The Organ (band)

The Organ
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	2001
Defunct	2006
Headquarters	Vancouver, Canada
Products	Music albums, singles, EPs

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The Organ (band), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 2025

The Organ was a post-punk group originating from Vancouver, Canada, established in 2001. The band ceased activities in 2006 due to health issues and internal disagreements.

Formation and Early Period

Fronted by Katie Sketch, who began learning classical violin at the age of three, The Organ’s inception was rooted in her musical background. Initially, Sketch was not acquainted with underground bands such as The Smiths, The Cure, or Joy Division—artists The Organ would later be compared to. Her early influences were dominated by mainstream performers like Tiffany and Bon Jovi.

In her early twenties, disillusioned by the local music environment and mainstream radio offerings, Sketch encountered independent and 1980s music through Ron Obvious. He employed her to assist in constructing a studio for Bryan Adams. Obvious introduced her to mix-tapes featuring bands like Roxy Music, Ultravox, and distinctive vocalists including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nina Hagen, and Kate Bush. This relationship also facilitated Sketch’s role as an engineer for Tara Nelson, who recorded what would become The Organ’s debut EP.

Initially, Sketch created an instrumental trio named Full Sketch, which included Sarah "Sketch" Efron on bass and keyboards, and Barb "Sketch" Choit handling Hammond organ, guitar, and bass. The group’s concept involved members playing instruments unfamiliar to them to foster creativity. During this phase, Katie also took up drumming.

Efron recounted that their connection solidified during a trip to Hermiston, Oregon, where they decided to form a band. Full Sketch emerged from these origins but dissolved after Choit left to pursue an artistic career in California. Following this, Jenny Smyth (also known as Genoa Smith) replaced Choit on keyboards. Alongside Efron, Smyth helped establish The Organ.

After a lengthy audition process in 2001, Sketch chose to personally select musicians, assigning instruments and providing minimal instruction. Although media often described Sketch as a "music teacher," she emphasized that the members’ motivation to learn was far more important than formal training.

Sinking Hearts EP

Finalizing the lineup for their initial EP took three years. Sketch explained that she and Jenny had a clear vision and gradually recruited members while removing those who did not align with their goals. The band ultimately consisted of Katie, Jenny, Sarah, drummer Shelby Stocks, and guitarist Debora Cohen. Their Sinking Hearts EP was released in the summer of 2002 and received acclaim from The Canadian Press as well as American indie media. By January of the following year, The Organ had signed with Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records imprint alongside Mint Records. Later in 2003, Efron departed to pursue journalism at The National Post and was succeeded by Ashley Webber.

Although the lineup was complete and their EP out, it took two additional years to produce their first full-length album, which was recorded in four different studios. Grab That Gun featured four tracks carried over from Sinking Hearts and had a total duration under thirty minutes.

Guitarist Cohen expressed dissatisfaction with the initial mixes, leading the band to abandon sessions with producer Dahle and re-record with Paul Forgues. Drummer Stocks reflected on this choice: "We could have released something unfinished but decided quality mattered more than hype."

Grab That Gun

Despite initial challenges, the band cultivated a dedicated following, with Grab That Gun dominating Canadian campus radio charts longer than any other album that year. In December 2004, Ashley Webber departed due to conflicting priorities but returned early the following year in preparation for an international tour.

The Organ embarked on extensive tours throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. They created a music video for "Brother," directed by Robert Morfitt, which was featured on the soundtrack of the Showtime series The L Word. Later, during their most significant tour, they released the ambitious video for "Memorize the City."

In July 2005, they launched the standalone 7-inch single Let the Bells Ring via Go Metric Records, which included a remix by Dustin Hawthorne. Webber left the group permanently later that year and was succeeded by Shmoo, sister of Katie Sketch.

