Almost a full year since the last release, "Bella," Quizboy returns with an EP and teases an upcoming album currently still in production, slated for early 2023. Released as a 3 track EP on Bandcamp, one song is a cover song of the Decemberists which ran into distribution issues making it a stand alone single on streaming services. The A side, "Not Like The Others You Know" is a song about putting your foot down against narcissistic abusive behavior. The B side, "Brave a Storm" is a song about suicide in which the lyrics were purposefully written to be interpreted from either perspective of someone who is suicidal, or someone who is in care of someone suicidal, attempting to demonstrate that both parties share common pain in the experience.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Quizboy, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
I really appreciate the chance to chat with you, thank you very much. I got into music because my brother and I used to be dropped off for summers at a time at my grandfather’s house in rural Oregon. He used to yard sale quite a bit and make fiddles. He “Frankenstein-ed” a couple of guitars for us out of parts one summer to keep us occupied with something. Turns out it worked and we’ve both been playing music ever since.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
Poorly. LOL. I have quite a few commitments, full-time job that most would call a “career” so there’s a lot of external pressure there and minimizes a lot of my online presence to be honest. But you do what you have to do. Family right now is my number one priority, so at the end of the day all else be damned. However, the best way to take care of others properly is to take care of yourself properly, so that’s kind of where music comes in to play. It’s therapeutic, it’s fulfilling, it’s important to me to express myself. So, in that respect it’s just about prioritizing. I don’t think any of us HAVE time for anything, really. We MAKE time for things, and it’s important to reflect on that and prioritize as necessary.
Your latest release is 'Not Like The Others You Know'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Well, it’s an odd duck compared to everything else I’ve released in terms of genre experimentation. I learned and fed some of my “chops” at playing keys for the A side. So that was a new experience to sit and sing at a piano vs. play a guitar and sing when I was working out writing it. The B side is experimental in the sense of widely ranging rock influences. I have a 90’s alternative rock tendency, with Grunge and Post-Hardcore poking it’s head in there. I love all kinds of music so I was kind of messing with a “soup” of influences with it.
Where did you get the inspiration for this EP?
Unfortunately, inspiration for this release comes from some pretty dark places. And full transparency I am very late to getting you these answers and am very sorry about that. It goes along with the question in that it’s partly why I am late. I’ve dealt with a lot of heavy things recently. So much as it’s hard for me to look back on this release and relive it. No one’s fault, it just is what it is. Part of processing a lot of the inspirations for it has been moving on in real life, so in a way, the release has suffered the same from me by moving on.
How long did you work on the 'Not Like The Others You Know'? Was it an easy process for you?
Yeah, my inspirations tend to come in spurts. So when it’s going, it’s going and nothing’s going to stop it. And when it’s off, I kind of find myself just dabbling with other things, my radio station, my blog, etc. If I were to apply a pressure to myself about needing to have something out by such and such date, then it would be hard because I can’t just turn my inspiration “on” if it’s not there. But when I hit my stride, yeah it flows pretty easily and the next thing you know, it’s an outpouring and a release.
How do you know when a work is finished?
The cynical side of me would say that when I’m just sick of it I move on, LOL. However, in a less cynical way I’d probably say that there is a point where I just accept that’s about as good as I’m going to get it and that result is something I either say, “yeah I’m ok with putting that out,” or “eh, I’m just going to scrap it and move on to something else.”
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
Oh there’s a couple to point back at that I really hold dear I guess. Obviously, you’re going to apply that “best” to an experience where you actually had some people there and connections were memorable. We played a show at an Elk’s Lodge when I was a teenager with my first band that was my first experience of feeling that connection with an audience. It’s an experience that is hard to even put into words really, but it’s a thing where you just know they are vibing, you are, and the energy in the room is just intense. People moshing, screaming, losing their voices, minds, etc. It’s a fun chaos. Another one that first comes to mind was we snuck on to a bill somehow where our band was on after some kids “tumbling for Jesus” and it was the opposite type of connection with an audience LOL. We ended up in a local newspaper with pictures of Granny’s covering their ears like they were taking shelter. Different experience but same memory. I’ve been in bands that have played dive bars, state festivals, done trade shows with other bands across different parts of the country, was in one once that opened for Horse the Band, that’s probably the “biggest” thing I’ve ever been involved with from commercial stand point I guess. I have lots of stories, I could literally go on for probably hours. I love this question, you’re opening up a rabbit hole with this one.
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
By default. After a while, as much as you just want to just create or be an “artist” about things, you come to a head where the business part becomes something you’re compelled to deal with. I didn’t know it would be like this, and if we’re all being honest I think most people could (would they is a different story) admit that they still don’t know everything there is to know about it. There are so many moving parts that are involved with the “music industry” and a lot of it is bullshit. Spoiler alert. Different rules for different people, politics, egos, exploitations, and dishonesty. Look at what happened when the “industry” shifted from physical media to digital (i.e. streaming); Even the people that claimed to “know” everything in the biz were full of shit and lacked insight to large degree. Most of it comes down to leverage, money, and who knows who (politics). That never changes. That being said, it doesn’t mean you can’t find joy out of making music, and promoting yourself. You can, you just need to understand what the business is about, take good care of yourself, and set your expectations reasonably.
Who is your favourite musician?
If I were to try and pin this down to just one, I would mentally argue with myself endlessly. I have such a great deal of respect for so many artists across the whole spectrum of “commercial success.” If you listen to my music, obviously I have an affinity for Kurt Cobin and all the members and work of Nirvana, I love The Beatles, and I love 2pac Shakur. In terms of the largest commercial successes, those would be the first three I’d rattle off. Outside of any of those kind of filters applied I love Every Time I Die, Rise Against, Bad Religion… this really could go on and on. But before I close out the thought, let me plug a few independent artists I am really digging right now: The Star Crumbles, Scoopski, Matt Moran, Eric Linden, BEES!, Unlucky Mammals, Pent Up!, Call in Dead, Help (Nadine Records), Undisclosed Addictions, shit this could go on forever too, I’ll just stop there even though I’m going to feel terrible about forgetting somebody.
What are your plans for the future?
Lots! I have a full length album in production that is almost ready for vocals. It’s a heavier one, but at the same time not a complete abandonment of my natural tendencies. I have an EP that I’m remastering and retracking vocals for from a project back in 2008 called Hell, Nevada, and I am also tracking a song for a tribute compilation album that’s being put out by a French record label. An homage to the band Failure. So far, fingers crossed it’s changed a couple times, I got some collaborative works lined up for that Failure cover song with Marc Schuster from the Star Crumbles on drums and Jay from Pent Up! To do the bass parts.