INTERVIEW             

Quails
questions asked by George Chen September 2003

San Francisco's Quails have been around since 2000 and released two albums on Inconvenient. They've been on tour with Sleater-Kinney and Aislers Set and have a new record out on Mr. Lady The Song is Love.

How did you guys all meet? Did Seth and Jen go to high school together?

Seth: No, we met when I was 17. Jen worked at a used-clothing store I used to frequent. We hung out in the same scene, went to the same shows. After we both left D.C. in the mid-90s, we stayed and in touch and ended up here in SF. Before the Quails, Julianna and I had played together a little. But essentially, we all spent so much time hanging out together, usually centered around food since I was a recent and hugely enthusiastic graduate of cooking school. So we'd cook and listen to records and the next natural step seemed to form a band.

How do you feel like San Francisco has changed in the last few years? Better or worse?

Julianna:   Well, there was the "boom," of course, the whole "techsplosion," and so much garbage that came with that. I don't think any of us weren't affected by the evictions or the sense that San Francisco was suddenly starting to suck turds. I remember thinking, "Maybe Philadelphia? I hear it' s cheap to get by in Baltimore..." But of course all that nonsense couldn't last. The trampoline in the break room mentality, drunk yuppies literally pissing all over the Mission, or the idea that people should buy their groceries online. I do feel like the pendulum has swung back a bit. I don't know if it's better or worse, but I feel like I'm more mindful of finding resisters, the folks that are staying here and making interesting art. And ultimately don't know how many other places I could live. There's an idea living in San Francisco that it's easy to take for granted certain of its peculiarities, like queer visibility or political consciousness or even good produce. Not me man. That's why I stay.

How do you feel being involved in the explicitly political D.C. punk scene influences the way you approach being in a band now?

Jen:   I think being from DC certainly has had an influence on us in terms of being a band that sings about political issues. I grew up watching bands that let me know that marrying these ideas together was normal. I also think seeing bands, being a punk, is what politicized me personally. So now, for us, making songs that are about social responsibility and community life feels important, necessary, normal and liberatory. If we are making music as an extension of wanting to make a community of like-minded folks, being overtly political is a priority. We also want to make music that is fun and kind. We want those elements as a priority in our community as well.

How did touring with Sleater-Kinney come about, and what were some things you learned from that experience.

Seth:   One day I got an email from their booker asking us to do a full U.S. tour with them. Of course, I suspected a hoax, but lo and behold we did six weeks with them.

Julianna:   Those larger shows are a little weird when you're a band just starting out. There was side of us that of course felt very fortunate to be on the tour, and they are a kind and incredibly hard working group. But, I know for me inhabiting that space felt really challenging, not altogether comfortable. And I think what we're learning as we go along is that we want to try to play on the floor when we can, and maybe less bars and pink and yellow lights if possible.

You all have hobbies, or are they more than hobbies? Knitting, cooking, How do you integrate that into the rest of quails activity?

Seth:   It's important that this band draw upon all our interests. Jen makes incredible fanzines, we and our friends do a lot of the artwork, and we participate in community projects like anti-capitalist fashion shows, free dinners, that sort of thing.

Jen:   In terms of integrating those interests into the Quails, i think we try put ourselves into situations that draw upon these influences: playing our friends art opening or benefits for different projects, having local artists make our album covers, contributing to different events as individuals but also together.

Julianna:   Seth makes model airplanes and stages mock battles in the van when Jen and I are riding his nuts too hard on tour.

Did anything happen to you during the war protests?

Julianna:   We were on tour with Aisler's Set and Hella, in Nashville when the war broke out. We received dispatches from our friends in San Francisco. The tour was amazing, but was difficult not to be here. It was interesting to be explicitly anti-war from the stage. A lot of times when we play in new towns, the more political aspects of our band are just tolerated. But it was amazing to get the responses we did. No one wanted this fucking stupid war.

Are you into polyamory as a lyrical topic?

Seth:   Are you coming on to me?

Julianna:   There is a song Jen wrote about that topic. I appreciate the brave and practical folks that advocate for non-monogamy. Sure I do.

Do you like folk music? How about musical theater? What about that cdr musical about pants?

Jen:   Some of us like folk music, some not as much. Music theater has a place in our hearts. It's fun to make things, like musicals about a pantsless revolution.

Julianna:   Seth is a really amazing piano player and can play pretty much anything on cue. Our latest plan is to have a punk rock sing-a-long that includes hits like 'Class War,' 'Action, Time, Vision,' and 'Garageland.' Oh yeah, and it's me. I'm the one that likes folk music. Actually, I love it. I'm the one in the Quails. The only one.

               END