In Conversation: The Quivers
In early March (just before ‘you know what’ erupted in Canada), Greg Torwalt had a phone conversation with Rebecca White, vocalist for Calgary garage punk band The Quivers. The two chatted about the band’s recent EP: Nice To Meet You, The Quivers’ songwriting & recording methods, what it is like to be a punk band in Calgary, and their future plans.
Enjoy.
Cups N Cakes: When our Cups readers click play on your debut EP: Nice to Meet You, what can they expect to hear?
Rebecca White: A really fun fast record. Most of the songs are about relationships from my perspective and a lot about coming of age. Stories about being in Calgary and what it’s about being in this scene here. Ya I mean most of it is about relationships, friends. It was the first EP I’ve ever made, the other boys have been in many bands as well but it was my first project and it was very exciting to make it all come together. We recorded with our friend Brock Geiger (guitarist, Reuben and the Dark). When you first turn it on - it’s really fast and really loud!
CnC: What was the easiest song to record?
RW: Probably “Underwear”. We recorded it all live together, live off the floor. And that was the one probably with the fewest takes - it’s just so quick, you know, just bang it out really quick. We only did maybe two takes on it and it was ready to go.
CnC: Was there a song that was difficult to track?
RW: “Southside” - it wasn't necessarily difficult it was just kind of changing like...there was a different part that we kind of omitted and worked around and added some more to it. We don’t have a bass player in the band, just feed the guitar to one guitar amp and to a bass cab as well. So just kind of layering the extra parts. And there is extra guitar at the end that Brock played on. And just adding more layers and different guitar parts that we wouldn’t have thought of adding that Brock helped us imagine for that, so those ones took a little bit longer to get. Actually that one that was really challenging, in the post production part of things, cuz it was a little echoey and spacey, so we had to get that down in the mastering process and it ended up being great.
CnC: Do the songs come from a similar place of inspiration or does each song have its own story?
RW: Well each song does have its own theme I suppose, everything is kind of tied in. I want to say it’s almost a debut record, it’s the first songs that we ever did try writing. We’re writing some more right now that are getting a little bit darker - I’d say this EP is a little bit more poppy - almost. That’s how I feel. The next couple of releases we’re going to make are going to be a little more sludgy.
CnC: What’s your band’s writing process like? Do you write together or do you independently bring ideas and then work on them in a jam space?
RW: We usually independently bring ideas. I usually work with the guitar player first, they’ll have a riff and send it over to me and I’ll listen to it and write some words for it. Then we show it to Matt (Doherty), the drummer, and then we all kind of jam it out together.
CnC: You were speaking about “Southside” before, this is a standout on the EP. Can you tell the Cups readers more about the story behind the song, or how it developed from an idea to a full fledged song?
RW: For sure, so it’s about summertime in Calgary. We all go to Bow River and we drink by the river, and I dunno hang out, take photos, make music, do all that kinda stuff - it’s kinda like our summertime thing. That’s a lot of people’s summertime thing - it’s kinda our only body of water in the city to spend time that’s not like, you know, you have to drive a million miles away to get to. So ya it’s all about getting on your bikes and grabbing some beer and meeting your friends or the person your romancing with. And it’s meant to feel super sunny and bright and about taking advantage of your time. And since summer is such a fleeting thing for us Canadian people. And the ‘Southside’ is because the river is in the Southwest, so that’s what that is all inspired by.
CnC: So did you write any of it down by the water?
RW: No actually I wrote this whole record in the winter, starting around December 2018. And I guess it was just a thought.
CnC: Some reminiscing?
RW: Ya totally, cuz it was written in the winter - in like March.. you know.. like December, January, February, and March where it’s like..okay.. let’s go with some sunshine, let’s go! And it ends up being cold. So that was definitely some inspiration and thought behind that in the midst of the never ending spring that is still winter.
CnC: What do you enjoy about recording?
RW: I just really like being creative and being in that space. I’ve always wanted to be making music and I just never really had the capacity to put myself out there. And then I kinda.. you know.. started checking myself and my mental health and now I’m ready to go. And just the whole experience of recording and being able to create something that is yours virtually, it was kind of like a proud moment when I first got to do that. And it’s great working with people who are also musicians while they are recording you because they have a lot to offer and bring to your record with suggestions. So I think it’s important when you record with someone that they have some sort of music inkling instead of just being a producer.... I mean..not just a producer, I know that’s an important job, but also I personally find it helpful if someone makes music as well.
CnC: You mentioned you recorded live off the floor - can you speak more to how that went - did you enjoy recording live off the floor? Would you do that for your next record?
RW: Ya I think I would - I think we just jive together better when we’re all playing at once. I mean there were a few vocal takes, guitar takes, and drum takes that had to be done separately but for the most part everything was recorded live together - which I enjoyed.
CnC: If someone were to stumble into one of The Quivers shows, what would they experience?
RW: They would probably be a little freaked out [laughs] I go pretty H.A.M when I am on stage, I have a lot of energy and I like to interact with the crowd a lot. I stand on a lot of things and shake beer on people and walk into the crowd while I’m singing and lean on people and dance with people. It’s super fun and it’s.. I dunno.. I find it to be really positive and I really like that it's always a lot of women that are front row with me as well...it’s nice to see a female front person once in a while because there aren’t very many in Calgary.
CnC: I’ve noticed your band has been pretty busy since the release of the EP - what do you enjoy about playing live?
RW: Umm like everything (laughs) I dunno. I just love doing this. I love being on stage. I love being a performer. I love the singing. I like challenging myself to use my voice in different ways that I never have before. I can tell that I’m getting better and better at keeping a steady scream or being able to have more stamina. Ya it’s just great, it’s great adrenaline...I dunno.. I like attention [laughs] ya it’s fun, I just kinda like being myself, I’m a weird little goof and I’m able to jump around, and scream and sing. It’s super fun, I love it.
CnC: Your vocal performances are intense, like you mentioned. How do you take care of your voice and do you have any tips for burgeoning punk vocalists?
RW: Umm.. hmm.. don’t uh.. I mean I’m still learning myself too. My neck still hurts from playing the other day - [laughs] too much thrashing, I need to find a new way to headbang. I mean you just have to not overdo it - I guess kinda find where your range is and find where you’re comfortable because if you start to be playing shows every night and you have no voice then that’s not good. So you need to be able to find a way to control your voice. And I dunno.. probably don’t smoke cigarettes?
CnC: Do you have a pre show ritual?
RW: Ya I mean we usually get together at my drummer’s house. If we have some new songs we’ll have a jam before the show - a quick little jam, then we’ll have some beers, then we’ll drive down and load in. And that’s kinda our little ritual - meeting at Matt’s and then all heading down together.
CnC: What makes for an ideal The Quivers show?
RW: Good energy, I mean the more people the merrier, of course. Depending on how many red bulls I have before. I mean, I feel like every show is good to be honest. I dunno, I just have so much fun doing it that I’m never disappointed. I just think it keeps getting better and better each time we play. We actually have a new guitar player now (Adam Lamb), so I'm excited to work with him - he’s been sending me some new riffs. I’m planning to record a single next month hopefully and release that one soon.
CnC: Do you have a favourite song right now to perform?
RW: We have a new one called “Walk” that’s really fun - that’s the one I want to record. “Underwear” is super fun too - it’s just so fast. And it’s like a cheeky song. “Southside” is really fun too - I think that’s the one people relate with the most off the whole record, and it’s like the most..I dunno.. commercial one, it’s the danciest.. “Nice To Meet You” is super fun as well. It has a fun intro that kinda builds up. For the longest time we would start every show with that song. Now we’re trying to mix it up and not make it, uh, you know, so cookie cutter every time. But ya I’d say “Southside” and “Nice To Meet You” are probably my favourites - I mean like all of them are great, they’re just so fun.
CnC: Do you have shows or venues you’ve played lately that stand out to you?
RW: Broken City (Calgary) is always our heart place - it’s where our first show was. BJ, their promoter there, is a good friend of mine and he’s awesome. He does a lot for the Calgary scene and he really hooked us up when we were starting out and we’re doing really well now. In the course of a year, we've put out this record, we’re getting a ton of shows, playing a bunch of festivals. We’re hoping to plan a tour for the end of summer. We played Big Winter Classic this January, that was really fun. We’re also playing the No More Moments Fest 2020 on the Siksika Nation.
CnC: What are some hopes or future plans for The Quivers going into 2020 and beyond?
RW: I would like to have a Canadian tour this summer, deciding whether it’s west coast or east. Like if we go to Winnipeg or to B.C.. that’s probably as far as we’d go, but that’s something I definitely want to get on the go - been a little bit lazy in starting but anyway... [clears throat].. and then put out a single for sure, write another record - I’m not sure if it’s going to be another EP or an LP. But definitely put out a single, put out at least another EP by the fall and then I wanna tour Europe.
