye out for more themed events coming up throughout the year. Who knows, maybe Shakespeare Week is just around the corner!