Quiet Company

Quiet Company
Origin Austin, Texas, United States
Genres Indie pop, indie rock
Years active 2000 (2000)–present
Labels Modern Outsider, Velvet Blue, Northern
Website quietcompanymusic.com
Members Taylor Muse
Thomas Blank
Drew D'Entremont
Bill Gryta
Past members Matt Parmenter
Jeff Weathers
Cody Ackors
Alex Bhore
Jesse Garcia
Tim Robbins
Michael Delaney
Trevor Wiggins
Evan Smoker

Quiet Company is an American rock band hailing from Austin, Texas, United States, led by Taylor Muse. They have released five full-length albums, an EP, a live DVD, and a Christmas single. They are the first band signed by Grooveshark in the Artist Development Program and recently released their fourth album, A Dead Man on my Back, which is a revisitation of their long out of print album Shine Honesty. Their fifth album Transgressor was released February 24, 2015.

Early work

Muse was on the leading lines of the East Texas indie music boom with his participation in several key projects at the time: Uncle Andrew, Neckpunch, The Lonely Hearts (drums, guitar) and Eisley (bass guitar). Muse was instrumental in the songwriting process for Eisley's debut album for Warner Bros. Records, as well as giving them their first name, Moss Eisley. He eventually parted ways from the family-formed group to focus on other projects, specifically, the Connotations.

After an unsuccessful year with the Connotations in Nashville, TN; Muse returned to Austin, TX to begin writing and recording what would become the first full-length under the moniker Quiet Company: Shine Honesty. The record was quickly picked up for online distribution by the boutique Christian label Northern Records. Taking the advice of his then-label Northern, Muse began to reform Quiet Company into the line-up that defines it today, with the first permanent addition being Tommy Blank, via a Craigslist ad, in 2005. Muse and his rotating cast of bandmates embarked on a number of small national tours throughout the years. Shortly after, the band left their label to take a more DIY approach.

In 2009, the band recorded their second full-length, Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon, with local producers Charlie Vela and Louie Lino. Following the release of Everyone You Love..., two additional members joined the band for good: Jeff Weathers and Matthew Parmenter (drums and bass guitar, respectively). While filming their second music video for the single from the album, "On Modern Men," the band found their fifth and final member: Cody Ackors (horns).

Early success

Muse experienced notable success with Quiet Company early in the band's career. Songs from Everyone You Love... and Songs for Staying In have scored television syncs in popular shows such as My Generation (TV series), Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Real World and Married to Rock. The song "How Do You Do It?" was added to 3 of Austin, TX's rock radio stations: KGSR, KUT, KROX-FM. In addition to this, the band has shared the stage with many notable rockers in their home state of Texas: Eisley, Old 97's, Dear & the Headlights, Rooney, The Toadies, Bob Schneider and more.

Religious influences, criticism

Though Muse's Quiet Company was signed to a Christian label Northern Records, played a Christian rock music festival Cornerstone Festival, and Muse himself repeatedly draws heavy religious comparisons in his lyrics, he is no longer a Christian and states that Quiet Company has never been a Christian band: "I've always fallen back on religious imagery as a songwriting tool, just because it was familiar to me and I liked the aesthetic of it," says Muse in a recent interview with the Austin Chronicle.[1]

Like Quiet Company's previous albums, We Are All Where We Belong still borrows from Christian metaphors. However, for this record, the deeper meaning behind these metaphors means something much different than it did previously for the band. Says Muse, "It's easily the most personal thing I've ever written. It is, essentially, a break up record, only the romance that's ending was between myself and religion."[2]

The album left most of the band's pre-existing Christian fanbase confused. Muse says he receives e-mails frequently from fans who "love the record" but are "concerned" about his departure from religion.[3]

Recent activity

Quiet Company recorded "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for the 2007 release of Peace on Earth: A Holiday Album. The album was made available for download directly from the web. All proceeds from sales went to the Toys for Tots charity.

In 2009, they released a new album called Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon produced by Charlie Vela, and Louie Lino, of Nada Surf fame.

In 2010, Quiet Company released Songs for Staying In, a 6-song EP, produced by Quiet Company and recorded by bass player Matt Parmenter in his apartment studio, Ice Cream Factory Studios.

In January 2011, Quiet Company were nominated for, and won, The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards under the Pop/Rock Song category for "It’s Better To Spend Money Like There’s No Tomorrow Than Spend Tonight Like There’s No Money".[4]

In July 2011, Quiet Company joined forces via an Artist Development deal with the controversial music-streaming service Grooveshark. Leveraging the strengths of the company to spearhead a progressive music marketing endeavor, the relationship aimed to provide a realistic strategy for artists in a rapidly changing industry.

As of January 2012, the band has had three promotional site takeovers on Grooveshark, grown from near-0 to over 23,000 listeners daily, and increased Facebook Likes from a little over 2,000 to well over 50,000. The band spent most of 2011 promoting their new album around Texas, in addition to scoring slots at CMJ and DeLuna Festival. Songs from the new album have peaked on popular blog-aggregator websites such as Hype Machine and We Are Hunted (#49 Most Hyped and #5 on Rock Charts, respectively), in addition to receiving attention on prestigious NPR and MTV websites and TV shows Last Call with Carson Daly. The first music video from the new album, "Fear and Fallacy, Sitting In a Tree" (dir. Justin Kirchoff), currently sits with well over 250,000 video views.

In 2012, Quiet Company and its members won several (10) awards for the Austin Chronicle's 30th Annual Austin Music Awards.[5]

In 2014 Quiet Company recorded its fifth album Transgressor at Orb Recording Studio in Austin, with producer Matt Noveskey. The album was released February 24, 2015 via Modern Outsider Records.

Touring

Quiet Company has done several national tours but plays predominantly in and around their home state, Texas. They have played with many notable acts, such as: Blue October, The Toadies, Bob Schneider, Rooney, Evan Dando, Stoney, Ghostland Observatory, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Deadbeat Darling, Eisley, Alpha Rev, Old 97's, The Rocketboys, Dear and the Headlights, Third Eye Blind, Cheap Trick, and The Shifts.

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Videography

Music videos

Concert Films

Members

Often joined by:

Former members

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Preaching to the Choir: Quiet Company Sets its Monster Free". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  2. ↑ "Preaching to the Choir: Quiet Company Sets its Monster Free". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  3. ↑ "PReaching To The Choir". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  4. ↑ "Quiet Company". Independentmusicawards.com. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  5. ↑ "Austin Music Awards". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
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