The Quintessentials (that's a tounge twister) are a really great punk band now located in Oregon via Hawaii. They actually put on a great show and fit right in with the Northwest. They have four and a half great albums out. Four studio and one live album and a fifth on the way. They have played shows with some of the West Coast's punk legends and have yet do a major tour. I got Les to tell their story...
Introduce yourself…
I'm Les Hernandez and I'm the band's founder and songwriter. I'm on guitar and lead vocals.
How did the band start?
In the early to mid 1990s I was in a fairly well-known Pop-Punk band called The Catalogs and had another, more straight forward Punk Rock project called Crawling Chaos. When those projects ended, I kept my songs and in 1998 started The Quintessentials--sort of as a Satanic/Horror themed cross between my two former bands.
How did you come up with the name?
I had originally named the band The Products, but quickly found out that the name was already taken. "The Quintessentials" had a certain ring to it, "quintessence" meaning the most important part of something or its main essence. In magic and alchemy there are five elements or essences: earth, air, fire and water, plus a fifth. Some white-light traditions hold this to be "spirit," but in the Left Hand Path "spirit doesn't exist, as it is al carnal. So, this fifth essence is seen as the Dark Force in Nature which is the creative and destructive force, binding everything together and pushing it forward. Some call this quintessence the "Black Flame" or "Satan."
Who would you say are your influences?
Bands like the Ramones, the Rezillos, Screeching Weasel--a lot of the early Lookout! Records and Mutant Pop stuff and the old '77 sound, as far as music. As far as content, the writings of Anton LaVey, Horror books and movies--H.P. Lovecraft is a favorite! Just about anything creepy or fun.
What is the punk scene like in Oregon?
The band started out in Hawaii, so when we relocated and reformed in Oregon in 2006 it was way different. A lot of crust punks there. There are tons of venues and shows just about every night, but not enough people going out to them. I never experienced a large Punk scene there. We certainly drew better crowds in Washington and Utah.
Describe the song writing process...
It varies. Sometimes I'll read a story and get inspired--or see a movie I'll become mildly obsessed with and have to write a song about it. Some songs are more serious, like those inspired by Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan. That's something I take very seriously, so of course it's going to come through in my lyrics. Every now and then I'll just dream a song and have to learn how to play it as soon as I wake up. Other times it could start out as a complete joke that I just have to see through to completion.
What have you released?
We've released four albums and one live digital e.p.--the e.p. is only available through our bandcamp site. We're completing our 5th album, "Realm of the Great Old Ones," right now. We've been on quite a bit of compilations on several labels as well.
Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
We've played with everyone from Tsunami Bomb and Bratmobile to the Dwarves, Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, Bad Religion and Blink 182. Hell, we even played with L.A. Guns! One of the strangest combinations was when we played the Crypticon Horror convention in Seattle with Reggie Bannister's band. Reggie, for those who aren't very into Horror films, was in the Phantasm series of movies. Tons of celebrities were there, but the promoter didn't advertise, so no punks showed up. There was still a decent crowd and we had a lot of fun that night.
Have you toured?
Nothing major yet, but if the opportunity presents itself and we feel it'll be worth it, we'll jump on it. We've played Seattle, Everette, Salt Lake City, Salem and Portland. We were scheduled to play a venue called The Grail once in Couer d'Alene, Idaho, but the promoter dicked us and not only didn't book any other bands, but didn't advertise or even show up--and that was driving 100 miles out of our way headed to play Utah from Portland, Oregon. Something I'll personally never do again.
Do you prefer small clubs or large venues?
I like them both. We've played everything from tiny hole-in-the-wall bars to arenas with 8,000 screaming fans. It's always fun as long as people are there having a good time with you. Portland has a lot of shows where the only people you're playing for are members of other bands on the same bill, and they're only waiting for their set so they can leave. That kind of thing just makes you not want to be there.
Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
Not particularly. I just like playing with bands that are similar in genre--folks I can have a beer with and sort of relate to makes it more fun.
Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
Not necessarily a favorite place, but I can tell you that I do prefer playing all-ages shows where I can still enjoy a beer. I don't really like playing 21 and over shows because it seems like the energy is all gone and everyone's trying to act like and adult and just watch instead of having fun and being a little crazy. I mean, this is Punk Rock, not that pretentious acoustic hipster shit.
What do you see is the future of the Quintessentials?
Once this album is done, more shows and hopefully more albums. I have a shit ton of songs I'm dying to record, so The Quintessentials aren't stopping for quite a while. Hell we've been at it for what, 14 years now? I think it's time we tour!
How can people contact the band?
They can reach us through our Contact link on our website, www.thequintessentials.com or through our www.facebook.com/TheQuintessentials or other social media we're on. Links are all on our website.
0 comments:
Post a Comment