Recorded at Elsewhere Museum in downtown Greensboro, Quilla was featured in the most recent episode of Around Town Sessions.
She performed a song in Spanish entitled “Un alma del norte y del sur” (The North-South Soul) from her recent album, The Handbook of Vivid Moments (2020). She and musician Ashley Virginia played an improvised vocal loop piece called “I Belong Here” that was inspired by a mural piece entitled “You Belong Here” by Canadian artist Bronwen Moen, created at Elsewhere. Lastly, Quilla played a new piano & voice single entitled “Surreal” that will be coming out on her label, Ritual Fire Records, in summer 2021.
Around Town Sessions was directed by Alexei Mejouev and produced by Ashley Virginia Buffa, with production assistance from Liam Tramwick.
Thank you to Program Curator Jesse Hoyle at Elsewhere Museum for allowing us to film in the library!
In an interview with Ed Sylvan, Quilla opened up about her background and creative process. Read the full article here.
Here are some highlights from the article.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was 15 years old (in the late 90s), a musician friend made me a mixtape full of powerful and visceral songs by Tori Amos, Bjork, and Diamanda Galas. Listening to that mixtape on repeat was very influential. I remember thinking, “Wait, I’m allowed to feel like this and write about it in songs? Sign me up!” That mixtape was one of many factors that sent me down the lifelong path of pursuing songwriting. I wanted to find ways to express inner landscapes of emotion and imagination.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I am working on producing two folk-electronic tracks with Americana artist Molly McGinn. The songs are hauntingly beautiful and I am thrilled to be working with her. She calls me her “ride or die chick” because I take these productions very seriously. The details are very important when I am combining acoustic and electronic elements. Other than that, I am working on solo material such as new vocal loop pieces and instrumental pieces that will become the score for a documentary film series called “The Mothers” (working title) about women artists who balance motherhood and creativity.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I just wrote in my journal the other night: “Mothers hold up the sky. We also create the eyes that see the sky.” This is important to me because as a mother, I am always inspired by the joys of motherhood but also I am constantly constrained by my role as a mother, so I always have to remember the important roles that mothers have in this world. We are shaping the next generation of human beings. We are also shaping ourselves in the process.
Thank you to North Carolina Public Radio for having me on the last episode of “The State of Things” on WUNC. It was an honor to discuss my new album, as well as the story behind creating the theme song for WUNC’s amazing Embodied podcast (a show that will continue to air every Friday at noon on WUNC). It was a pleasure to be interviewed by Anita Rao and her team, and to work with them to craft the theme song.
The instrumental I produced for “Embodied” was inspired by the WUNC team’s innovative exploration of the science of pleasure. It became the song Algorithms with Benefits. The lyrics were later inspired by many conversations with my dear friends and colleagues who are also conservation scientists: Karen Park and Felice Wyndham. I ended up featuring the song on my album.
With the song “Algorithms with Benefits” my goal was to convey the idea that nature is the true source of our power as resilient and beautiful human beings. The patterns in nature are what have shaped humanity over millennia. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in technology that we forget we are intrinsically connected to Earth’s primordial cycles and rhythms. The digital algorithms that are molding our online realities can also be a distraction from our relationship to nature.
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.
Writers Read is a live streamed event at Scuppernong Books for North Carolina writers to share work-in-progress. It will be broadcast on Zoom and Instagram.
WHEN: Thursday Oct. 15th. 7pm EST // 4pm PT. RSVP Here
ANNA LUISA DAIGNEAULT (Quilla) holds an M.Sc from University of Montréal in Linguistic Anthropology and works for the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. Anna is also a songwriter, producer, performer known for her ethereal vocals and live electronic sets. Originally from Montreal, Canada, she currently resides in Greensboro. Learn more about her new album at Quillamusic.com
ELIZABETH ILLIG is a writer and career coach who focuses on YA fantasy novels, career and personal guidance, and book reviews. Currently pitching her first YA fantasy novel while working on her second, she dreams of seeing her name in her local bookstore. Learn more at writetowonder.com
ASHLEY LUMPKIN is Georgia-raised, Carolina-based writer, editor, actor, and educator. She is the author of five poetry collections: As a lover of performance as well as the written word, she has been a competing member of the Bull City Slam Team since 2015 and currently serves as its assistant coach. She co-curates the series “First Draft,” a reading of new works and works in progress. She currently serves as a member-at-large on the board of the North Carolina Poetry Society. Learn more at lumplestiltzken.com.
ILARI PASS is originally from Maplewood, NJ. She is a retired maintenance worker of the United States Postal Service. She holds a MA in English, with a concentration in literature, from Gardner-Webb University. Her work appears or forthcoming in RedFez, Unlikely Stories, Triggerfish Critical Review, Rigorous Magazine, The American Journal of Poetry, Drunk Monkeys, Broad River Review, Common Ground Review, and others.
DEONNA KELLI SAYED is an internationally published author, a TEDx speaker, and a performer. She is the Membership Coordinator for the North Carolina Writers’ Network, and the PEN America NC Piedmont Representative. Deonna is currently working on a novel set in the Florida Panhandle. Learn more at deonnaiswriting.com
Register in advance for this meeting: https://www.facebook.com/events/1270771566591003
Join bespoken and the International Contemporary Ensemble for a free online discussion focusing on the intersection of technology and art featuring Pauchi Sasaki and Quilla. How does technology and art come together in performance? How can artists discover, experiment, and take risks in the realm of digital collaboration and distribution?
For participants: please feel free to bring questions related to your own work/projects you are working on! This event is not only educational but also a platform for empowerment, breaking down the barriers to using technology in an artist’s practice.
