When four local teens decided to pursue music and enrolled in Overland Park’s School of Rock, they not only found their passion but also each other, and Quite Frankly the band was born.
Rehearsals quickly moved from the garage to the basement as Scout Matthews’ family renovated their home to create a space just for the band. They perfected their sound, wrote original music and recreated cover songs from their favorite rock artists that spanned decades, which prepared them to perform in front of crowds of all ages across Kansas City and beyond.
Scout Matthews plays bass, Nate Gregory plays lead guitar and both Caroline Armstrong and Jolson Roberts sing lead vocals. Roberts also plays the guitar, keys and sax; and Gavin Roberts and Jack Armstrong, both siblings to the singers, share the drums.
Matthews says, “Nate, Carolyn and I are 15, and both drummers are 13. Jolson is 18 and the only one who can legally drive. We used to be known as these cute kids that happened to play music, but we’ve definitely turned a corner, and now we’re known as musicians that just happened to be kids. We’re still pretty cute, too!”
Armstrong says, “Yes, we are unique because of our age, but I also think we are unique because we all have always known each other—I think that helps us write and be close while working well together.”
“Without bragging, I think our talent is pretty up there,” Gregory says. “When we start playing, you see the crowd take a second and realize that yeah, we're younger, but we're playing music they like and doing it well. That shock factor never gets old.”
Robert says, “It's what each member brings to the table and how we mix together that makes us unique. We've all got different tastes in music. Nate is a classic rock and country guy, Scout likes indie and punk, Carolyn will listen to just about anything and I stick to alt/indie/rock.”
Catch a Show
Quite Frankly has played more than 100 shows including Kauffman Stadium, Plaza Art Fair, Nashville Country Music Hall of Fame, First Fridays in the Crossroads, Starlight Theater and the Nelson Atkins teen battle of the bands where they took first place in 2018 as well as headlined and closed this year. They also appeared at the Sprint Center with the gospel choir, at the Big Slick and opened for national touring groups including the Greeting Committee, The Darbies and LA Guns, proving their style reaches a broad audience.
Armstrong says, “Our style combines a bunch of different stuff. We each have our personal style, but the songs we’ve written are kind of punk rock.”
“We like what Queen did, that everyone adds value and is credited with writing each song. With our singles, we’re just hanging with friends, putting stuff together and playing around with story ideas. We listen to everyone’s creative ideas, and it’s a big collaboration. I want everyone to feel ownership, so the entire band takes credit because we’re all in this together,” Matthews says.
Robert says, “QF to me is pretty straightforward rock, which is a TON of fun. There's just nothing like rock, so why try and change it?”
Matthews says, “Alt, punk, rock—our music style is all over the place. ‘Roommates’ and ‘Volcano’ are just plain fun! ‘Tear It Up’ has a bit of a harder edge—it’s a very personal release that helped us deal with a few people in our world that would have loved to have seen the band fail.”
“We’re sort of eclectic,” Gregory says. “One song is more pop-sounding, and one is pretty raw for us—it depends if it comes from a joke during songwriting or a personal thing we went through. I like that they're different.”
A Family Affair
Matthews says, “The entire process has grown into this big family affair. My sister helps with social media, Mom helps with bookings, Nate’s dad runs sound and his mom keeps us all in line. We’re all learning the business together, and everyone’s jumped in where needed. We all have a passion for music and want to work in the industry long-term. I think our work ethic, commitment to the process and drive at such a young age surprises a lot of people.
“At every show, we pause and take a moment to have Nate play the national anthem—he does an amazing job with it, and we tell our audience that we are going to take a moment to play this because my brother, Roscoe, is a Marine who is deployed on the U.S.S. Boxer, so we decided as a band to play it at every show until he comes home safe. He’s due back sometime around Christmas time. It’s just a little tradition we started that means a lot to me and my family.”
“For the future, I hope to see that next step, playing in front of hundreds of people and hearing people sing along with us,” Gregory says. "I want to go on a tour with a big name as their opener. Of course, yes, we want to be the one in lights, but everyone has to start somewhere—we’re just working hard to get there really fast.”
Armstrong says, “You never know what the future holds, but I’m hoping for lots of gigs and getting our songs out there. As for the big picture, I don’t think any of us knows yet—we’re hopeful.”
Matthews says, “I want to say a huge THANK YOU to our parents, siblings and friends who have supported, counseled and encouraged us on this wild ride. We don't know what the future holds, but we have learned to hold onto each other, believe in ourselves and our music. With our families and friends lifting us up, we can do anything!”
Listen to their three original songs on all streaming services and stay tuned for the release of their first EP. With more than four hours of music and an appeal to all ages and genres, book Quite Frankly for your next public or private event by contacting them directly at quitefranklytheband@gmail.com.
Upcoming Events
12/7/19 Limitless Brewing
12/27/19 Record Bar
1/4/20 Limitless Brewing
1/11/20 Jerry’s Bait Shop
2/1/20 Limitless Brewing
3/7/20 Jerry’s Bait Shop
4/10/20 Jerry’s Bait Shop
6/13/20 Jerry’s Bait Shop