Never Quiet Never Still

The buzz surrounding his band has been slowly building, but Bonney Lake's Eric Crozier, drummer for Never Quiet Never Still, hopes the release of the band's eponymous first album could be the start of something big.

The band has been playing around the area, including clubs in Tacoma and Seattle, for the past year culminating in a CD release show Feb. 23 at Jazzbones in Tacoma, but Crozier has bigger goals.

“This is the one we hope gets us noticed,” he said. “We want music to be our day jobs.”

Crozier has been playing drums since 1987, but started playing with guitarist Ryan Scott in 2002 and the seeds of NQNS were sown. But in 2004, when the duo met singer and lyricist Lindsey Wilt, things really got started. As a three-piece, the band recorded and released a six-song EP of material mostly written by Wilt.

On the disc, Scott played both guitar and bass guitar, but the set-up couldn't work live. Later that year, bassist Vinny Beatty auditioned and things clicked, solidifying the line-up.

“It felt like we'd been a band for 10 or 15 years,” Crozier said of the first practices with Beatty. “It just happened that quick.”

While playing shows in support of the first disc, the band began writing the 11 songs on the new record. According to Crozier, the songs came together naturally, growing from warm-up jam sessions before practices.

“We write songs so quickly and so well, it's really interesting,” he said of the band's chemistry.

The sound is difficult to pin down, with each member bringing a diverse set of influences into their Lakewood practice space. According to Crozier, who first learned to play drums listening to Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam, it's the melding of styles, from Scott's more punk rock background to Beatty's indie-rock influences combined with Wilt's poetic vocals and strong voice that give NQNS its distinct edge.

“We're different from what's out there,” he said.

Though heavy at times, Never Quiet Never Still has a strong melodic streak and uses different levels of dynamics in each song.

Crozier insists the studio album is different from the live shows, however, where the band gets to stretch out a little more and feed off the energy of the crowd.

“We're trying to give the audience something different each time,” he said, adding that when on stage he plays with the emotion he feels at that time.

Though he described the studio experience as “incredible,” Crozier said he prefers playing live.

“When I'm on stage, everything else in my world goes away,” he said. “Music is my therapy, my stress reliever, my inspiration.”

As a drummer, Crozier admits he hits hard and his bandmates call him “the Octopus” because of his style. He still loves playing the older songs, as well as the new ones and said listening to the band's new CD helps his stage performance.

“I don't want to go out there and regurgitate what I just recorded,” he said. “Come see us play. On stage we are incredibly energetic.”
- Bonney Lake Courier-Herald

Who they are: Lindsey Wilt, vocals; Ryan Scott, guitar; Vinny Beatty, bass; Eric Crozier, drums.
Where they’re from: The Tacoma-based band Never Quiet Never Still, which has been together just over a year, includes members hailing everywhere from Washington to New York to Spain.
Asked what sets them apart from other bands Crozier puts it simply: “Diversity.”
Their music: With awesome rhythm and bass lines underlying catchy guitar riffs and some pretty powerful vocals, the band makes some incredible music.
In a heartbeat, Never Quiet’s sound can change from hard and aggressive, to upbeat, to slow and melodic. Its sound takes everything you know and love about alternative rock and throws it together for an amazing style that is all its own.
What’s next: Never Quiet goes into the studio soon to start work on its first full-length album. Expect it out in January or February.
- Tacoma News Tribune

People start playing music for a number of reasons. Some want money, some crave sex, others enjoy being in
the limelight. Most great musicians however, use music as an expressive outlet, to deal with the ups and
downs of life, and to relate to one and other.
Things have changed a lot over the years and it comes as no surprise that in this day in age with the influx of
mass media and celebrity fascination that musicians forget where they come from. As soon as they receive a
glimmer of fame, modesty is lost and pretension sets in.
One of the cool things about this job is that I get to talk with bands that haven't "made it" yet. They are just
starting out, learning the ropes, and trying to find they're place in the scene. I have talked with a lot of local
bands and 95% of them are down to earth, humble individuals.
But every once in a while I run into a group of musicians that totally blows me away. They are gracious of
compliments and take modesty to a new level. It is instantly apparent that they play music because that's
what they love to do, that's what they were meant to do.
The band Never Quiet Never Still has that effect. They play solid alternative rock, and they play it well. It's
powerful, it's emotional, and it's got soul. A majority of the emotional punch comes from lead singer Lindsey
Wilt. Her voice pierces through Ryan Scott's explosive guitar and the heavy bass lines of Vinny Beatty and
strikes a nerve. While Wilt's voice is truly remarkable, Never Quiet Never Still wouldn't be the same without
Eric Crozier on drums.
The band's first EP, The Truth, released in 2004 speaks for itself. While the band had just recently formed, the
chemistry between the members was undeniable even then.
"This is the first band I have ever been in," explained Scott. "It's really been a learning experience for all of
us."
They may still be learning new things but you could never tell from their live performance. They invited me to
watch them play at their rehearsal space last week and I took them up on the offer. Even in a room crammed
full of equipment with three people watching the energy and enthusiasm was there.
While it won't be quite as intimate as the performance I saw, Never Quiet
Never Still will take the stage at Jazzbones on July 13. Every Wednesday
Jazzbones showcases local acts from around town. They bring in some good bands, but this is one you really
don't want to miss. The show is all ages until 10 p.m., and everyone is welcome as long as you leave your ego
at the door. - Tacoma Weekly