[***A friendly reminder from the editor that this interview was conducted before the coronavirus pandemic overtook the globe]
CnC: You mentioned the new music is getting a little darker, so what does it mean to you to be a punk band in 2020?
RW: I think that, you know, writing music about sex, and meeting by the river and getting drunk is fun, but I think there is also a lot going on in the world that you kinda have to.. Like I’m trying to challenge myself to go more in depth with my lyrical content. You know, it’s punk music so it’s fast and it’s repetitive, but I’m trying to branch out a little bit more to issues within my own community with partying too much for example - that’s something I’ve been trying to focus on - like how we struggle with our addictions and so on. Also abuse against women is one that I’ve been trying to think of metaphors to use in music as well as political agendas, but still in a way that’s not insanely aggressive, but in a way that something is still being said through the music - you know? Because ya I mean, I think it’s kinda hard to ignore those things when you are making any kind of art. When you’re an artist, you think about things that other... I mean I’m a Pisces, I’m a huge empath [laughs] so just trying to apply those feelings of what other people are going through in rock poems pretty much.
CnC: Tell me a little bit more about the Calgary music and arts scene? What is it like to be a band based out of Calgary?
RW: Calgary has a really close knit scene - I mean cuz Calgary is small, I always call Calgary the biggest small town in Canada. We don’t really have a lot of venues to play at, they’re starting to pop up more and more now, but it isn’t the same as in 2014, let’s say, you know when I feel like the energy was a little bit more, and we were all younger and stuff too, I think there was a lot more, almost like, ‘care free - it’ll always be like this’ kind of attitude - but as time has gone on, and people have gone through different things, and venues have changed and closed and people have moved - things are a little bit different. And like a whole new wave of younger kids are coming out with their own bands, and a lot of it is great, you know, there are a lot of hidden gems in Calgary. And a lot of the more established bands, like 36? for example, they have been on tour for almost a year. And it’s been really cool to see other people, like Miesha and the Spanks recording a new record and she just had babies. And just like kind of becoming a little bit older in the scene and growing and seeing what other options are available outside of Calgary as well, because I feel there are like two bars that shows happen at: The Broken City and Palomino. And then there are some other pop up venues that will have the odd show here and there - and The Ship of course. I just really want to start working with other people to see if we can build another space where we can have it as a venue, or as a creative space. That’s something I want to look into in the future as well. There’s a ton of us that want to play and make things for each other, but the space to do so is limited - so that’s the qualm I have right now with Calgary’s scene is that we are running out of space to make space for ourselves.
CnC: How has living in Calgary influenced your sound and your band? You’ve talked about Calgary’s influence when you spoke about “Southside” earlier, but do you have anything else to add?
RW: Calgary is a big, first and foremost, rock scene. And I’ve been loving noticing all these other great ideas come out, like all these psychedelic trips and noise art, and that kind of stuff. Growing up in Calgary, my taste in music was always super centered around punk and rock. My peers, we all liked the same things growing up. I started going to shows when I was 13, and there was a big hardcore scene here at that time, from 2002 to about 2009. So I started going to community halls to see hardcore shows, and that kind of moved into punk shows, then more garagey-rock, so my main tastes right now are garage and punk. But I’ve been listening to a lot more hip hop and soul music as well - so that’s been interesting to see how different aspects and tastes can enter into different genres - genre bending..
CnC: Who are some Canadian artists that inspire you and your band lately?
RW: Ancient Shapes are great, we opened up for them in January. Some others are Metz, Real Sickies, Miesha and the Spanks, Tough Age, Dead Soft, 36?, Wares and The Courtneys.
CnC: Who are some dream people you would like to collaborate with down the road?
RW: I’d love to tour with Surfbort - we were actually talking to, well our guitar player was talking to David, the guitar player in Surfbort, and asked him if he would do some album art for a single - so we might talk with him more and he might do that for us. It would be cool to work with him, he’s a great artist. I met him in Vancouver a couple of years ago, and we had a great conversation and he seems lovely so that’d be a great person to work with. And Edgar Esteves, directed the “Tic Boom” video for Leikeli47. The video is great. Another director I appreciate is David Black. A video is kinda on the horizon as well, we need to come up with a concept and someone to shoot it for us.
CnC: Last question: Cupcakes or regular cake?
RW: Cupcakes!