The Quills

For two years The Quills had been a perfect idea waiting to be brought to life.

It started when singer/songwriter and guitarist Dave Butler was introduced to drummer John... more

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For two years The Quills had been a perfect idea waiting to be brought to life.

It started when singer/songwriter and guitarist Dave Butler was introduced to drummer John Pickering. At the time Dave was studying law and writing songs in his bedroom. John, having had mixed experiences with bands in the past, hadn’t touched his sticks for two years and was at the end of a psychology degree. Not five minutes into their first jam together they decided that they were starting a band and everything else could wait.

Bringing ideas into reality is often harder than expected, as was the case when searching for the remaining band mates. It took twelve months for them to find Andrew Stone on keys, and twice that time for bassist Fergus Scott.

“When John and I started the band,” says Dave, “we did it because we were inspired to do it, not because we went looking. When Andrew came along in 2007 we knew straightaway that he was the right guy and then when Fergus appeared earlier this year it suddenly felt like all the pieces we had floating around in our heads had fallen into place.”

An idea born of inspiration had finally become real. As it happened, that near conflict of spontaneity and patience became the foundation of everything The Quills.

Their name arose in much the same vein. Intensive deliberation over countless names suddenly sparked The Quills which garnered immediate approval from the band and somehow managed to capture everything the four band mates represented. The Quills is about the thrill they obtain through creating a song from nothing, where all that’s needed is a thought in your head and something to write it down with.

Their music is modern pop filled with fervent longing, adventure and contemplation. At times gigantic, sometimes vulnerable, and always melodic, The Quills create songs bursting with shimmering choruses and catchy instrumental lines. Devoid of heavy guitars and straight rock beats, their grandiose sound is instead a product of four instruments perfectly attuned to each other. Rich, sincere vocals and earnest lyrics complement an instrumental track unique and varied and which soars with emotional content all of its own.

It is this sound which has already seen the band support exciting Australian acts such as Sparkadia and Operator Please, as well as playing headline shows of their own to audiences of 300+. But it was their appearance playing a number of dates at the Woodford Folk Festival which showed the band that their music had widespread appeal.

“After our third show at Woodford,” recalls Dave, “we were making our way to our official merch signing. We were almost a little embarrassed because we didn’t expect anyone to come. As we approached the tent we walked past a lot of people lining up. The line stretched around the corner and out of sight and so we wondered who the band was before us because they had a huge turnout. As it turned out the lineup was actually for us! We were later told that it was one of the biggest signings of the entire festival and they even had to extend our time slot! It was at that point when we realised our music had the ability to reach a lot of people.”

Not only had their music connected with a lot of people but also with a broad range of people – the Woodford Folk Festival is renowned for its eclectic attendance, from teenagers all the way through to discerning aging music lovers. This is not all that surprising. The Quills’ music, while modern and exciting, is built around solid foundations of quality songwriting and talented musicianship. Each of the four band members grew up with their instruments: Dave and John playing since they could walk, and Andrew and Fergus with similar early starts and both having studied jazz at uni. For each of them, playing music is as natural as breathing and over the years they all developed their own distinctly individual styles of playing. This is perhaps what makes their music so unique while remaining openly accessible. The band’s sound is every bit just as much a product of the four individuals as it is them in combination.

This is reflected in the songwriting process too. While Dave assumes the majority of songwriting, he leaves the arrangement of each song as a wholly collaborative effort. Dave explains, “When I write a song, I write chords, melody and lyrics and then take it to the band. For me that is one of the most exciting moments; to hear for the first time how each of the guys interpret a new song. The ability and contrasting styles of the three musicians I get to play with makes for some intense instrumental ideas. So much so often times that we spend a lot of our rehearsal time focusing on restraint.”

Restraint is something they achieve remarkably well. Their recorded material is concise and consumable. It is their live show, however, where they really come into their own. Call and response improvisation between Dave and Andrew has been described as some of the most exhilarating moments of The Quills live in concert. But they are never indulgent and ensure that their intelligent pop songs are always the main attraction.

Their first studio release in 2007 was an independently driven EP entitled “Some New Place”. Self-produced it was recorded over six months at a number of different studios in Brisbane and with a couple of different engineers. There was a line-up change in the middle of recording and three separate trips to Sydney to have the tracks mastered. “So it wasn’t exactly the most cohesive project,” remarks Dave. “But we tried to make the most out of some awkward circumstances.” When the band released the record independently in December 2007, it debuted at no. 1 on Brisbane’s 4ZzZfm top 20. They played a launch show to a 300 strong crowd and quickly sold out of their first run of 500 CDs through sales at shows and their website alone.

Since then they have grown exponentially as songwriters, musicians and performers, their maturation mainly due to the confidence that comes with knowing that, after a long search, they had finally found the right people to make music with. But also in part because of some help from seasoned industry veterans.

“Shortly after we put out the record,” says Dave, “I was pulled aside by a friend in the industry and asked why I was singing in an American accent. I hadn’t even realised I was doing it because a lot of the singers I admire are American and most Australian acts surprisingly sing with an American lilt. I ended up doing a vocal workshop and embraced my natural accent when I sing. And I haven’t looked back since.”

The change that can be heard in new material and old songs alike is quite dramatic. Dave’s vocals are now more present, honest and intimate. Just as importantly the newly ‘acquired’ accent lends further to giving The Quills a sound uniquely their own, identifiably Australian, and ready for an international market.

It is with that sense of starting anew that The Quills are approaching the final months of 2008. Amid airplay on acclaimed national radio station Triple J, they have just concluded their hugely successful ‘A Thought In Your Head’ tour of Queensland, and plan to embark on their debut Australian tour in November/December, culminating with four shows at the eclectic Woodford Folk Festival. Their future plans include a debut album in the New Year, further Australian touring and a trip to the UK summer of 2009.

“Despite having been called The Quills for some time,” says Dave, “we feel right this moment is really the start for us. Our ‘A Thought In Your Head’ tour was indicative of that, named after the reason behind our band name and why we started this whole music thing in the first place.”

Listening to The Quills one can’t help but think it is the start of a very exciting future.

Band Members

Dave Butler - Vocals/Guitar
, Andrew Stone - Keyboards
, Fergus Scott - Bass Frequencies
, John Pickering - Drums

Band Influences

• Coldplay
• The Killers
• John Mayer
• Jimi Hendrix
• Stevie Ray Vaughan
• Ben Folds
• Miles Davis
• Bloc Party
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Sparkadia

Keywords

Brisbane, Pop, Rock, Alternative, Pop/Rock, The Quills, Coldplay, John Mayer, The Killers

Boooring……

Seems like the band owners have been pretty boring here, you should get in contact with them and find out why it's empty!