Soulful, powerful, expressive….somehow these adjectives don’t
adequately describe the voice of one remarkable vocalist out of Los Angeles. Quinn Archer masterfully blends the
edgy vibe of rock n’ roll with the deeply reflective feel of soul. When listening to Quinn’s work, one gets lost
in the richness of her voice and the sleekness of her sound.
Whether playing with a band, or doing solo work, this
talented singer-songwriter is capturing attention. She has worked with the likes of Shooter
Jennings, Ricky Phillips (The Baby’s, Bad English) and Gavin Mackillop (Sugar
Cult, The Rembrandts, Goo Goo Dolls)..just to name a few. Holding her own in the eclectic style that is
the LA circuit, the sky’s the limit for this amazing artist.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Quinn recently on
multiple topics including her latest release, Rest of My Days featuring Marcus
Foster.
AV: Tell us about your childhood. Where
did you grow up?
QA: Ha
I'm not sure where to even begin there without writing an essay and
boring everyone to tears but I grew up in South West London!
AV: How would you describe your sound?
QA: I'm
not sure if Rock n Soul is a genre but I definitely think that is the
vibe of the EP.
AV: Who were your early musical
influences? How about influences today?
QA: I
was definitely hugely influenced by a lot of 70's Rock, Janis Joplin, Led
Zepplin, Fleetwood Mac, The Doors etc. I
also listened to a lot of Aretha Franklin and Etta James. I still am influenced by those artists as I
never get bored of listening to them. But, I honestly listen to a lot
of different music. I'm not stuck on a particular genre. I just love good songs and interesting voices.
I love Chris Cornell, Adele, The Dead Weather, Arctic Monkeys, Ben Howard, Beth
Hart... There are so many great artists out there!
AV: When
you came to LA, you played with a band while also doing solo gigs. What
was it like playing the LA circuit as a female singer?
QA: I
have been in quite a few bands since I've been here and always loved the band
vibe. Its like having a band of brothers! It's definitely a bit
scarier as a solo artist but I have really enjoyed doing both.
AV: The
lyrics of “Walk Through The Fire” ring true for everyone, painting the picture
of the growing pains we all go through. Tell us about how this song
came to be.
QA: I
wrote this song with Steve Fox and Robbie Nevil. It was just one of those special moments that
happened when we had been discussing the subject matter. Then, in a few hours the three of us came up
with the music, melodies and lyrics that fit perfectly together.
AV: The
single, “Rest of My Days” is absolutely beautiful! The soft melody lets
yours and Marcus Foster’s vocals take center stage. Tell us about your
collaboration with Marcus and the origin of this song.
QA: Thank
you! It was one of those funny situations where it's like a musical playdate.
Your managers drop you off in the studio and say they'll be back in a few hours
to see how you've got along. Luckily writing with Marcus was awesome.
I love his voice and vibe so much. We
wrote the song that afternoon. When the managers came back, we played it to
them. They were like "ok lets
record this tomorrow!"
AV: The
EP for Dark Places will be released in July, but I understand the single will
get some attention on television in June. Tell us about that.
QA: Yes!
Dark places will be on the second to last episode of this season’s “Continuum.” The video for it, featuring 3 mystery cast
members, will also be released at the same time!
AV: “Dark
Places” showcases your incredibly soulful vocal talent. I understand you
recently completed a kickstarter campaign to raise funds to shoot a video for
this single. You raised $23,000, while the required amount was only
$11,000. Amazing support from the fans. What were you thinking when
you saw the funds climbing to eventually more than double the needed amount?
QA: I
couldn't believe it! When we started it, I was honestly worried that we
wouldn't make the goal as I couldn't imagine people donating that much. So when we hit the goal in 30 hours, I was
completely floored. It did have a lot to do with the massive support from fans
of TV show “Continuum” who really went above and beyond to make this happen.
AV: What else is on the horizon for you?
Where can fans find you?
QA: I
am going to be going back in the studio soon to complete the full album and
then fingers crossed I will get to go on tour later in the year. But for now, I am just super
excited for the release of the full version of the single for Dark Places ( in
June) and the EP to follow in July! There will be updates on https://www.facebook.com/QuinnArcherMusic and http://quinn-archer.com/
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