Quimby

Answers of Tibor Kiss, Quimby

You have so far played a variety of different styles of music as I draw from your website. What is your current and most prefered style?
There is no specifically one style, that we can mention - we are drawing from lot of resources, from the noise of the street untill Rahmanyinov, through chansons and south-european “umcacca” even untill punk. The style primary is a dressing-gown for us, the character inside is the determining. We are living in a very open and eclectic world on the field of music also, we use anything for the sake of expression.

How would you describe your music?
Sometimes we call heavy-chanson, or present-day urban, eclectic rock music, in which the emotions and pictures are very important. The world of the songs of Brecth/Weil is as much present, as the rock’n’roll.

How did you come to the idea to sing in Hungarian instead of English?
Was there any need at all to sing in English?
We are singing in Hungarian, as we are living in this circle of culture. With the popularity of the band there was a need for the direct and intimate expressions. Anyway the band is still open, and as earlier times, English songs are born also, and sometimes other languages are getting in for some moments also. The language is a tool for us primarily, that is defined by our situation. In the future there is the plan of a conceptalbum song on Chinese language … J

How did your stay in the US influence your music?
We realized that the fence is not out of sausage there as well… Basically we have written some songs from the situations and impressions we met there, for example “Crazy train”, that is a surrealist punk song about the tube in New York. It was also a good thing to see, that there are specifically concert-halls - for us the jazz-punk-underground was the most interesting. (John Zorn, Mark Ribot, John Lourie, stb) However I was painting there mostly…

How did you come to name your band Quimby? What does the name mean?
We got it from a man, called Bearth Quimby from Chicago, who has spent a few days in Budapest - it is not a very interesting story…However there is a meaning of this word in a slang-language used in one primarily gay community near New York, according to it if 3 men is making sex in a train, the one in the middle is the a Quimby. (in the middle of the manwich..). We tried to keep it in secret for a long time, but now I think it is OK, as if we think of it as a metaphor, to be fucked and fuck is very human. (Anyway the members of the band are heterosexual.)


For me it seems that “Káosz amigos” is possibly your most important album as it expresses a sensitive, dynamic, tragic, humorous, often tragicomic world. Is that your personal view of the world with its contradictions?
That record reflected on the state of the band deeply, that is a product of a crisis, maybe that is the cause, why you feel in it something gripping, but I am not sure, that this is the most important album. It is a bit semi-finished…


What is the message you want to convey to your audience?
I do not remember, the message is floating on the sea in a bottle, and we were very drunk, when we were scribbling on the paper.. if we can be a part of the whole, and we can be mediators of the freedom residing in music, of the orgiastic energies, and the emotions, that are capable for dialog - that is an amazing and honorific role for us.

Do you have a special realationship to Spain or the Spanish language?
Unfortunately I do not speak Spanish, but a lot of thing is influencing us, even from the Spanish culture also.

Does travelling by tram line 4 and 6 in Budapest still provide you with new ideas?
Yes, and our new trams are consisting of only one wagon, not 3, like the older ones, so more creativity is needed, if you want to escape from the conductor.


Now that your band is 15 years you have reached, as you say on your website, your teenager age. What will happen / how will your music develop in the next three years till your band reaches the age
of consent at 18?
In Hungary we are in a very good place fortunately, Quimby is one of the most popular bands. In music - there is a great openness, we still enjoy experimenting with new things, and we hope, that this distributes exciting and meaty songs and concerts by the road…


Why did you only have a short concert tour to Germany? Do you plan to come again to Germany or to other countries?
So many years ago we have played a lot in Germany in clubs, we have a lot of nice memories from this time, and nowadays we would like to go back to you. Usually it is up to the management and organizing. Invite us - you will not regret it! J

What are your plans for the future?
In these spring we are in an experimental, unplugged tour, that takes place in theatres - we see a lot of further possibilities in it - , in the autumn we plan to make a new album. Basically our plan is to give good concerts, and we try to - Melodie&Rythumn

Questions Quimby

First, can you describe yourself (band, brief history, music you play)

We are a Hungarian band with a history of over 15 years...
Through our career we have released 8 records, many of which was awarded the „Record of the Year” title in Hungary. In addition the band received several other prestigious art awards in the past years. Besides composing and playing our music, we really enjoy venturing to the border terrritories of music and other fields of art – we are active participants of theatre performances, and have composed music for several Hungarian movies.

Critics said: For year after year Quimby has enslaved newer and newer generations with its authentic art, that is at the same time clever and ingenious, deliberate and instinctive, deep and good-humoured. The band’s music also bears the characteristics of really important performances: it is enduring and transfers stable values while it can speak to various audiences; thus – for different purposes though – it can be equally important to a number of different people.


Have you ever played in Czech Republic (if so, how was it and how were Czech fans?)?
At the back of my mind I remember something.. but it was so many years ago...

What do you think about city-fests? Have you ever played on some?
It is a very interesting thing, to see a town as it really lives – during city-fests it really does. For me it could be that way during whole year... In Hungary we are headliners in these festivals, and we have also played on some in other countries.

If someone says Prague, what do you imagine?
In my memories it is a very lovely city, with intimate propotions, that are very close to me. Anyway beer, Bridge of Charles, Hrabal, J. Menzel, passionate irony.

How do you looking forward to your gig on United Islands of Prague? (Have you heard about this fest?)
I heard, that it is very familiar festival with an intimate feeling - that takes place on different islands parallelly. We are really looking forward to it.

What are your favourit bands or musicians?
We are listening to everything from the voices of the street till Rahmanyinov..

Main show of United Islands of Prague is scheduled on June, 21st, which is not only the first day of summer, but even International Music day (something like music birthday). What present would you choose to give to Music?
Ourselves. 

You composed music for several movies. Can you say something more about it?
Many times our songs are used for movies, but it is also very exciting to compose music, to hit feelings, and playing with/for the pictures...

As a celebration of 15th anniversary of band you released live CD/DVD. Where do you like to play the best – indoors or outdoors?
Both OK, but we do not really like to play music in the daylight...

When can your fans expect new studio album? Have you been started working on it?
We have started to work on it, hopefully it will be ready by this autumn. - Prague post