Our Managing Editor speaks with singer and actress Sam Quartin about her band’s newest record, “Bellevue.”
Three years ago, the Bobby Lees made both local and national news when their gear was stolen right here in Tulsa before their show at the Starlight. Local musicians banded together to help the band so they could still perform, but thousands of dollars of equipment and merchandise were unfortunately gone. Local news station, Channel 6, helped the police to track down one of the thieves as video footage of him selling amps to a pawn shop started making the rounds online.
Lead singer and actress, Sam Quartin, spoke with us about the aftermath of this robbery. “We didn’t get everything back. The drums were in a house that was burned down, and the police had said that it was a drug house. It was pretty crazy,” Quartin says, “Our drummer was pretty sad. They were handed down throughout his family. It was really sad.” Luckily for the band, Fender donated some gear to them, allowing them to finish the tour.
But this experience didn’t leave a sour taste in the band’s mouth. In fact, Quartin herself actually moved here last year, and the band has continued to frequent Tulsa venues.
Hot off the release of their third album, “Bellevue,” the Bobby Lees will play a show this week in Tulsa at the historic Cain’s Ballroom on Nov. 5. “I’m so excited to play Cain’s. It’s been on my goal list for a while now,” Quartin says excitedly.
“Bellevue” is the product of an extremely difficult period in Quartin’s life as the title suggests; the title gives a nod to the mental health institution she used to live near. “I had a pretty intense, I don’t know what it was, some people would call it a breakdown, some people would call it a breakthrough,” she continues, “I had a pretty bad drinking problem…I had some weird experiences and stories from that time, which made it onto the record.” Quartin cites the titular song, “Bellevue,” as her favorite from the record.
Despite being influenced by hard times, Quartin maintains that making this album was the most fun she has had in the studio ever. “Stuff that feels really painful, in the moment can be kind of tough, but With time painful memories can be kind of fun or funny, and I’m so grateful to have a place to put those experiences and challenges and make something creative with it,” she says. She hopes that others who have had similar experiences to her can find a solace in the album, or even the inspiration to create their own art.
The recording legend Vance Powell helped produce the band’s newest album. Powell is perhaps most well-known for his work with Jack White and his many bands. “That guy knows what he’s doing,” Quartin says with a laugh, “We were sitting in the listening room of the studio, and I remember looking over to my left and there was a Grammy casually sat on a stack of books. And I was like ‘Ah, okay’” No pressure, right? Quartin says she was nervous at first, but soon relaxed because, “He provides an environment where I felt like I could be the best version of myself and come up with stuff right up on the spot. Normally, that would freak me out.”
The product is an angsty, angry album that is still somehow full of hope. In fact, someone recently diagnosed with cancer reached out to the band, and told Quartin that whenever they get frustrated with their situation, they put on “Bellevue.” This response blew Quartin away, surpassing any reception she expected from the record. She sums it up best with, “[Music] is universal. Music is medicine.”
Hailed by Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins, the Bobby Lees come into their own with “Bellevue.” The record is fast, loud and dirty, revitalizing the punk genre by breaking it down to its basics, while still maintaining a unique sound. Bassist Kendall Wind’s aggressive and fuzzy tones would make the late and great Glenn Snoddy proud. Rife with energy and deliciously facetious lyrics, they truly are one of the most dangerous bands in today’s music industry.
When asked why she wanted to start a band in the first place, Quartin said she felt a responsibility to. “I had these ideas and energy I wanted to put somewhere and I didn’t know where,” she says. But the road to becoming a frontwoman was a long one. “I used to feel really paralyzed with fear. I was really freaked out about playing in front of people. How do you start a band if you can’t play music in front of anybody?” Her answer was Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way,” a self-help book that aims to help those who are self-conscious harness their artistic abilities.
Did her acting career help with this fear? No. Known for her roles in “Candy Land,” “Body Brokers” and “Run with the Hunted,” Quartin says that, to her, acting is less vulnerable than music. “With a song, I don’t feel like I’m playing a role. It’s me and my experience. I’m trying to be as raw and honest as possible. It was more vulnerable and scary.”
Looking to the future, Quartin expresses a desire to one day play the BOK Center here in Tulsa after seeing a concert there earlier this year. She also expressed an interest in getting the chance to open for My Chemical Romance – a concert of theirs in Connecticut inspiring this. “They’re a dream band to open for one day,” she says with a small laugh.
The Bobby Lee’s concert is looking to be a not-miss show, with Quartin hinting that some songs that haven’t been played live before just might get played at Cain’s. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/6776774/9th-annual-rockn-folkn-chili-cook-off-tulsa-cains-ballroom?partner_id=240.
Come back to the Collegian after their Nov. 5 concert for a show gallery.
