Alt rock group QU!ET’s newest single titled “There’s No Escape” is set to release February 11th on all platforms. This New York based group of vocalists combine each of their musical talents to craft a unique sound that is unlike anything in the current industry. The trio is exactly what punk and rock music enthusiasts should be looking for, with a message that demands to be heard.
The new single explores the complications and pain of a heartbreak as experienced in this day in age. In a society run by social media, breakups are often put on full display, and it can be near to impossible to heal from a heartbreak when your feed is flooded with posts that do nothing but pull you back into a place of misery. The concept to “There’s No Escape” is more relevant than ever in our world, and each listener could relate to the struggles depicted by the trio’s introspective lyricism.
QU!ET was first put together in 2016 by Michael Scarabino, Whiskey Moonshine, and Juliana Pitto. Ever since their debut single release of “Fever Dream” back in 2019, the band has been praised for their impressive musicality and refreshing creativity. Since then, the band has put out several other singles that have landed them on the Alternative Press Discover Playlist along with features in several other publications.
The band has an innate ability to express their distinct personalities through their music, importing each of their unique musical perspectives into the songs that they write. QU!ET is truly a punk rock powerhouse, and they have made themselves known in the Long Island music scene for their striking sound. The group is known for their electric performances, making them stand out with passionate and energetic shows. Over their time as a band, they have shared the stage with iconic artists such as Dirty Heads, The Front Bottoms, and Less Than Jake. As a band made up of three singers, their songs fill your ears with three part harmonies, implementing each of their eccentric tones to offer something for every listener.
“There’s No Escape” marks the band's first release since the start of quarantine, and they are charging back into the spotlight as put-together as ever. They have each grown immensely as musicians over the past few years, and fans can be excited for QU!ET’s strong return. The group has a lot planned for the near future, so be prepared for new music and performance announcements from the trio very soon!
Scroll down to pre-save QU!ET’s newest single “There’s No Escape” and read the full interview with Michael and Juliana!
This must be a really exciting time for you all with the upcoming release, how are you feeling at the moment? Talk me through what is going through your head as you approach the release date.
Michael: We’re very excited for sure, but also super relieved in a way. “There’s No Escape” was written a little over 4 years ago, because of lockdown, there was a time where we thought this song would never come out, so it’s amazing to finally see it being announced and promoted! It will feel like a breath of fresh air when it comes to recording even newer music!
This will be your first release since the pandemic, how do you feel that you have changed as artists since before Coronavirus? Why are you releasing music now?
Juliana: I can say we definitely grew as artists in many different ways individually. Personally, I think I’ve grown as a lyricist and a songwriter in general. While the pandemic was going on, it really pushed me to start my own solo project and really push myself as a musician. It’s been about 2 years since we last released music and we have wanted to put out this music for a very long time.
Michael: I feel very on point with what Juliana said. I feel that as a band, we came out on the other side as a stronger group than ever. We pay huge attention to the smallest detail in everything we work on, including songwriting, performing, live production, and more! We’re finally able to release music now because we needed to do what we felt made sense to make sure that these songs were sounding their best!
"We pay huge attention to the smallest detail in everything we work on, including songwriting, performing, live production, and more"
Can you walk me through the creative process of writing/producing “There’s No Escape?”
Michael: It was quite a journey! At first we had an instrumental that we liked, but there were things about the performance of each instrument that we just weren’t feeling. With months out to 2 years of trial and error, we eventually found a way to get the energy we wanted out of the song! We brought in a piano to double with the guitar, tweaked the bassline and drum beats in some sections, worked a little harder with vocal harmonies, and more! About a month before we recorded it, was when we felt that the song was good enough to be considered final. It aged well through recording, we even added an impromptu section at the very end while we recorded the piano in the studio, I didn’t see that coming! We added more synths, and I threw my wallet and car keys on the floor of the studio live room, added lots of reverb to it, and that gave us a creepy sounding outro. We learned a lot about what we want or don’t want in our music from producing this song!
If you could sum up this single in 3 words, what would they be?
Michael: Dark, confused, afraid.
Juliana: Dark, mysterious, serious.
In such a competitive industry, it can be hard for artists to keep up with their own mental health. What kind of things do you do or practice to keep yourself grounded and relieve stress?
Michael: As a singer, I do breathing exercises before I do my warmup regiment for singing. And that’s like my own way of meditating. You NEED to breathe if you want to sing well, and I take staying in good shape very seriously, so singing everyday is a great way to keep me in line. There’s so many other things an artist needs to handle, such as how we communicate with our fans, engagement, social media, and then of course your craft! Prioritizing everything is key. I think it’s important for everyone to keep in mind that life moves on, so if you find a way to manage your time, it can be very easy to enjoy life while working hard!
