Author: quilla

Exciting news! The music video for Quilla’s beloved song “Beans Beans Beans” is officially premiering on Saturday, July 24th, 2021 on PBS Kids NC and Rootle. It will be a featured segment on Rootle’s Block Party LIVE! At Home, an hour-long television extravaganza showcasing summertime activities, music and entertainment for kids of all ages.

Directed and edited by Alexei Mejouev with animations by Stefan DiMuzio, Quilla’s music video was filmed inside the amazing setting of Elsewhere Museum, a collaborative art world created from a former thrift store, housing a 58-year collection of things and contemporary art pieces. Many thanks to the curators of Elsewhere Museums for allowing this video to take place. Shout-out to artists Jesse Hoyle, Ashley Virginia Buffa and Liam Trawick for production assistance.

You can catch this episode of Rootle’s Block Party LIVE! At Home on Rootle on the following dates, at these times (all in EST):

Saturday, July 24 at 9AM and 3 PM
Sunday, July 25 at 9 AM and 3 PM
Saturday, July 31 at 7 AM and 1 PM
Sunday, August 1 at 7 AM and 1 PM

You will also be able to watch the full episode online when it’s available on July 24th, 2021: pbsnc.org/rootleblockparty

Partners & performers of this Block Party include:
NC Division of Child Development & Early Education
Smart Start of Transylvania County
Get Set Transylvania
Mountain Sun Community School
SAFE
Rise & Shine
Pisgah Collective
Mr. R
Quilla

I was both thrilled and intrigued when I found out WUNC was creating a new podcast entitled “CREEP” about invasive species in North Carolina and beyond. Writing music for this project was a dream come true: the show brought together my interests in music production and science communication. It felt very synergistic and timely to me, because I had recently been making bird loops on Instagram. I thought writing this theme song would be a good opportunity to use the ambient nature and species recordings I had been collecting during the pandemic as textures in a composition.  

Writing a theme song is part alchemy, part deep listening to the creative brief, part distillation of your collaborators’ personalities. In my initial meeting with the producers of Creep, I asked them: what emotions do you want the listener to feel when they hear the theme song? What moods are you trying to convey? Their answers were: mysterious, subversive, dark, intriguing, tantalizing. Not a slasher pic, but unsettling. We want it to be simple yet ominous. I love a creative challenge and the mood felt ripe to make something that would suit this unique show.

I thought a prominent bass line would help translate the feeling of mystery. I had a lucky flash of insight while sitting at my piano soon after meeting the producers of CREEP. An early version of the bass line came spilling out onto my keyboard, very jagged and haunting. It felt like I was pulling it out of the ether. After a few more tries on piano and some quick recordings on my phone to not lose my initial palette of ideas, I came up with a solid version of the bass line and tempo, and then recorded it in Logic with various electronic instruments. I settled on layering a plucky upright bass with a warm analog synth. I produced four slightly different versions of the bass line before settling on the one you hear in the final version of the theme song, which is entitled “Dark Science.” 

It was really fun weaving in bioacoustic sounds into this piece. I asked the producers what species they would be covering, and collected some useful insect samples online as well from my nature trove. I experimented with many different sounds before deciding which insects and animals made the cut. The final version of theme song contains samples from: solepnosis invicta fire ants, the eastern screech owl, the cotesia marginiventris wasp calling song, cicadas recorded outside my window, other ambient layers recorded in my backyard as well as bioacoustic recordings I made near the Dan River in North Carolina. It was important to me to include as many native North Carolina sounds as possible, since the podcast focuses on invasive species found in North Carolina and the Southeastern US.

I also wrote three interstitial pieces for this podcast entitled “Multispecies Party”, “Chance Ecologies and “Unintended Consequences” – more on those later when I make them available online! They play in between segments of the show to highlight different moods of the story being told.

About the podcast: “CREEP is a podcast that encourages us to lean in for a closer look at how insects, animals and plants are changing the environment, economy and health of our region in ways we never expected. Listen, subscribe and get to know some of nature’s most fascinating, grotesque and mysterious members. Presented by WUNC in partnership with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.”

Listen and subscribe to CREEP: https://www.wunc.org/podcast/creep

Quilla and Molly McGinn will play live at the historic Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, NC on Saturday, December 19th, 2020. This event is part of the Ghostlight Series. LIMITED TICKETS ON SALE NOW.

What is the Ghostlight Series? “Ghostlights are a tradition almost as old as theatre itself – they light the stages when there are no performers, keeping the spirit of the theatre alive. After six months of just our ghostlight, we are thrilled to replace it with live performances on the Carolina Theatre stage! Seating will be available, but will be limited to 25 guests for each show, per government mandates. All guests will be asked to sign a liability waiver, and wear a face covering unless seated in the Auditorium.”

Tickets are $20 plus 6.75% NC Sales tax.
Tickets include one admission, one concessions item and one beverage.
Sorry, draft beer and popcorn not currently available.

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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 ethereal soundscapes, hypnotizing beats and vocal loop compositions, as well as for teaching music production workshops for women. She was a featured vocalist on hit dance tracks released by Universal, Revealed Recordings, Armada, Vicious, and Ministry of Sound. Her third album, The Handbook of Vivid Moments, was released in September 2020 to critical acclaim. Quilla will perform all the tracks from her new album, including guest violinist Kate Tobey on several songs.

Quilla and Americana artist Molly McGinn will also play a set together in this performance. Known for their electronic folk track “Wild and Kind” (Ritual Fire Records, 2016), the duo will unveil a new collaborative piece entitled “All Ye Outs” for this Ghostlight Series concert.

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Molly McGinn and friends will open the evening with their signature style of jazz-infused Americana. The band includes notable North Carolina artists such as sacred steel player DeShawn Hickman; musician and producer Sam Fribush on keys, a special appearance on drums by world-renowned jazz artist Charlie Hunter, as well as producer and bassist extraordinaire Alex Bingham. They deliver a beautiful blend of story-telling, soul influences and original songs by Molly McGinn. 

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What you need to know before your visit to the Carolina Theatre

Please bring your mask/face covering as it is required to wear unless you are seated in the Auditorium.  We will have complimentary disposable masks available if needed.

The front doors will open 30 minutes prior to scheduled curtain time.  Please bring your email receipt for entry, and your Waiver of Liability with you.  This is not a public performance so only ticketed guests will be allowed in, and there will not be any walk-up sales. But don’t worry, we will have a list of those who have purchased tickets if you leave your email/receipt at home.

Staff will greet you inside the Lobby doors (with face coverings).  Temperatures may be taken at this time. You will be given a drink coupon (or coupons if you have pre-purchased additional beverages).  Our staff will assist you with your beverage and concessions selections.  We will have a variety of bottled beer, wine, soft drinks, tea and water, as well as an array of candy.  Unfortunately, popcorn will not be available.

Please maintain social distancing at all times.  This is a general admission show, and with only 25 tickets available and over 700 seats downstairs to choose from, we will not be blocking off seats, but we do require you to leave two empty rows and at least three empty seats between parties.  Staff will be available for any seating questions.

Remember to use one of the many hand sanitizing stations throughout the Theater. They are there for your safety and convenience.

This event is being videotaped for rebroadcast at a later date.  Your entry acknowledges your consent to use your image should it be captured on video during the performance.