INTERVIEW: Quiet Company

1)      What do you want people to hear most when they hear your music?

All the instruments we play and the words we sing.

2)      Having music on Band Camp, along with other such platforms in music right now such as Sound Cloud, Spotify and others, do you feel that music is moving into a virtual age? Personally, I fully support the idea of downloading songs for free from Band Camp and then if I like them buying them on vinyl.

I think Band Camp is the best thing ever.  Artists get to sell their music directly to people for less money while simultaneously making more money themselves from it.  Not to mention the quality of file is higher.  I don't know if music is still moving towards a virtual age, I think it arrived there a while back.  I still buy CDs and enjoy the experience of going out and finding an album but I'm an old man, the kids, obviously, aren't as into that. 

3)      How important of a factor do you feel that record labels play in music these days when pretty much anyone can put their music on the internet as opposed to having to hand out demo tapes at shows, the distribution record labels can offer, etc.   It just seems like it’s a bit easier these days to succeed as a band- and even build up a strong fan base- before a label possibly comes calling for you.

The internet certainly weakened the label regime but they are not gone...not all of them anyway.  The ones that have stuck around still wield some power.  It's certainly easier for bands to get exposure nowadays, but the flip side of that is that the ease at which music is available has diminished its monetary value.  Now people don't think music should cost anything and it's actually harder for bands to make money on selling actual music.  It's a more complex issue than that but it certainly has its pros and cons.

4)      If you could tour with any single band or musician who would you pick and why?

I think we'd do very well with Arcade Fire or Manchester Orchestra.  We've played with Manchester before but it was before they were signed.  I just think our sound would fit with their sounds and their audiences would be receptive to us.  Plus if I had to watch the same band every night, you can't do a lot better than one of those bands.

5)      Who is your favorite New Kid on the Block?

Jonathan.

6)      Who would win in a musical fight: Jack Black or Jack White?

Black.  White is real hit or miss for me.   When he's good, he's really good, but when he's mediocre to bad, it's most of the time.