PAUCHI SASAKI Composer, Interdisciplinary Artist, and Instrument Builder She/Her/Hers. Website Pauchi Sasaki is a composer, performer, and improviser. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates musical composition with the design of multimedia performances, the application of new technologies, and the development of self-designed instruments. She has received four “Best Original Score” international awards and the Ibermúsicas grant for sound composition with new technologies at CMMAS. She was selected for The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative by composer Philip Glass, the Goethe-Institute’s artist residency in Brazil and Berlin, and Columbia University’s Institute for Ideas and Imagination Fellowship. Her work has been presented at the Tokyo Experimental Festival, Venice Biennale, Carnegie Hall, Cannes Film Festival, Walt Disney Hall, MET, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, among others.
QUILLA Vocalist, Electronic Music Producer, Educator She/Her/Hers 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 and vocal loop compositions as well as for teaching music production workshops for women. Recognized within the dance music community as a versatile vocalist and collaborator, she has written lyrics for Tiesto, Heatbeat, Sultan + Shepard, Feenixpawl, and many others. She was a featured vocalist on club 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.
Mixing elements of heritage and genre in tune with body and space, The Handbook of Vivid Moments, the third record from Greensboro electro-artist, Quilla— the artistic persona from Montreal-born Anna Luisa Daigneault— serves as a vessel for expression and empowerment in a time of dystopia, laid amongst dance floor beats.
– Katei Cranford, Yes!Weekly
Photo by Betsy Blake
“I want to expand the palette of topics explored in dance music,” Quilla explained of her intentions with the record, which covers themes related to peril, migration, climate change, and personal transformation. “I’ve always thought that dance music is very accessible and that people are receptive to new ideas when they’re dancing.” Read more:
PRESS RELEASE: Latinx Quilla’s Melodic Third Official Album “The Handbook of Vivid Moments” Released
The seasoned and notable club hit vocalist releases her most personal and influential album yet.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sept. 14, 2020 – PRLog — Quilla (Anna Luisa Daigneault), releases an eight-track electronic indie-pop album on her record label, Ritual Fire Records. Titled, “The Handbook of Vivid Moments” Quilla beautifully weaves elements of her Latinx heritage rhythms and dance floor beats. With the blending of heritage and music genres, this album is one to uplift listeners during what has been a difficult time worldwide and explore current themes that are often challenging to tackle. The album is available for immediate release upon all platforms here: https://orcd.co/quilla_handbook
When asked to describe her album, “My new songs are about personal transformation and women’s empowerment in a dystopian age. I also include songs about climate change and migration, in an effort to examine these topics in a new light,” Anna Luisa Daigneault. “This album will serve as a milestone of sorts. It will help me synthesize all the technical skills I have accumulated as a producer over the past decade. I aim to create an album that is fun to listen and dance to, as well as make people contemplate our current era. Despite the challenges we all face, I feel that the upbeat tone of this album will symbolize choosing hope over despair.”
Most recently, Quilla and her album were featured in Bit Rosie’s latest short documentary as part of a series highlighting the work of women producers around the globe. Tracks from “The Handbook of Vivid Moments” have already been featured within the broadcast and film space. Algorithms with Benefits recently became the theme song for WUNC’s new “Embodied” podcast, Boom Bada was featured on UNC-TV, and Sagittarius was part of a choreographed music video featured at five film festivals in 2019 and 2020, directed by Jennida Chase and Hassan Pitts.
This third album was solely written and produced by Quilla in her home studio and was created with support from the North Carolina Arts Council and the partnering arts councils of the Regional Artist Project Grant Program.
The music video for Quilla’s song “Sagittarius” was directed and produced by s/n (Jennida Chase & Hassan Pitts), in conjunction with the Media Studies Department at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (see full list of credits below).
In January 2020, Sagittarius was officially featured at the Portland Underground Film Festival (PUFF 2020) as part of the “Meow Mix” Short Music Video showcase. See details here.
In 2019, Sagittarius was officially shown at the Indie Visions Film Festival in August, and the Västerås Filmfestival which took place in Sweden in October. Coming up in February 2020, this music video will be featured at the Hollywood Verge Film Awards.
Music Video Credits Music and lyrics by Anna Luisa Daigneault. The video was created in a production course in the Media Studies program at University of North Carolina Greensboro. It was directed and produced by s/n (Jennida Chase & Hassan Pitts). It was edited by Jennida Chase and Jamira Adams. Choreography by Esha Hickson, dancers include Esha Hickson, Nayirah Harris, and Devin Simone. Wardrobe Design and Styling by Ann Tilley. Cinematography by Hassan Pitts, Steven Baggett, and Mitchell Townsend. Assistant Director Arielle Smallwood. Make-up by Melissa Grier. Production Assistant Zariyah Tate. The project was funded in part by the Office of Undergraduate Research at UNCG.
RADIO EVENT Tune into radio station WUNC on Tuesday Jan 14th, 2020 to hear “The State of Things” program. Quilla will be playing live interstitial music between the segments, which is broadcast live from The Triad Stage in Greensboro. You can stream the radio show anywhere in the world via https://www.wunc.org/ and the show will be available for podcast soon after its airing.
The last segment of the program will discuss “Shifting Worlds: Displacement and Forced Migration in Modern Times” – a conference that takes place on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m) at Guilford College. Quilla will also be performing from 4-5pm at that event.
CONFERENCE INFO Join Guilford College, UNCG’s Center for New North Carolinians, and Elon University for a gathering that will bring together various grassroots, governmental, academic, activist, volunteer, and other organizations and individuals to address and respond to contemporary (im)migration and refugee issues with a particular focus on mental health. All are welcome to attend this unique opportunity to engage in dialogue on current resettlement trends, U.S. immigration policy and practices, community support, advocacy, and more. Registration and attendance are free, but advanced registration is required.
