Q&A

with

QUAILS

Interviewer: Chelsea Wood

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QUAILS is the solo project of the multi-talented Sydney based, Amy Pes. Her 2016 self-titled debut EP, QUAILS, saw the singer/songwriter/producer explore the connections between electronica, R&B and moody pop, through the combination of honest lyrics and emotive production; with High Hopes and With You picking up radio play and sync spots in Television shows both in Australia and internationally. But for now, 2018 is bringing the release of her sophomore EP, Worlds (available through So Solid Records on April 20th) which includes the single, We Don’t Need Entertainment and her newest release, Powerless.

We caught up with QUAILS to have a nose through her songwriting and collab methods, her journey as an artist and what we can expect from Worlds.

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You’re heading into a busy time with the release of your sophomore EP ‘Worlds’, just around the corner, how’s 2018 treating you so far?

So far, so good! I released Powerless from the EP, and also had a remix of High Hopes (from my first EP) by JORD released in Brazil which made Spotify Brazil’s Viral playlist.  I have some collaborative releases in the pipeline for this year also with Lockjaw, Acaddamy and Interstate, dabbling with drum & bass and again with house music, so I’m very excited for those after the EP drops.

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For those who perhaps don’t know you or are only just discovering your music, how did you come up with the name QUAILS? 

The name for me is twofold. On a superficial level, I kept coming back to certain types of birds because I had lyrics surrounding flight and taking off, and Quails for me was particularly striking.  But “to quail”, means to cower or to waver, and that also accords with themes in my lyrics and music overall, which is often inspired by the sombre and dark. Fun fact: the sound of a quail bird, sounds like someone trying to speak while simultaneously gargling mouthwash – it’s not an overly harmonious sound tbh.

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Over the past few months, you’ve released ‘We Don’t Need Entertainment’ and ‘Powerless’. What has the reaction been to these tracks so far?  

The reaction has been good! I find for me that I have more of an international reach (the US, UK and Brazil) so for me this year, I’d love to be able to tap more into the homeland and make a bit of an impact here locally.

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Are they a taste of what’s to come from the rest of the EP? 

Definitely! I think this EP is more cohesive than the first. The songs are of a higher calibre and listening to the EP from start to finish takes you on a curious, brooding journey. There are some very strong tracks that people haven’t heard yet that I am itching to get these out!

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The video for ‘Powerless’ was released only a couple of weeks ago. What was the idea behind it?

The video was shot in a red zone in Christchurch at dusk. It’s from the perspective of a younger self, which ties into the lyrics about unrequited love, and the ruins of Christchurch are symbolic of the inner disrepair and turmoil that comes with that. Also: robbing a convenience store – could they be any more badass?

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Your upcoming EP, ‘Worlds’ sees you teaming up with Barretso again. Tell us a little about how this collaboration came about. 

Frankie remixed a song for Tokyo Denmark Sweden (my old band) way back when. When I decided I wanted to work on my solo music, I teamed up with Frankie to help me with production. He wholeheartedly understands the Quails sound and would help carry my songs into a really magical place. Sometimes you come across producers and artists who really get what you’re trying to do and can help you achieve it! Frankie is one of those producers.

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Songs from your debut EP, ‘QUAILS’ gained radio play and sync spots in national and international TV shows, did this extra exposure place more pressure on you when moving forward onto ‘Worlds’?

It is always in the back of your mind when you have a really successful song and people find you through that one song.  For example, High Hopes being on Lucifer struck a chord with a lot of people, and I still to this day have people coming to my channels and socials through hearing it.  I guess I am not going to keep writing the same song over and over, so those people who have heard about my music (whether it be through a TV show or someplace else) are either going to love the journey Quails goes on, or they’re going to step off at some point along the way and either is okay.

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‘Worlds’ is hypnotic and has more of a synth base than your debut EP. Was your sound something that you wanted to explore further with this EP?

I always want to be an artist who metamorphoses their sound and doesn’t stagnate. I am always listening to new and different music and I always try to be original and a bit experimental when I write. I had a clearer direction with this EP and a more tangible end goal, so it was easy to work toward. 

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I love how your lyrics juxtapose perfectly against your music – I think it’s beautiful! Do you tend to follow a particular method when writing? Or do music and lyrics just come to you whenever and wherever?

Aw thanks! I mostly build from the melody, so write my piano or music and build vocals around that and then workshop lyrics. But occasionally, when I am feeling extra cheeky, I might have a melody caught in my head that I will record into my voice memos on my phone, or I might want to take some poetry I have written and build music around that!

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You recently spent some time travelling, did that influence your songwriting and sound on this EP? 

You know, I don’t think I one of those people who can sit in the back of a van, with a ukulele and write music overlooking the Carribean Ocean. I enjoyed travelling to take a break and switch off, and besides, the EP was written before travelling =) I would definitely not be opposed to hiding somewhere in the countryside in Germany or Lithuania for an extended period with the view to writing a release!

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You’ve collaborated with quite a few artists over the past couple of years, have their methods of working rubbed off on you at all?

I think for me the beauty of collaboration is I get to work with people who have completely different methods or styles, and with that weird, creative juju, you end up with little nuggets of musical genius you probably couldn’t have achieved on your own. There are certain producers and artists who know to push me, and who can get a really good standard of work out of me, and that’s super rewarding.

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Finally, will there be a tour following the release of ‘Worlds’? 

Yes, mama! I’m going to be hitting up a stage near u asap!

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