In this interview feature, we have a virtual pow wow with Queue discussing influences, the newest release and more.
Q&A, links and a stream of their album can be found below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
We’re currently split between Washington DC and Philadelphia. It’s hard to say what our style is, but I guess “Dream Rock” (??) would be most accurate. We draw heavy influence from 80s era new wave/post-punk (The Smiths, New Order, etc.), but we like to approach music from a more modern, contemporary perspective.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
Each of us has been involved in several different bands in the past, but we came together in college because we shared a common vision and intention with music. Every time we get together, the songwriting process is always so fluid and natural. In our experience, it’s rare to find musicians you can effortlessly collaborate with, so that’s something we’ve really been holding onto.
Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to your creativity?
We definitely have those shared iconic influences that we grew up with (think David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, The Smiths, Eddie Money); but we’ve also been really inspired by our friends, people we’ve played shows with, and bands that released singles at the same time as us. We’re really into Swimming Tapes, Ten Fe, our dudes Eighty Ninety, and Tall Heights at the moment.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
Frames is our debut EP, so we don’t really have anything to compare it to. I think the differences between this material and stuff we’ve put out in the past with other projects, is that we actively tried not to put our sound “in a box.” We weren’t reluctant or afraid to explore different sonic territories.
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
It almost goes without saying, but it’s hard to set yourself apart from the millions of other artists out there. There are so many bands at the same point in their careers as you, that are very talented – so in a fully saturated field, how do you get your music not just out there, but noticed? The flip side to that is you’re able to reach people that you’d never be able to otherwise. For us, the region that picked up on our music first was the UK. Not sure how that would have happened in any other time.
How do you feel about streaming services? Any romantic attachments to the physical formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs?
We were fortunate enough to be picked up by Spotify, and featured on their Fresh Finds playlist twice with our first two singles; so it’s really been a great tool for us to reach a wider audience. As for the physical formats, they’re definitely still near and dear to our hearts. Listening to a record is very much a personal, immersive experience between listener and artist, so pressing our records onto vinyl is definitely something we would like to do in the future.
Where can we follow you online and hear more music?
Facebook and Spotify are your best bet, though we have a bit of fun with Instagram.
- FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/queuetheband/
- SPOTIFY – https://play.spotify.com/artist/1ikSQE7RMlFfqFRvaLRpmB
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/queuetheband/
- Twitter – https://twitter.com/queuetheband
- Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/qcouldhappentoyou
- Bandcamp – https://queuetheband.bandcamp.com/releases
- Website – http://www.queuetheband.com/
Anything else before we sign off?
Thanks so much for talking with us!
