The Q-Tip Bandits

Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Leo Son and bassist and vocalist Claire Davis The Q-Tip Bandits are a Boston based five piece band. The indie pop band formed in 2018 with Dakota Maykrantz on drums, Maclin Tucker on trumpet, and Hoyt Parquet on trombone. The band is a group of misfits who perfectly fit together. They are all much more nerdy, goofy and fun then their semi-serious music paints them to be. Their music allows them to remain the lighthearted goofy music nerds they are while still getting to talk about the harder, not-so-fun topics in life. 

Davis began playing music as a small child with household items as instruments. Eventually she got her hands on real instruments, first the harp then guitar, upright bass and now bass guitar. Her ever supportive parents encouraged her throughout her discovery of each instrument. The passion for playing music got Davis into the music scene, but the community that she can support and have support her right back is what has made her stick to music. She believes the deepest connection you can form with another person is found in playing music together. This community is what led Davis to make a risky move her senior year of high school when she chose to go to Berklee School of Music instead of picking a career she knew she would succeed in. Her risk is paying off as she is doing what makes her happy. 

Son has found a sort of solace in knowing he may not be the best guitarist ever, but that is not what it is about. Creating music is never about creating the most beautiful piece the world has ever heard, it is about expressing yourself. This realization came when Son was watching a Red Hot Chili Peppers performance where John Frusciante was playing a solo filled with raw expression. Son's musical journey began in his childhood when his parents forced him to play piano. He picked up guitar after ten years of clarinet, violin and piano because he thought playing the instrument would make him popular. Rather than popularity guitar brought Son the ability to create something beautiful out of his discomfort. Music gave him this universal language where he could take nearly any emotion and be able to be a part of something bigger than himself. 

The Q-Tip Bandits music has been described as "happy music for sad bois", which they feel gets the point across. The band makes "breezy" indie pop that is all about balancing the light and the dark, the good times and the bad times. Their newest record Melancholy Flowers embodies that balance perfectly. Son described the sound as "flowers for a funeral"; an image of beauty at an event that is inherently awful. The record is a collection of songs that were written separately then made to fit the concept. Each song is named after a different flower as a way to tie the imagery together even more. Melancholy Flowers is The Q-Tip Bandits' first full length album and they have yet to set a release date for it. 

As a band The Q-Tip Bandits have set goals of playing bigger and bigger venues, connecting with as many people as they possibly can- when the pandemic is over of course.