QUOR is a Rock / Punk / Metal band from San Diego, California. Brian Corn – Guitar & Vocals, Doug Smith- Bass & Vocals, John Michael Cordes- Percussion. Award of Merit for music video “Let’s Rise” from the Indie Film Festival 2014.
QUOR Interview
How is the summer going with QUOR?
Smitty – This summer has started to take on a new meaning, offering an opportunity at gaining retribution from the last two seasons. Life is a Hard thing, that is filled with unexpected events that mold us into who we are. This is pretty normal for QUOR and offers up a lot about our identity as people and a band. We are ready to get on the road and show music fans, strangers, and the good people who this band is. – SM
How was it recording and making the EP Human Paradigm?
Smitty – The QUOR recording process is to be mastered much like a live show and performance. The studio is a magical and powerful place where QUOR gets to test their skills. Much like a check-point in a game, the studio is a place where we put ourselves under the microscope or on the “chop block” and evaluate our skills as individual musicians, composers, arrangers, engineers and producers. Every time we enter the studio it is a test; one of which I enjoy very much. QUOR ALWAYS has a great time experimenting, discussing, learning and breaking down recording barriers. After all, the studio is the last piece to the puzzle of QUOR transposing life into a few short minutes of musical time. I love it and will do it for the rest of my life. -SM
The video for Let’s Rise is very well made. How much energy did the band spend to make this happen?
Smitty – Thank you very much for the kind words. QUOR spent a ton of great energy on the “Let’s Rise video.” Not because the process is hard or daunting, but mainly because we truly care about the professional product we put out and really love every facet of video creation, production, and marketing. Brian put a TON of time in to scoping the perfect cemetery site and a local San Diego punk bar called “Shakedown Bar”. The owner Annilee gave us a Sunday to ourselves, we brought in a makeup artist from LA, 40 of our friends who were the amazing focal point of this video and truly made it happen for us. We are truly honored to have such a supportive fan base. #QUORheads
QUOR has a few new ideas getting ready to get put down on paper that will challenge our filming and producing skills even more bringing everyone a fun, entertaining, and positive video/s in the future. – SM
How do you build a song up from nothing to become something?
Smitty – QUOR does what QUOR does and the fans do the rest. – SM
Brian – Sometimes I dream the songs and then wake up and write them down or rough track the idea. -BC
John – It’s different in every setting. I have noticed in this group especially it all depends on where we are all at as musicians and just human beings and how we feel. The honor of being in this group is everyone has so much natural practice at instinctually expressing themselves with their instruments. Musical and artistic expression to me is always a reflection of living life and your experience with it. Whether that be esoteric or grounded. – John
Vinyl is making a comeback. Do you have a personal preference?
Smitty – I have a few vinyls I dug out of the trash in 1989 on my way to school including Ray Charles records. I have a few vinyls my mother saved for me that were my grandfather’s when he passed; those inherited records include Hank Williams, and Cash. I don’t have the heart to put them under the needle again, but maybe I should?? I don’t know if one means of listening to music is better or not. It is more of a taste thing. Some love the warmth of tape, some love the sonic quality of digital and some believe Vinyl is the best to date. I love it all.
Brian – Vinyl is a different experience with music. It takes a different kind of effort and you listen to it differently because of the process. When you put on a record, you “intend” to enjoy that particular album. I think the “resurgence” of vinyl is also attributed to the collectors. The record and it’s art covered sleeve is a very cool tangible piece of art that you can collect or display even without playing the actual album. -BC
John – I remember my mother having a record player and listening to The Beatles Sgt. Pepper when I was a little boy. That whole thing is still an experience that sticks with me. It just sounds so real and raw, I still wish music could be made that way. Vinyl to me just has this certain authenticity that’s difficult to put into words except in poor anecdotes like I am doing now. Haha!
Is your band producing on vinyl?
Smitty – Not at the moment but are considering a smaller run of them for our next release. – SM
Do you have any tours coming up in the near future?
Smitty – We are leaving Sunday, – 08/07 until the end of August. We’ll be starting SOCAL and heading east toward my hometown of Toledo, OH and other Midwest cities. We are all stoked and have already detected major tour gravity. You know, the force that happens during the coming weeks of a tour and tries to invisibly not let you leave your hometown? It’s a pain in the arse. Check out www.QUORbackstage.com/tour for more details.. We will be enjoying some road time with our brothers and fellow touring act Elisium. -SM
Is the band fans of Spotify and similar streaming services? What are your thoughts on this?
Smitty – It’s a sign of the times. Streaming will be the unit of measured success for all artists for a long time since the tech industry figured out how to monetize when a music fan “listens” to a song. I don’t think it can be chiseled down anymore. Maybe every time we “think” about a song or sing a lyric out-loud to ourselves? I like the streaming services for their conveniences, but not as a distribution outlet. I spend most of my time listening to unsigned unheard of artists via their CDs and demos. My streaming weakness is Spotify. Although I have zero allegiance to any of them. I don’t necessarily like the structure of streaming services but have accepted it and adjusted accordingly. -SM
In your opinion, which album would be essential to have if someone were stranded on a deserted island?
Smitty – Raffi sing alongs for sure.
Brian – It wouldn’t matter to me. I’d use the raw material of the album and equipment to make survival tools then I’d make my own instruments to play from coconuts and bamboo. -BC
John – Images and Words- Dream Theater – John
Where do you see music in general going in 100 years from now?
Smitty – It seems as if everyone is trying to push the bounds of music. I believe that when everyone gets bored of pushing borders and limits of their music creation devices, they will begin to retrain their brains into playing more authentic and organic music again. It is a circular ebb and flow – SM
Brian – I hear Prince will still be putting out new music for the next 100 years. Hat’s off brother, hat’s off. -BC