Framer

Quietdrive 2006 Tour Bio and News

It began a year ago. Five guys, one van, and a mission typical of Quitdrive’s midwestern musical roots. That mission: to live on the road until the band breaks its music to the masses. Ther has never been any looking back. From Main to Califormia, from Florida to Seattle, if there is a venue (or at least a P.A.), chances are Quietdrive has sought to play it.

The hundreds of live performances have honed one of rocks’ most intense stage experiences. In a post-XSXW report this past March, music critic Ross Raihala beamed,

      Local punk-pop band “Quietdrive” was there, too, and I caught the group performing on a
      dinnertime showcase for its label, Epic Records, in the conference room of a stuffy hotel.
      Given the power and fury the band brought to those decidedly unrocking conditions, one can
      only imagine how it’ll tear the house down once it graduates to playing arenas. (And I’m willing
      to bet that’ll be sooner than later.) (“They know about Minnesota down in Texas now”.)

            St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 23, 2006

Debut album: “When All That’s Left Is You”

The live attach caught by critic Raihala draws from the band’s standout debut release, “When All That’s Left Is You” (Epic/Red Ink). The album is the strongest of catalysts. Fans have literally lined up to buy it.

Bassist Droo Hastings comments, “We’re so proud of the record. It is ten of our best songs. It is truly a thrill to see the reaction of others now that it’s been released. Audiences are singing the lyrics, we’re getting reports that radio stations are playing Rise from The Ashes, retail stores are showing our video, and of course, the social network community has been a good vibe for us, too.”

By that, Hastings is alluding to the band’s success at MySpace, which includes 50,000 friends on their network. The band’s catchy sounds have been streamed more than two million times. Twice, MySpace has featured Quietdrive on the MySpace home page. The ultra-hip TagWorld also hosted Quietdrive at its SXSW showcase. “The whole experience has been so rewarding. The record represents a lot of work. We developed the songs live and we rehearsed for 16 hours a day. We also had precious help from talented studio professionals,” says Hastings.

The songs came together through recording sessions with Butch Walker and Minneapolis-based producers Matt Kirkwold and James Harley. Kirkwold and Harley had earned the band’s trust and respect by the time and care they put into their initial production efforts with Quietdrive (and its alter ego, Sneaker 2 Bombs). “More than a few people told us the songs that Matt and Harley produced were ready for release. That’s a credit to their work ethic and studio skills. We saw them as essential partners in this whole process of getting a record completed,” adds Hastings.

Walker, on the other hand, met the band while he was on tour with American Hi-Fi. Guitarist Matt Kriby explains, “Kevin Truckenmiller handed Butch our demo, and not long after that, we heard that Butch loved it, and was looking to get into the studio while he was on break from tour with Avril Lavigne.” That led to the band’s first foray to the south, where they cut three songs with Butch in a week’s time at his Atlanta-based studio.

“Butch’s energy is unbelievable. We knew his material and we knew his strengths as a producer. He was our number one choice from the get go so it was a little surreal that we ended up working with him…he was perfect for us. We came away with a ton of confidence,” Kirby continues. “We can’t wait to spend more time with him. A tour with Butch sometime would ice the cake.”

Meanwhile, Quietdrive has toured so much that it recently had to replace its van. Twice. “It’s true, we are on our third van already, and trailer, as well. We wore down every movable part on our first unit, a/k/a, “The Battle Cat,” laughs Kirby, “I don’t know how many vehicles could take 5 trips around the continent, and survive the wear and tear, but the ‘Cat gave us all of its nine lives, that’s for sure.”

Yes, well what happened to the second van? Grimacing, Kirby reveals, “It was stolen in broad daylight in Detroit, along with our trailer and gear. Lucky it was an off day, and we had time to pin down who did it. Thanks to amazing police work, we recovered some of the gear. The police raided a few homes, and caught the crooks red-handed as they were trying to sell some of our equipment to a flea market operator. We still had 10 dates left on our tour, and we made every one of them. That was possible only because the music community we are part of put us on their shoulders and helped us through.”