After consecutive nights sleeping at rest stops, my motivation meter was in the red as I rolled into town on deadline day. To remedy the situation, I decided to focus on Tacoma's Never Quiet Never Still, who'll be releasing a long awaited CD at Jazzbone's on Thursday, Feb. 23. Even better, I decided to let Vinny Beatty, the band's bassist, do all of the talking
WEEKLY VOLCANO: Describe the making of the CD.
VINNY BEATTY: We recorded the CD at Egg Studios in December 2005 in Seattle over a 36-hour stretch within three days and an additional 12 hours at a later date for mixdown. It was a great experience working with the Mad Scientist Conrad Uno (producer of The President's first album along with bands such as Mudhoney, Gas Huffer and The Young Fresh Fellows). It was a very relaxed atmosphere with a lot of excellent coffee. We don't believe we would have had such a great experience anywhere else.
VOLCANO: Did you have a sound goal going in? If so, was it achieved?
BEATTY: We basically wanted a good solid CD that conveyed our live set and sound an organic versus cut and paste (overly digitized). Working with Conrad the master of analog, we believe that the goal was achieved.
VOLCANO: What' the writing process like for NQNS? Do you pump out songs, or does it take awhile?
BEATTY: We do seem to have a limitless amount of songs that continue to come out of us. We tend to breeze through them and then go back and spend more time perfecting and forming the ones we feel the strongest about. Songs are also taken from jams that we have. The complexity of our jams has increased so the songs are taking a little bit longer to develop.
VOLCANO: How do your various influences and styles mesh?
BEATTY: We all bring our separate talents and spectrum of influences to the table, and somehow they manage to blend with little compromise.
VOLCANO: Is it weird to have an outsider (producer) monkeying with your songs?
BEATTY: Conrad's production influence was positive and added some great nuances to the songs. It isn't weird if the person adds to our style versus changes our style, and Conrad felt like a fifth bandmate. The songs basically sounded the way we intended for them to sound, but better because Conrad has good mojo.
VOLCANO: You're from Tacoma. Do you like it? How are you received? What is the climate for your style of music in T-Town right now?
BEATTY: We love playing in Tacoma because it is our home, and we love our fans here because they are the greatest to play for! We do play more in Seattle, but we always have a great time playing for the Tacoma crowd.
VOLCANO: Did you choose the bill for the release show? What are your feelings on playing with Los Burbanks, etc.?
BEATTY: We did choose the bill. Los Burbanks is our favorite local band, and we truly enjoy being around them and playing shows with them; they are like familia. We also felt The Degrees were a great fit with us; they have a great sound, and we wanted to bring more of a Tacoma presence into the evening.
VOLCANO: What can people expect from the show? Any tricks up your sleeve?
BEATTY: People can expect a great show full of energy. We always try to put 110 percent of our heart into it. A chance to release our pent up anxiety building up to this show, it'll come out beautifully on stage. We are also putting on a raffle for prizes.
VOLCANO: Why did you want two CD release shows?
BEATTY: We wanted to have a CD release locally for our all-ages attendees and our local supporters. Our Seattle CD release is for those who don't want to make the trek all the way down here to see us. Also, the music scene is a lot different between the two cities.
VOLCANO: What's next for NQNS?
BEATTY: More shows, new places and getting our music out to the world.
VOLCANO: Feelings about the Olympics?
BEATTY: Lindsey being a gymnast for seven years, (she) freaks out when the gymnastics portion of the Olympics roll around. She loves to watch those girls in amazement.
VOLCANO: If Dick Cheney wanted to go hunting, would you go?
BEATTY: For sure, as long as the gun was in the right direction (oops, hopefully this isn't tapped).
VOLCANO: Who's sexier Bobble Tiki or Tom Selleck? Why?
BEATTY: Why not mix them both and have a BoTom Tikleck. How sexy would that be?
VOLCANO: Who's smarter Ginger Knoxx or Condoleeza Rice? Why?
BEATTY: Ginger Knoxx because she has a cooler name, and she likes to par-tay!
VOLCANO: Favorite Tom Cruise movie? Why?
BEATTY: The one where he's a woman that turns into a man that turns into an alien that turns into Katie Holmes. Just beautiful.
VOLCANO: Best thing to do in a windstorm?
BEATTY: Fly a kite.
VOLCANO: Why should people come out to the CD release?
BEATTY: Because it will be a beautiful experience and loads o' fun. It's going to be a night of awesome music, some free prizes, and it's all ages until 10 p.m.
- Weekly Volcano

Tacoma-based alternative rock band Never Quiet Never Still displays an ability to shift between somewhat aggressive, to melodic and slow on their new self-titled album.

The music can get rather busy without losing a song's cohesion. Bass player Vinny Beatty and drummer Eric Crozier often bounce around a composition, while guitarist Ryan Scott holds things
together, a tactic more common to jazz than rock: Lindsey Wilt is an intriguing singer, with a voice vaguely reminiscent of Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, circa the late 1960s.

"You Can't Break Me" is a defiant song about not letting people close to you, forcing too much change on you. "Why do you insist on analyzing my dreams?/why do you want to tear apart my dreams?" Wilt asks: Her voice : displays a good balance of power and emotion.

Beatty's bass playing stands out throughout the album, in part because of his skill and partly due to the songwriting. While in some forms of rock the guitar often takes center stage, it often is more subdued in alternative rock, as is the case with this band. "Crazier Than I" is an example of a song where Beatty punches things along on bass.

“Manufactured Race” is built around a memorable guitar riff. Wilt’s lyrics are of anger and disillusionment. “I really hate this place/ this whole manufactured race.”

“Your Poor Shadow” lashes out on religious hypocrites. “We know you do good things because you brag to us all/ is that what the bible says?”

“Day of Regret” has a somewhat spacey introduction. Wilt’s vocals rise and lower, seemingly wrapping themselves around the lyrics.

“Foolish Man” is the album’s heaviest song. “Undo This” has a melodic introduction, then the intensity slowly builds.
- Tacoma Weekly