So where was I? Oh yeah, once upon a time there was a Quinn called Louise. She had a dream of becoming a pop princess, but got hurt and fooled by the evil witches, wizards and moguls ruling the music industry who had crushed and ruined her beautiful dreams… The coolest part about this fairytale is that Louise did not need any prince charming to save her from despair or any Disney c**p like that… Instead of giving up, Louise kept going (kind of like Cinderella, but cooler, edgier and with messier hair) by believing in herself and making music along the way. Now she’s got a cool band, a new single about to be released, a lot of fans all over (including Madonna, not kidding), a white rabbit (yes, I’m serious, but more about it in a bit) and a UK tour confirmed for May this year… Oh and this tour isn’t just your standard gig which we’ve all seen many times before… It’s actually a whole unique theatre production with A Band Called Quinn providing the entire soundtrack for it, performing it at every show and fronted by our very own Louise who also stars in the theatre play itself. Pretty cool, ey?
Earlier this week I had a quick ET (I was actually meant to write e-Tea, but my choice of spelling makes the whole thing sound other-worldly for some reason) with Louise, asked her a few questions and here is the outcome of our little e-gathering.
So Louise, how and when did you get into music?
Music got into me! My mum said I used to sing and make up songs in my pram. My elder brother Shug was a punk, played guitar and I wanted to be like him. I wrote my first song when I was nine called Halloween Midnight. I then took my guitar round the neighbours at Halloween. My Mother was a born-again Christian, took me to masses where I’d play hymns. Bal, my music and life partner discovered me busking on the streets of Glasgow and the rest is history.
Wow, quite the story! And you do have a prince charming after all! So who exactly is in your band and what do they play?
Bal Cooke (drums, production), Robert Henderson (trumpet, keys) and Steven Westwater (bass).
And you on vocals of course! So for those who are not familiar with your sound, how would you describe it and who would you compare yourselves to?
Our sound can range from grunge to shoegaze with electronic and melodic brass elements. We get compared a lot to Blondie and Goldfrapp…. Which is alright!
Yeah, not bad at all… And what does the songwriting and arranging process look like in your band?
I usually write the songs on guitar and the band come up with the arrangements. Bal and myself produce the tracks up a bit in our home studio with our wee cat milling around before we record.
Oh you have a cat too? I bet it’s a white cat that smiles all the time whilst appearing and disappearing at the most random times… Since the band is called A Band Called Quinn, does it mean it’s your band and you’re the boss?
He he! We were originally called Quinn because we couldn’t think of anything else. After Madonna posted one of our tracks on her American Pie Blog, a musician in the States going by the name of Quinn forced us to change our name to A Band Called…
And what’s your new single “Forget About It” about (except forgetting something obviously) and why have you chosen it as the lead song of the whole “Biding Time (remix)” production?
It’s a big f**k you to the player haters; people who can’t stand other peoples success and try to bring you down because they can’t contain their jealousy or are threatened by it. We chose it as the main single because Dermot O’Leary played it on his BBC Radio 2 show, Tom Robinson on 6Music, Bethan Elfyn on Amazing Radio and a few others seemed to pick up on it too… When I sing it in the show I do a dance routine with a big white rabbit!
And there comes the rabbit! Has he escaped from Wonderland and does he get on with your smiling cat by any chance? Nah, don’t answer that one. I’d rather leave it to our readers’ (and my own) kiddy imagination… So what’s the B-side “Snowing In Paris” about then?
It is inspired by The Raft Of Medusa; a painting by Théodore Géricaualt. I saw it in The Louvre when I was in Paris recording vocals for a Kid Loco record. It depicts lots of people desperately struggling to survive by clinging onto a raft after their ship is wrecked. It chimed with the way I felt as a struggling artist at the time & how desperate people can be in that world. But it started snowing & put everything in perspective… It’s a big world with lots of people in it & we’re all like snow flakes in a snow storm.
Is that it? So I’m just a snowflake amongst millions of others? And here I was sitting on my big leather chair thinking I was special…So what interests me is how exactly you got involved with the Biding Time (remix) theatre production and what message you would like to convey to the world with it.
Pippa Bailey is an independent theatre producer and activist. With her shared story project Biding Time, she aims to make theatre more inclusive and encourage diverse roles for women. Pippa approached me about the project a while ago. I said I’d like to mash it up and tell my own story of being a woman in the music industry. We devised the remix with award winning theatre director Ben Harrison. It’s my story of being signed to a major label but set in a surreal world like Alice in Wonderland meets David Lynch. The story is told through song, screen and silent disco headsets which the audience wear. I don’t think the show tells anyone what to think, but people seem to identify with the story because it’s based on real life experience. Women often say they can identify with the hurdles the female protagonist has to overcome trying to get anywhere in a male dominated industry.
Wow, it sounds like a heavy and serious show rather than an easy entertainment on a Friday night… So what is your target audience for the performance and the music?
Our music and the show are for anyone who wants to listen to it and comes to see it! People aged from 14 – 80 say it’s engaging and entertaining. Young people identify with the X-factor culture in which we live, and older folk relate to the price of pursuing a dream. Everyone wigs out to the music and what’s not to love about a show starring a big white rabbit?!
Well, Roger Rabbit and Bugs Bunny have done pretty well for themselves, so having a bunny around can only be good thing, oh except Donnie Darko’s one. He didn’t do so well after meeting a black bunny called Frank… I hope your white rabbit isn’t called Frank… Is it?:l …
And what’s the most exciting experience in your music career so far and why?
I think this show is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me so far. Life imitating art and art imitating life – sometimes I have to pinch myself!
Yes, sounds rather confusing! So what’s the most embarrassing moment in your music career and why?
Too many to mention but probably having a bit too much to drink and trying to convince film director David McKenzie I would be better at playing Nico in his film than Tilda Swinton…
Haha, that’s priceless! I wonder what Tilda would say… And if there’s one thing you could change in your music career so far, what would it be and why?
I’d change none of it… I have a great band who I love playing with, I get to do more or less whatever I want… It’s what I prayed for at night when I was wee, apart from a cuddly cat and getting to wear a bra.
How about a cuddly bra then? So… Final question… What are the plans for A Band Called Quinn in 2014?
We release Forget About It from the soundtrack album on the 27th of April, tour the show round Scotland, then London and Brighton Fringe in May. We play an unplugged gig at The Kelvinbridge Theatre in Glasgow in June, then we’re back at Summerhall for the Edinburgh Fringe in August when we do the show as part of Made In Scotland.
For those who’d like to listen to the new single by A Band Called Quinn, click here: Forget About It
I’m actually in love with the B-side more, so I would like you all to click here too: Snowing In Paris