On November 14, 2005, The Organ performed live on BBC Radio 6 Music with Shmoo in the lineup. Shortly afterwards, they secured a deal with Too Pure Records for a global release of Grab That Gun set for February 2006. The album's artwork was crafted by David Cuesta, incorporating grids inspired by the Fibonacci sequence to reflect musical scales.

Breaking up

On August 23, 2006, The Organ canceled their remaining UK tour engagements citing illness but denied any plans to disband. Nevertheless, on December 7, 2006, they formally announced their dissolution.

Jenny Smyth attributed the breakup to several personal reasons unrelated to relocation or pursuits in modeling. In a 2008 interview, Katie Sketch revealed that exhaustion from relentless touring and internal band conflicts—aggravated by lack of support from a US label—were significant factors. She described worsening interpersonal dynamics marked by communication breakdowns and substance misuse amid demanding schedules.

Sketch also noted that contractual restrictions limited their creative freedom and delayed her solo ambitions. After the split, she relocated to Toronto, overcame personal challenges, and partnered with Jenny Smyth to open a community-focused bar.

Thieves EP

In October 2008, The Organ released Thieves, an EP featuring previously unreleased tracks recorded in a more relaxed environment designed to avoid prior tensions within the band. Initiated by Sketch after discovering their label intended to release demos without consent, the project was driven by a desire to retain control despite contractual limitations.

Post-breakup solo projects

Following The Organ's breakup, members embarked on various individual endeavors:

- Debora Cohen issued demos under the name "Lovers Love Haters," later rebranded as "Dancer in the Dark," including additional singles. - Shmoo Ritchie fronted Vancouver’s hardcore group Keep Tidy and developed "Die Cowboy Die," releasing two albums such as AllCaps (2011). - Katie Sketch formed "Mermaids" and planned a solo album but encountered legal barriers preventing releases in the US. She has performed live alongside Gentleman Reg and, as of 2016, played bass in Toronto’s all-female band Vag Halen. - Sketch and Jenny Smyth co-established The Henhouse, a gay-friendly bar located in Toronto. - Ashley Webber continued collaborating musically with Pink Mountaintops and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. Under her solo moniker Ashley Shadow, she released two albums on Felte Records blending ambient soundscapes with reflective lyrics and toured across Canada, the US, and Europe.

Studio Albums

Grab that Gun (2004)

Singles and Extended Plays

Full Sketch (CD, 2000): Tracks include "Picky," "Cooler Than Clean," "Steven Smith," "Soundtrack," "Sketchersize," and "Ice Fishing"
The Organ (7-inch, 2002): Featuring "It's Time to Go" and "We've Got to Meet"
Sinking Hearts (CD, 2002): Contains "We've Got to Meet," "I Am Not Surprised," "It's Time to Go," "Sinking Hearts," "There Is Nothing I Can Do," and "No One Has Ever Looked so Dead"
Memorize The City (7-inch, 2005): Includes "Memorize The City" and "There Is Nothing I Can Do"
Memorize The City (CD, 2005): Features the songs "Memorize The City," "There Is Nothing I Can Do," and a remix of "Memorize The City" by Simon Bookish
Let the Bells Ring (7-inch, 2005): Contains "Let the Bells Ring" and a remix of "Memorize the City" by Dustin Hawthorne
Brother (CD + 7-inch, 2006): Comprises "Brother" and a Gideon Coe BBC Radio 6 Music Session version of "Love Love Love"
Memorize the City (CD + 7-inch, 2006): Includes "Memorize the City" and a Gideon Coe BBC Radio 6 Music Session rendition of "No One Has Ever Looked So Dead"
Thieves (CD, 2008): Tracks are "Even In The Night," "Oh What A Feeling," "Let The Bells Ring," "Fire In The Ocean," "Can You Tell Me One Thing," and "Don't Be Angry"

References

General sources

External links

Archived official website
Review of Grab That Gun on Sound Generator
Mint Records official site
[ The Organ] profile at AllMusic
"Hammond-rich new wave sounds: The Organ in session" feature on CBC Radio 3 by Elianna Lev