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Interviewer
Alright, we’re back with Eric, who’s going to talk to us about his childhood and formation of Infinite.
Eric Quillington
Oh joy, I hope I don’t seem like I’m complaining…
Interviewer
What, you had a rough childhood?
Eric Quillington
No, no, it’s not that… it’s just, musicians and celebrities always seem like they’re bitching on whenever they talk about how their childhood was. But, anyways, go ahead with the first question.
Interviewer
Well, you mentioned earlier that your mother was a doctor. How did that affect your childhood?
Eric Quillington
Oh… lots of different ways. I never knew my father, so it was always just me and my younger brother home, since she’d always have late nights. It wasn’t depressing or anything, it just kind of taught me to be self-reliant. We were always better off than all of my friends, because we grew up in a moderately poor area of Teignmouth. I never had a sense of superiority over my friends, though, I always felt kind of awkward about it.
Interviewer
Why would you feel awkward about being more financially stable than the rest of your friends?
Eric Quillington
Why WOULDN’T I feel that way? I mean, someone lost their house on the same week my mom bought us a flat screen TV. I’d never done anything to deserve it, either, it was all my mom. There was nothing that made me unworthy of what others were going through. Not saying I didn’t enjoy the semi-luxury, but… my friends were in hard financial times, and I couldn’t help. Yeah, that bugged me a bit.
Interviewer
You seem like you would’ve been a really nice and caring kid.
Eric Quillington
Hahahahahaha, oh no… no no no no no. I’m just as much of a douche then as I am now. I was just so BORED of the normalcy of my town, my childhood. I think that’s what led to the formation of Infinite, I wanted something different. But, before there was the band in my life, I was just so bored. So, you know, I did things out of boredom. Picked on the freshman, threw rocks at cars… I did care about people; I just had a weird way of showing it. Music just kind of saved me from the monotony of life I was so discontent with.
Interviewer
When did music first take a strong hold of your life?
Eric Quillington
It’d always been there, it just took a while for me to gradually realize how much it meant to me. I’d been playing the family piano on and off since I was a little kid, since my mom always loved hearing classical music. I also sang in the local church choir. It was kind of boring for me, but it started me on the path of discovering my voice. Heavy, Nirvana-type music was really popular when I was younger, so I formed a rock band with my best friend Alex Steel, when I was about fourteen. I know, I know, it sounds like some lame superhero title, but that’s honestly his name. Anyways, he could scream decently, so we formed this thrash band; Alpharian. It was mostly just to impress girls and increase our social standing. I picked up guitar for that, since that’s what I thought girls were into. I got into music for the shallowest of reasons, and I’m so embarrassed to admit that.
Interviewer
But, you obviously aren’t that way now, are you?
Eric Quillington
Of course not! Like I said; it was a slow process for me to realize that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Alpharian was mostly for a laugh, and members always came and went… Alex and I were the only people who were seriously part of the band, and even that was debatable. I was starting to learn different guitar techniques besides power chords, and I was kind of good at it. I was never good at school, I was too skinny to be an athlete… but, I just simply got music. I wasn’t a half bad singer either, and I could play guitar and piano proficiently. It became apparent to me that music was the only thing I’d ever succeed at. It also became apparent that Alpharian was never going to go anywhere.
Interviewer
So that’s how Infinite began?
Eric Quillington
Slowly, yeah. Our current drummer, Greg Oldson, was a bit different than I’d expected at first. He was this football player who was expected to be drafted or whatever. He was the bright pupil of Teignmouth… you can imagine everyone’s horror when he began to hang out with Eric Quillington’s talentless band. I thought he was just doing it for the girls and all, but he honestly seemed like he was interested in music. We both decided there might be something more out there, and we quit Alpharian… Alex has never spoken to me again.
Interviewer
Alex Steel is now part of the indie band Pisces, correct?
Eric Quillington
Yeah, isn’t it funny how things turn out? I left Alpharian because I wanted to go into a different direction, and then several years later Alpharian turned into exactly the kind of band I wanted. I really regret what happened between the two of us, because Infinite could’ve been truly amazing with him by our side. It was one of my darker moments, and it ruined a potentially great musical partnership. But, ah well, I wish him the best of luck… hopefully the two bands won’t develop some kind of rivalry. He did pick a good job with finding a bassist, though. That Stephanie Botch is a babe…
Interviewer
Was Infinite formed as soon as you left Alpharian, or was their some developing in between.
Eric Quillington
Oh, loads, mate… I wasn’t sure with exactly what kind of music I wanted to play, you know? I just wanted to be a bit different from the other bands out there. Greg and I eventually decided to start with forming a two-man band called Octopus Arson Club. We didn’t really take ourselves too seriously, which was common in Infinite’s early days. The OAC was kind of this folksy/experimental band with me singing and playing acoustic guitar, and Greg on the drums. We used to improvise a hell of a lot, and that’s something that’s carried over into what we are as a band now.
Interviewer
Well, we’re gonna cut to another commercial break… when we return, we’ll talk about the rise of Infinite’s success and the evolution into the sound on their debut album. Stick around! |
Kid Anything- Indie/Britpop/Shoegaze; influenced by Sigur Ros, XXYYXX, Kanye West, Blur, Oasis (Bringing together an eclectic group of influences, Ulysses' songs are sung with carefree abandon by Nick Junk) Kurt Ulysses - Songwriter, Guitarist, Backup Vocalist Nick Junk - Vocals, Mojo Infinite- Alternative/Experimental Rock; influenced by Muse, Radiohead, and The Beatles (Known best for their experimental music and their frontman's eccentric behavior, the band disbanded after Eric Quillington's death to pursue solo careers or, in Matt Robert's case, peace of mind. Infinite released four albums over the course of their career; Blue Nebula, Midnight Skies, Insomnia, and Dancing about Architecture.) Eric Quillington (Deceased) - Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Piano, Primary Lyricist Matt Roberts - Bass Greg Oldson - Drums, Backup Vocals, Secondary Lyricist Amelia Florentine - Keyboards, Piano, Lyricist, Backup Vocals "When asked 'how do you write?' I invariably answer, 'one word at a time', and this answer is invariably dismissed. But that's all it is. It sounds too simple to be true, but consider the Great Wall of China, if you will: one stone at a time, man. That's all. One stone at a time. But I've read you can see that motherfucker from space without a telescope." - Stephen King |
