QU!ET Talks About Inspirations, Goals and Tour Plans

Photo Credit: Holly Turner

AUTHOR: Lily Hinden

How did you form the band & what inspired you to make music together?

AJay: The band started out as Mike’s own solo project back in 2015. We both met at a mutual friend’s birthday party and we started talking about Muse. We swapped numbers and he messaged me the week after I think, asking if I wanted to jam. I went over his place and he showed me some of the stuff he was working on and asked if I wanted in. A year later we ended up getting Juli and it’s been the three of us ever since.

How long have you been touring?

Mike: Until recently, we honestly have not felt that we are ready to go out yet. We needed to make sure that we were making good music that not only our fans enjoy, but that we enjoy it too. And it needed quality production.

Do you enjoy touring or does it have some difficulties?

Mike: Ask us that question again later in 2020, I’ll give you a good answer!

Who writes the songs? Are there general themes/topics that you write about?

AJay: All three of us do. We try to do everything in an equal, collaborative manner. There are some songs where one of us will have more control on the direction, but we always make an effort to listen to each other’s ideas and try to implement them in a way that is best for the song. So far a majority of what we’ve written has a darker vibe but we don’t make it a point to limit ourselves to just one thing. We basically do whatever we’re feeling.

Do you write lyrics or track instruments first? (related) What is the music making process like?

Juli: Well, when one of us has an idea, we build on it. It can start with either a chord progression, a riff, or a drumbeat. We usually try to finalize the instrumentals first and try to get to the lyrics afterwards and we keep working on the song until we’re all happy with it.

Who are your biggest inspirations, musically or in general life?

Mike: Muse’s Matt Bellamy is the reason I am the musician I’ve become. He made me become more social through his music when I wanted to play in bands. I forced myself to interact with more people than ever. As far as my life’s inspirations, pretty much anyone that fought in World War II. I’ve been a reenactor/historian my whole life, and stories from people like Ronald Spiers (Band of Brothers) and Louis Zamperini (Unbroken) have set my life’s values, and get me through challenges in everyday life.

AJay: What really got me into music when I was a kid was stuff like Green Day, Foo Fighters, Helmet and a whole bunch of other bands. At this point in my life though, I don’t really look up towards anyone anymore, and I’m not really sure why. It’s not because I don’t like those bands anymore, I still do. Maybe it's just a part of me growing older. Who knows.

Juli: My biggest inspiration when it comes to music has been Cher. She's the reason I'm the woman I am today. I base my stage presence and my attitude towards life from her. She has been the basis of everything I do. I have many different influences when it comes to music such as PVRIS, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper etc. My list can go on forever but I grab inspiration from many different artists based on the music I'm writing.

What is your goal as an artist?

Mike: Since we began to take ourselves seriously in our early days, it’s always been about having fun making music together, and sharing it with as many people as we possibly can. The end-goal is to have the ability to travel and perform our music to make it heard.

Are there any bands/artists who you would like to collaborate with?

Mike: I get this question a lot, and it changes depending on who I’m listening to at the time, but I would love to write a song with Chris Martin from Coldplay. He comes off as a very nice and easy going person, and he’s a big influence of mine. Making music with him would probably be fun!

AJay: Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. He knows how to create an atmosphere with music and I wouldn’t mind learning a thing or two from him.

Juli: I've never really thought about it before. I mean I know personally who I would want to collab with. Right now I think I would love to collab with The 1975 I've been listening to a ton of their music. I love how every album is so different from the last and that's just like what we do. Depends on who I'm listening too.

How did you start promoting your band and getting noticed?

Mike: I used to work for a booking company that promotes bands. I learned a lot from the lead promoter, and I applied that knowledge to growing this band. We did our best to make our social media look presentable with an exciting feed. And supporting our friends bands would go a long way because they would come see us perform too. It’s all about making a community around your band. The more we networked and made friends, it raised attendance at our shows.

What are you trying to emulate through your music? Is it a form of self expression?

Juli: I think in a way, our music is a form of self expression. Between the three of us we find certain topics that we want to get off our chests, things that we think other people are thinking, feeling, experiencing, and we put it in our music to give people something to relate to.

What advice do you have for people trying to form their own bands and have their music gain popularity?

Mike: Always remember that the most important thing is to simply enjoy what you’re doing, and that you’re making good music that resonates with people. If you can successfully master those things, then start playing out. Build yourself a foundation of fans, and learn your own strengths and weaknesses before you try to make any power moves in the industry. Understand your own purpose.

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