With so much travel, the band has a hard time naming any single “favorite” place. Kirby points to the Midwest, “We’ve discovered support in so many varied places. We’re knocked out by the treatment we’ve received in St. Louis and Milwaukee. Obviously, they’re big beer places, and maybe that’s the key!,” chuckles Kirby. “For sure, both are amazing rock and roll towns. When you play Chuck Berry’s hometown or the base of the Violent Femmes, it makes you stop and think about the musical heritage of these cities. Same with Cleveland. These are cities that are so vital to the history of rock music.”

“In terms of a ‘home away from home’ market, we’ve concentrated a lot in and around Chicago. We went from playing the VFW in Elk Grove to the Metro. In between, we’ve done about two dozen gigs at Beat Kitchen, Congress Theater, Wheaton, and even a 7 a.m. outdoor gig for the local Fox affiliate. I am underestimating it if I guess that we have about 2000 of our sampler EP’s floating around Chicago.”

Hastings notes, “We’ve also hit a chord so to speak in the east. We have played more shows there than anywhere but maybe Minnesota. We probably know at least a dozen different I-95 toll collectors by first name. Some of our fans are even following us from town to town out there. Nothing makes our day more rewarding than to see our crowds increase in size and how fervent they are.”

Guitarist Justin Bonhiver finds the same excitement that has taken hold in the Golden State. The band shot its video for “Rise From The Ashes” at the majestic Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The fans in the video took part by invitation. Bonhiver still remembers it, “Yeah, that was cool. We got help from friends and fans, people came from San Diego, Orange County, and all over Southern California. Many skipped class to join us, and we’re like, ok, we support that kind of truancy!”

With it’s new record to promote, Quietdrive has increased the intense pace. It’s not uncommon to stack the schedule with an early morning radio visit, alongside a record store appearance, and then a full show at night. Fans know that this intensity creates easy access to the band members as they mix work and friendships into their routine. Kirby is specific about the band’s tendencies, “we often stay at the homes of our fans. It is one of the things we love about touring. We have become good friends with our fans, and we will try to fit in as much as we can before we have to leave. We’ve been golfing, hiking, to birthday parties, you can just about name any activity, and we’ve done it. We’ll find a way to fit most fans into every aspect of our schedule. It makes for a special relationship.” (Not all such stays have been incident-free. There was an evening in York, PA, where the band had to disarm a distressed bearer of a loaded 9mm. Fortunately, it ended safely, especially for Kirby who gave what he refers to as a “fair but distant warning” to the others and then fled for his life.)

As attested to by Quietdrive’s rabid online support, they make sure every fan has a chance to meet and talk with the band. “MySpace is an incredible tool for up and coming bands to use to communicate with their fans,” explains Quietdrive vocalist Kevin Truckenmiller, “but we also make time to visit malls so we can meet kids, hand out sampler CDs, and invite people to our shows.”

Quietdrive’s time hanging out at the local shopping centers has paid off. Hastings relates it to the band’s own history, “We hung at malls growing up. Minnesota is famous for that: Mall of America, the Gallerias, the skyways, and shops. So, perhaps we gravitate toward that for comfort while on the road. It is pretty common for us to introduce ourselves and invite kids to come see us play their local music spot. When they do show up and connect with us, you know you’ve made a fan for lif.”

There are other moments that make being a band member one of the best jobs on earth. Hastings, a sports enthusiast, shares a recent such moment, “We have become

friends with ‘Superstar’ Mike Morris, a local radio personality. He was an all-pro football player for the Vikings. He is really into music, and we found out he is a fan of Quietdrive. Mike invited us on his show and it was a great time. You meet him and you just see what a classy, regular guy he is.”

Kirby interjects, “Aside from the fact that Mike could lift our van up with us in it, we try to represent the same thing. You realize, if you have a gift, and you work at it, your dreams can come true. Just make sure the public knows that you appreciate the support.”

As the band prepares to embark on another marathon national tour, some new stories are bound to emerge. “As for the touring, there’s no slowing down. We don’t wait for anything to be handed to us. We understand that every single fan needs to be won over and we’re willing to do what it takes to make that happen,” says bassist Hastings.