“Quelle” is the German word for “source,” and like the band’s endearingly wide-eyed owl logo, its name – literally “The Source Source” – begs the question: The source (of the source) of what? Alas, while the band’s German associations end there, The Quelle Source makes up for a lack of European depth by instead providing well-crafted American indie rock/pop music.
Formed by five Saint Joseph’s University students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2005, The Quelle Source joins the likes of Dr. Dog, Man Man, and The Teeth as another component of the ever-burgeoning Philadelphia indie music scene. Initially bonding over their interest in heavy-hitting bands like Wilco, Radiohead and My Morning Jacket, the band quickly found themselves awash in new, unique material. Lead songwriters Dan Wisniewski and Kevin Ryan proved instant foils—Wisniewski’s intriguingly mysterious lyrics grew wings when attached to their vocal and musical hooks, while Ryan’s crooning, reflective pieces served as counterweights and relief from the band’s more obtuse work.
With Ryan’s lead vocals increasingly being compared to those of Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, and Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, the rest of the band continues to draw from more varied performers including Guided by Voices, The Shins, and Wolf Parade, which gives The Quelle Source a familiar yet hard-to-place sound. Live, the band is best known for their spirited performances which fully utilize available stage space; the charming onstage antics of bassist Chris Wafer, keyboardist Addison Lilholt, and Wisniewski highlight their performances as the band plows through each set at breakneck speed.
After years of performing across the Philadelphia area and tightening their songwriting, the band’s efforts culminated in their first EP, cut at MilkBoy Studios in Ardmore, PA in November 2007. Before its release, however, the band was dealt a blow when drummer John Cooper abruptly quit the band in December 2007. While looking for a replacement, the sextet went forward in releasing their eponymous EP on March 14, 2008. The band eventually brought on not one but two new members—friend Adam Della Penna on drums and roommate Dan Comly to play additional keyboards, bringing the band back to full steam today.
In April 2008, The Quelle Source was voted Best Local Philadelphia-based Band by Saint Joseph’s students, and album cut “Truth” has since been featured in “A Little Streak of Red,” a short film by Philadelphia filmmaker Nicole Allan. Highlighted most recently at Philadelphia venues such as The Trocadero, The Tin Angel and The M Room, The Quelle Source continues to capitalize on their strong local following. Consistently debuting new material, the band recently instated a new mailing list feature where they send out a studio recording of a brand new song on the first of every month.
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just listened to your songs and i enjoyed them a lot. send us a message if you'd be interested in playing some shows together. hope to hear from you soon.
I'm loving your album. It didn't leave my player for some time, and now that it has it's in my buddies hands. I forced fed it to him. As if it were necessary to the existence of mankind.
it seems that WXPN cd release party has forgotten two bands. Namely, the two bands involved in this commenting/comment recipient interaction. But GODDAM that shall change soon
Hey guys I heard about the catastophic hard drive accident. That sucks. I would be more than happy to record you guys for free on the weekends if you want to.
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