Quilla

ABOUT QUILLA

Quilla — the moniker of Montreal-born Anna Luisa Daigneault— is an electronic music producer, vocalist, songwriter, and educator based in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is known for her piano riffs, hypnotizing beats, and vocal loop compositions, as well as for teaching music production workshops for women and femmes. She currently composes theme songs and scores for podcasts and films. She was a featured vocalist on hit dance tracks released by Universal, Revealed Recordings, Armada, Vicious, and Ministry of Sound. 

BACKGROUND
Quilla’s first indie pop album Beautiful Hybrid (Ritual Fire Records, 2014) was met with critical acclaim and was featured on the iTunes US ‘Ahead of the Curve’ section. A series of limited-edition Beautiful Hybrid Remix Project vinyls were released by techno label Visionquest Music and garnered interest in the international dance music community.

As a featured vocalist, Quilla has penned and released dance hits with over a dozen producers on the world’s top dance labels, including Revealed Recordings, Armada Music, Vicious Recordings, Ministry of Sound, Visionquest Music, Neon Records, and Musical Freedom.

Quilla wrote and performed the lyrics for “Close To Me” by Tiësto, Sultan + Ned Shepard which appeared on Tiësto’s hit album, A Town Called Paradise (Universal Music, 2014). The song was the follow-up to the international radio hit “Walls” by Sultan + Ned Shepard (feat. Quilla), which appeared on Tiësto’s compilation Club Life: Volume 2 (2012) and was later re-released by his label AFTR:HRS as “Walls (Deeper Shades Mix)” in 2017.

Other celebrated tracks written and sung by Quilla include “Universe” by Australian duo Feenixpawl, as well as “Secret” which became a classic track for Argentinian trance duo Heatbeat and appeared on their hugely successful album Global Monster. The song was regularly featured on Armin van Buuren’s radio show, A State of Trance. She also penned the lyrics for the dance anthem “Unless We Forget” by German duo Jewelz & Sparks, which rose to #4 on Beatport’s Progressive House Chart.

In 2016, Quilla shifted away from being an EDM vocalist and began producing electronic material that is influenced by house music, downtempo pop, folk and world music. She produced folktronica anthem “Wild and Kind” in collaboration with Americana artist Molly McGinn, and the duo toured cities in North Carolina promoting the track.

Quilla’s second electronic indie pop album “You Got It” was released in 2017 on her label, Ritual Fire Records, and received positive reviews. She became a mother that year, which shaped her creativity in new, visceral ways. In 2018, she produced Johanna Breed’s debut future-soul album, “Is It Too Late?” which was also released on Quilla’s label.

In 2020, Quilla released her third album, “The Handbook of Vivid Moments” with the support of two grants from the North Carolina Arts Council. She wrote the musical score for WUNC’s Embodied radio show and podcast, an award-winning series about sex, health and taboos. In 2021, she wrote the theme and score for WUNC’s Creep podcast, a fascinating and innovative show about invasive species and the environment. She is currently writing a musical that will premiere in May 2023. Quilla is also involved in writing the score for a docuseries about motherhood and the arts (“The Motherlode”).

SELECTED MUSICAL PERFORMANCES (2016-2022)

• 2022. Quilla was a featured performer at the Women’s History Month event organized by North Carolina African Services Coalition at the Greensboro Historical Museum.
• 2021. DJ and Curator of music and dance performances at Elsewhere’s Annual Extravaganza in downtown Greensboro, NC.
• 2021. Quilla headlined at Fun Fourth in Downtown Greensboro.
• 2021. Headliner at “Sunset Series” – Center City Park, Greensboro.
• 2020. Quilla & Molly McGinn: “Ghostlight Series Concert” at The Carolina Theatre. Greensboro, NC.
• 2020. SoFar Sounds Greensboro “City Exchange” with Sofar Sounds Tel Aviv. Online.
• 2020. Siembra NC’s “Sábado Gigante” Telethon to Benefit Undocumented Migrant Families. Online.
• 2019. Molly McGinn & Quilla at #RepresentNC Music Series at Joymongers. Greensboro, NC.
• 2019. 11th Annual Extravaganza at Elsewhere Museum.
• 2019. La Migración es Hermosa: A Benefit for the Border. Motorco Music Hall, Durham, NC.
• 2019. Still The Days Music Festival. Gibb’s Hundred, Greensboro, NC.
• 2019. Ships in the Night, Quilla and Tide Eyes. Monstercade, Winston-Salem, NC.
  
• 2019. Molly McGinn & Quilla open for Bernie Sanders at Earth Day.
• 2019. SoFar Sounds: International Women’s Day Concert. Greensboro.
• 2019. The Wake Forest Listening Room. Magnolia Roots Lounge, Wake Forest, NC.
• 2018. Mill Day Festival. Revolution Mill, Greensboro NC.
• 2018. Castella: The Enchanted Music Festival. Castle McCulloch, Jamestown, NC.
• 2018. Greensboro Strong Community Concert. LeBauer Park, Greensboro NC.
• 2018. The Richmond Forum: Quilla opens for Peter Diamandis. Altria Theater, Richmond, VA.
• 2017. Quilla’s Album Launch. The Crown at The Carolina Theatre, Greensboro NC.
• 2017. Psychic Revolution Art & Music Festival. Winston-Salem, NC.
• 2016. Mykki Blanco & Quilla at Duke Coffeehouse. Duke University, Durham, NC.
  

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

• 2021. Songwriting Workshop Facilitator, PEN America Piedmont Chapter’s “Prompt Party” at Scuppernong Books, Greensboro, NC.
• 2021. Guest speaker, Youth Leadership Conference, NCCJ of the Piedmont Triad. Greensboro, NC.
• 2021. Guest moderator, “Thirty-Two Words for Field.” Irish Arts Center, New York, NY (Online).
• 2020. Featured writer, “Dear 2020.” The Ink Project & PEN America Piedmont Region (Online).
• 2020. Panelist, “Writers Read.” Scuppernong Books & PEN America Piedmont Region. Greensboro, NC.
• 2020. Featured artist, “Pathways: Art & Technology // Digital Exploration & Empowerment.” International Contemporary Ensemble, Bespoken. New York, NY (Online).
• 2020. Featured artist, “Bit Rosie Presents: Quilla In The Studio.” New York, NY (Online).   
• 2019. Featured musical performer, “Muse: The Arts Show” on UNC-TV. Chapel-Hill, NC.
  
• 2018-2019. Guest lecturer, “Music Entrepreneurship.” University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Read more about Quilla on Wikipedia. 

With Peruvian and French Canadian roots, Quilla draws from many musical genres and vocal traditions to create multi-faceted works. Fresh and empowering, her music feels dreamlike while also being uplifting. Quilla is known for her poetic lyrics, vocal loop compositions and hypnotizing beats. She explores a palette of moods ranging from silly and absurdist to sacred and profound. Her latest projects include the use of bioacoustic sounds. Short nature-inspired loops made in collaboration with visual artists such as Hoot Alex and Liz Clayton-Fuller and can be found on her Instagram page. 

Quilla’s top tracks on Spotify:

Quilla – Around Town Sessions (2021)

Quilla – “Beautiful Hybrid” (2014)

Quilla’s dance music collaborations on Soundcloud: