QTY (band)
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QTY is an American
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band from New York City, signed to Dirty Hit Records. The group originally consisted of singers and guitarists Dan Lardner and Alex Niemetz, as well as bassist Peter Baumann and drummer Alan Yuch. The band recorded their debut album in London, with production by former
Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, Textile, fabrics, Handbag, purses, furniture, and other items. Suede is made from the underside of the animal skin, which is softer and m ...
member
Bernard Butler Bernard Joseph Butler (born 1 May 1970) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation; BBC journalist Mark Savage called him "one of Britain's most origina ...
. The self-titled album was released in December 2017 to early critical acclaim, including favorable reviews in such publications as the ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
''. The group also earned a spot on the ''NME'' 100: 2018 Best New Bands List. The group described its sound as "guitar-driven lyrical rock music with pop sensibilities," and was often placed in the lineage of New York rock bands such as
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...
,
Television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
, and
The Strokes The Strokes are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikola ...
, based on the guitar-based sound and Lardner's New York-style laconic vocal delivery. However, their influences stretched beyond their hometown, including
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...
-era acts, especially
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
, as well as 1990s
lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate stylistic ch ...
indie rock bands such as
Royal Trux Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band active from 1987 to 2001, and again from 2015 to 2019 consisting of Neil Hagerty (vocals, guitar) and Jennifer Herrema (vocals). History While still a teenager, Hagerty joined Washington D.C. g ...
and
Silver Jews Silver Jews were an American indie rock band from Hoboken, New Jersey, formed in 1989 by David Berman (musician), David Berman alongside Pavement (band), Pavement members Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich. Berman was the only constant band me ...
. Lyrics played a key part in the band's appeal, where Lardner's writing often lauded for its observant, introspective reflections on the struggles of the band's everyday lives.


History

The band formed in 2014, after members of the former band Grand Rapids disbanded the year prior. Lardner and Niemetz recorded some early demos in San Francisco through connections in their friend network, which received attention from
Dirty Hit Dirty Hit Limited is a British independent record label founded in February 2010 by Jamie Oborne, Chuck Waite, Brian Smith, and former England national football team, England footballer Ugo Ehiogu. Based in London since 2009, it has expanded op ...
after Lardner's roommate sent the demos to a contact at the record label, who immediately contacted the band expressing interest. The band went on to sign to the label as their first US-based band, having formerly been known for a repertoire of notable British acts including
The 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...
,
Wolf Alice Wolf Alice are a Rock music, rock band from London. Formed in 2010 as an acoustic duo made up of singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie, Wolf Alice have also featured bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey since 2012. Wolf Alice playe ...
, and
Pale Waves Pale Waves are an English Rock music, rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. Lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester and they formed a band. Guitarist Hugo Silvani and ...
. Lardner and Niemetz recorded early singles with
Bernard Butler Bernard Joseph Butler (born 1 May 1970) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation; BBC journalist Mark Savage called him "one of Britain's most origina ...
, including "Rodeo" released in October 2016, and "Dress/Undress" released in February 2017. QTY played few early shows following their signing on the encouragement of the record label, until the band went on their first North American tour opening for the Bad Suns and then a series of headlining shows in late 2017. The band's final shows were in 2018; however Lardner played a small string of solo shows in early 2023 along with
Evan Dando Evan Griffith Dando (born March 4, 1967) is an American musician and the frontman of the rock band the Lemonheads. He has also embarked on a solo career and collaborated on songs with various artists. In December 2015, Dando was inducted into t ...
, with whom he had struck up a friendship and mentorship for many years. The name is pronounced by saying each letter individually, but it is a play-off the "cuties",
clementine A clementine (''Citrus × clementina'') is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange ( ''C.'' × ''deliciosa'') and a sweet orange (''C. × sinensis''), named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who f ...
s, based on Lardner's reference to Niemetz as a "cutie" due to her hair color. Romy from the band
The xx The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), ...
, suggested the band refer to themselves instead as just "Q.T.Y." Lardner's death was announced on June 15, 2023.


Discography


References


External links


Official website
* {{discogs artist, QTY American indie rock groups Dirty Hit artists