Juliana: Well as a musician one of the main ways I relieve stress is by listening to music. I take my mental health very seriously because it has been something I always struggled with. In the world we live in today, it’s very easy for one to become depressed, and that's a struggle I deal with on a daily basis. Playing music and writing songs definitely helps with stress. I also have been in therapy for years, going to those sessions helps a lot.
How did you guys decide that you wanted to start a band together?
Michael: In 2015, I actually started the project as a solo artist at first! I was in another band for a little while, but I didn’t like my role JUST playing guitar. I wanted to start a project that would allow me to play guitar/piano, and get me to the front of the stage and sing. I didn’t feel accomplished after a show if I didn’t feel that I got to leave all of my energy on stage. So little by little, I met Juliana and Whiskey, and we all had similar wants on stage. It wasn’t long before we developed this band to be what QU!ET is today, and I’m happy we got there!
Juliana: In 2016 I was looking to see if anyone was looking for a drummer. I met Michael and Whiskey through the Long Island Musicians group on Facebook. That first day we played together, we clicked! Turns out we all had the same goals and wanted to make this our life. I’m happy QU!ET got to where we are now.
You guys have played with some iconic names in the music industry and punk rock scene. Do you have a favorite experience or moment in your career that sticks out in your memory?
Michael: Totally! We once performed a showcase with a band called XEB, the original members of Third Eye Blind! I got to chat with Arion Salazar who is the bassist. He was a super nice guy, and was so easy to talk to about music and more! To watch him and his band play after we’d just opened for them was super awesome. I felt like I got a good taste of what being in a community of good artists was like, the whole night was a pleasure to be a part of, and we still keep in touch!
Your genre-defying sound as a band is so original due to the crossover of your distinct individual talents. Do you actively try to avoid getting categorized into a specific genre?
Michael: Wow, it actually sounds cool to hear you say that about us, thanks! I feel that as we continue to write our music, we do the best we can to create sounds and melodies based on what we think connects to listeners the best. And that can come along by any means necessary. The most important thing to me is that each song sounds like it's by QU!ET. And we’ve definitely written enough music by now to have a good idea of what that should sound like.
"The most important thing to me is that each song sounds like it's by QU!ET. And we’ve definitely written enough music by now to have a good idea of what that should sound like."
If you could collaborate with any artist or group for a song, who would it be?
Michael: At the moment, I think I’d love to work on a song with Jordan Fish from Bring Me The Horizon! I’ve always found him to be very experimental on every track he works on, and that’s kind of how we approach most of our music lately. I think that would be a great fit if that were to happen one day!
The energy that you guys have when performing on stage is so electric, do you pull inspiration from any artists or bands when playing live?
Michael: Definitely! My earliest inspiration would be from Muse’s Matt Bellamy. Before I even took playing guitar seriously, the way he moves on stage struck me at a very impressionable age, and that’s never worn off! But as for our production, living in New York, it's impossible to not be inspired by the tons of shows we see around the city! So whenever we see bands live like Pvris, Lights, Dance Gavin Dance, or The Aces, we’ll always come up with an idea for our live show. We’ll watch the way they play, or I’ll gaze at the gear and how it’s being used, and eventually we learn better ways to manage on stage.
What do you hope people walk away gaining from your music? Is there something that you hope to promote to your audience through your songs?
Michael: I hope that anyone who sees us, walks away feeling like they miss something when they’re no longer listening, nor in the same room with us. We’re all about creating music that builds up to one peak after the other, so I hope that we can create a moment for anyone at any given time that gives an escape from their current state. When the music is out, it’ll always be there, so that feeling in the moment can always be there.
"I hope that we can create a moment for anyone at any given time that gives an escape from their current state."
Do you guys have any performances or other projects coming up in the near future for fans to be excited for?
Michael: We’re releasing an EP this spring! “There’s No Escape” is part of that record. Otherwise, we’re going back to the studio in a couple weeks to record newer songs, and we’ll start hitting stages in the Northeast of the US real soon!
How do you see this band and yourselves individually evolving down the line? Where do you see yourselves 5 years from now?
Michael: As long as we never forget our purpose and continue working on what we love most, I can see QU!ET 1-2 full length albums deep in 5 years, and perhaps a national tour or two in the books as well! Maybe even go international if it makes sense too, I can’t wait to just keep working!
Click the links below to pre-save "There's No Escape", available for streaming on February 11th. Make sure to follow the band on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to stay updated with their latest projects. Check out QU!ET's Youtube channel and website to learn more about the group and view additional content!
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