Meet Quinn Pokora

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Quinn Pokora. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Quinn below.

Quinn, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

Quinn Pokora- I think my work ethic stems from my mother. My early childhood she was a single mom that always provided for me and helped me pursue my interest. She wanted the best life for me, while also fostering my passions. She never let me see when she struggled and excelled at everything she did, while maintaining a healthy social and family life. It was extremely admirable and I look to her for inspiration to this day. I saw the work she put in into her life and the satisfaction that came out of it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Originating out of Chicago IL, Iris Blue combines catchy riffs, tasty drums, and melancholic melodies to create the perfect blend between a fun and pessimistic sonic.

Singer and guitar player Quinn Pokora and drummer Dave Catanese met while auditioning for another band. After a few practices Dave pulled Quinn over on the side of the highway and asked if he wanted to start a band. And just like that Iris Blue came to fruition. Fast forward 2 years and the two would become roommates and best friends.
After recording their first EP November 2022 “Entertainment Now” Dave and Quinn recruited their good friends Alec Montoya and Will Garza to start playing shows and writing music.

Drawing from bands like Manchester Orchestra, Microwave, Peach Pit, Backseat Lovers, Iris Blue takes inspiration from Indie, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Punk, and Blues. All these genres are showcased in their new EP “Over Promise, Almost Deliver”. and have plans to release three new singles this fall.

The band has played at some of their favorite venues across Chicago including, Foundation Room at House of Blues, Subterranean, and Chop Shop and now plays all over the Midwest. And in the last 6 months have been playing shows all over the Midwest.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Growing up I was an athlete and ending up playing college basketball. And what that taught be was preparation through repetition. When I was prepared that’s usually when I excelled, and that stemmed from reps. I was a shooter and in order to become a good shooter you needed to shoot. It sounds simple but without the discipline to get the reps in you won’t advance in your skill, or you’ll plato. I have carried that mindset to every field I’ve pursued. Whether that be music, a job, or building trying something new.

Compassion is another important pillar for me. I think that every situation in life can be approached through the lens of compassion. The most meaningful and impactful relationships in life have a baseline of compassion. When I reflect on my life, the conversations that have stuck with me are the ones that have met me with empathy and compassion. Sure, you remembered when you were bullied, and mistreated. But the ones that truly inspire and motivate are the ones of compassion. I hope to give that to my family, friends, and partner,

The last one would be discipline. I alluded to it in the first answer but I very much pride myself on my discipline. When my life is chaotic or it feels like it’s spinning out of control I think it’s important to have your routine and stick to it. Whether that is dedicating time to your art, both creating and absorbing. Or your health or your relationships. Making time for it and sticking by that will keep me grounded, even when I often feel I am not.

The advice I would give is try to meet everyone where they’re at. Pete Homes has a quote that says “If I were you… I’d be you” Meaning often people will project what they would do in a certain scenario, or tell you what they’d do if they were you. But the truth is everyone’s circumstance has lead them to be who they are. So, you have no idea why the person is acting a certain way, the best you can do is listen and try to meet them at where they are at.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

As a musician you experience high high’s and low low’s. We have sold out venues, we also played in front of two people. It’s a grind. The circle that you keep really helps with all that. Luckily, not only am I surround with talented musicians they’re also my best friends. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned to Dave during an anxiety attack, or called Alec at times when I’m feeling extremely low. It’s great to have a unit of friends where you can tackle this dream together. I also have amazing friends and family that not only support but are the first to lend a shoulder to lean on. They all help keep the main thing the main thing. And I think it’s lucky to come across people like that but it takes work to foster and keep those relationships. So let the ones you love know you love them. It’ll pay dividends when you’re feeling overwhelmed

Contact Info:

• Instagram: irisbluechicago
• Facebook: irisbluechicago
• Twitter: irisbluechicago
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@irisbluechicago
• Other: Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/5DvDUao3YCeAkNTtE87NwJ?si=HaTrmPmjRqe_g_KbNOmsCw

Image Credits

Eva Empleo

Luke Robinson