The Quails interview

TORQUAY living

The Quails interview, October 2009

September 19, 10.30 pm and South Devon’s hippest new indie band have just completed their set headlining at the Transition Festival in Torquay. Two things are apparent from this event, Torquay is getting cooler and helping to lead the way as part of the Transition Town movement and The Quails are going to be very big and very soon.

The crowd was intimate, but the well organised event, with a solar powered stage no less, was a great opportunity for fans to see The Quails up close, particularly for those that missed them supporting Muse at The Den in Teignmouth earlier in the month.

I caught up with lead singer, Dan Steer (by phone - on his way to Birmingham to see a man about a dog) to find out more about The Quails, his influences, their current album and what’s next, plus what it was like walking out on stage to support Muse in front of a home crowd of 10,000.

The band’s sound has echoes of The Kaiser Chiefs and The Killers and there’s remnants of 90’s indie influences in a lot of their songs, not unlike Menswear and The Bluetones, with a welcome topping of 80’s nostalgia, so who do you listen to and what influences The Quails music?

“The band have got some pretty divergent tastes, I like loads of different stuff, Beatles and Stones, plus loads of newer bands like Glasvegas and Fleet Foxes, but we all like different stuff, 80’s, blues, rock, its all covered really.”

So, how do you write your songs, is it a team effort or do you write them on your own?

“A bit of both really. I tend to write the skeleton of a song and then we all just chip in with ideas and what you hear is the end result.”

You’ve also supported The Kooks at the Eden Project and of course Muse. What was that like?

“They were both great shows to be a part of; we’re from Teignmouth so playing to the home crowd was amazing. You learn a lot from speaking to those guys who have been doing it for a bit longer than we have. It makes it all seem a bit more real that we could be where they are in a few years.”

Your current album, “I’ve Heard it’s all Rumours” has done really well, have you started working on the next album yet?

“Yeah, we’ve been in the studio recording new material down in Cornwall.” What’s the new stuff like? “It’s a bit more mature, we’ve changed since we wrote the last album and our new stuff reflects that.”

So, what is the plan for 2010?

“There will be the new album, then a UK tour and then we’ll see what’s next.” Do you have any plans to go to the States? “Not yet, but I wouldn’t rule anything out, UK tour first though.”

The Quails will be touring across the UK next year, so check out their website for a venue near you. They will also be playing Appleby’s in Torquay on 25 October, 8pm. Enjoy!

To find out more about The Quails including tour dates for 2010 see www.thequails.info.