Ferdy Belland
As hot on album as she is onstage, the roots-rocking upstart Miss Quincy is speeding down the highway with her overdriven Epiphone guitar and her earthy, saucy lyrics in support of her new album Like the Devil Does. Fronting her rhythm section, the Showdown, Miss Quincy's sophomore recording effort comes hot on the heels of her self-produced début Your Mama Don't Like Me, which won the 2011 Folk / Traditional Recording of the Year from the BC Indie Awards.
Like the Devil Does is a remarkable collection of electric blues-rock material, produced by legendary Canadian blues-guitar samurai Tim Williams.
"I recorded my first album in my tiny log cabin on the banks of the Peace River with a group of my friends," Miss Quincy said. "We holed up during the coldest part of the winter and drank whiskey and played music day and night. The sounds you hear on that album are alive; you can hear the wood stove crackling.
" Working with Tim Williams on the second album was a really cool experience; he brought me into his world of blues players who've been playing for over 40 years. Tim became a mentor to me throughout the whole pre-production and recording phase of the project. He has a lifetime of musical knowledge and experience, and I always hope some of that will rub off on me.
" We recorded almost the whole album live off the floor, including vocals. I love recording this way; it's the way we play the songs live, and we're a live band. The album feels real because it is, you're hearing the notes played. You won't hear the wood stove in this recording, as it was done at Rocky Mountain Recording Studio in Calgary."
Miss Quincy and the Showdown take great pride in ringing the audience's ears and leaving everyone (including themselves) wrung-out and sweaty by the end of the performance. "Whatever you're playing," Miss Quincy advises, "play it like you mean it — even if it's a lame-ass love song."
In an almost constant state of road-trip highball highway action, Miss Quincy covers a lot of the country and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. "We share stages with musicians all across this very very large country of ours. Canada has a special grassroots independent music scene, even if few of us are 'notable' in terms of record sales or Grammy awards.
"I've shared stages, jammed around campfires, and drove long hours with people who possess humbling talent and commitment, some of Canada's finest songwriters."
Miss Quincy and the Showdown have cut their teeth and hardened their musical muscles through gruelling tours throughout Canada and Europe, so what can we expect when they stride onstage? "I hope you're coming prepared to party! Three girls, blues, rock 'n'roll, dancing, drinking. That's really all you need to know."
Miss Quincy and the Showdown strut their stuff in pure rock fury tonight, Wednesday March 6, at the Byng Roadhouse (21 Cranbrook St.N.), with special guests the Heather Gemmell Band. Showtime 8 p.m.