Q+A with Steve Queralt
Express delivery of fleeting shoegaze bliss — it’s “Messengers”, the latest release from Steve Queralt, featuring vocals from Verity Susman. The tune has all the feels and is over before you know it, leaving you longing for more of Verity’s voice.
🖤 those la la las buried deep in the dream noise 🖤
If you know me or have followed along with blank mood for awhile, you’ll know I’m a fan of Steve Queralt’s solo ventures in music the last few years. You’ll find his tune “Glitches”, a collaboration with Michael Smith, on episode 1 of the show. And yeah, that other band he’s in is pretty okay too.
Ahead of his debut solo album Swallow, Steve answered some of my questions about his solo work, his collaborators and what he’d like to change about the music industry for musicians and creatives. You’ll also find mentioned in this Q+A: Sara Nash, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, The Cult and an album that might make his year-end listening list. First we get the story on “Swiss Air” and “Lonely Town”, both collaborations with Sonic Cathedral label mate Emma Anderson.
Wendy
How did the songs "Lonely Town" and "Swiss Air" develop? What was your creative process?
After I decided I would try and make an album I went full on into writing. This mostly involved spending days on the laptop building tracks up from ideas on the bass or keyboard. I was aiming for to make an instrumental shoegaze/post rock kind of record, the kind I like to listen to where the guitars are the focus. I’m not sure I totally achieved that aim as there are still a lot of synths and keyboards on there. Once I had eight or so tracks it was obvious that some of the shorter tracks needed vocals but I’m not a singer and really don’t do lyrics so my search for a partner began.
The lyrics and vocal melodies of these two songs are by Emma Anderson… how did your collaboration with Emma start?
I approached Emma mistakenly remembering her as the lead singer in Lush. She laughed, politely corrected me and sadly declined. About a year later she got back in touch saying that she’d recently found her voice and was working on her own record. She mentioned that she’d be interested in listening to what I’d been doing so sent her the two tracks, “Swiss Air” and what became “Lonely Town”. Emma’s voice and gift for melody fitted perfectly and the tracks were soon turned into songs.
You've remarked that you were "going through another Joy Division stage" when you started "Lonely Town". What is it about Joy Division that motivates your own music making?
“Lonely Town” started with the drum track. I wanted it to sound like Steven Morris drumming on those seminal Joy Division songs. I chose to use a primitive drum machine sound and programmed a tight lo-fi metronomic beat with straight repetitive fills. Once I had that the bass part came really quickly and the rest took its own course. Whether I’m writing for myself, or Ride, Joy Division and New Order are never far away.
Swallow has been described as “beautifully brooding”. Is there a concept or theme that runs through the songs on the album?
Not really. It’s a collection of tracks which came together nicely over a period of time. I discarded a few tracks along the way because I didn't think they fitted with the overall sound that was forming.
How would you compare Swallow and Sun Moon Town in terms of their sounds, moods and themes?
Swallow is meant to be more guitar-based, leaning towards a more traditional shoegaze sound than Sun Moon Town. SMT is very indulgent. It has a more prog rock approach to it where each track builds slowly along with Michael’s words. In some ways I’m soundtracking his four stories whereas I think Swallow is a little more straightforward.
You've included a piece of a poem by Julie Sheldon on the album artwork of Swallow. Why have you chosen to include this on the album?
To be honest I struggle with poetry in general, but I stumbled across this one day and loved the simplicity of the message. At the time we were in the midst of the pandemic and were constantly being told by the authorities that we were all in this together. Not the case as it turned out. So many different sailing boats upon the stormy sea is such a great line and I’m thankful that Julie allowed me to use it.
Sara Nash has created videos for "Lonely Town" and your latest single “Messenger” featuring vocals by Verity Susman. It looks like the album art for Swallow is composed of Sara’s photography. Why did you choose Sara's work for the album and how did your collaboration with her develop?
I met Sara when Ride played in Melbourne last year. I had a few different ideas for the cover but when Sara’s “Smile” post came up on Instagram I got in touch with her to see if she’d be interested in letting me use it for the record. Sara agreed and we started working together. Her work has set the tone for the general aesthetic of the album which I think fits the mood perfectly.
Going back to "Swiss Air", which was first released as a split 7 inch with Emma Anderson as part of Sonic Cathedral’s 20th anniversary celebrations… the tune has a synth horn sound that really struck me when I first heard it. It reminded me of something that I could not place for a few weeks, and then it came to me. Am I right this sound carries through to "Lonely Town" a bit as well? And it's also somewhat present on the songs of Sun Moon Town? What's behind your choice of sound here?
I do have sounds that I frequently use and tweak so yes, it’s likely they appear on more than one track. Someone said a similar thing about “Swiss Air” suggesting it reminded them of “The Final Countdown” by Europe. Not quite what I was aiming for.
The songs of Sun Moon Town as originally released in 2022 are some of the most memorable and moving tunes for me in the last several years. They left a big impression on me during a period of personal turmoil. The instrumental versions of these songs deepened that impression - they are cinematically evocative, delicate. Perhaps what I like most about them is their moodiness, but that the moodiness has motion or movement in a direction, it carries you along rather than leaving you in a hole. Anyway, that was a long-winded way of saying thank you for those songs, in all their versions. What motivated the songs of the Sun Moon Town EP?
Perhaps it’s better not to know how or why and just accept how it sounds and what it means to you. Often, in my experience reading about a beloved song or an artist can change the way you listen and sometimes take away some of the magic that was there before.
Having said that, I was pleased with the way the four tracks came out and if I’m honest it was a very self-indulgent project. I found it refreshing to be able to work on something alone and not have to worry about the usual compromises of being in a band.
Your end-of-year listening list is one of my favourite things to read at the turn of the year. How has your musical taste changed over the years?
If anything, it’s narrowed. I used to say I was into all kinds of music but I’m not sure that’s true anymore. There’s a lot out there that I no longer understand or have the patience for. I’m still hungry for new music and enjoy listening through the new releases every week. I’m always in search of something new and special. My latest find is an album by Losonouncane about the war in Ukraine called Lirica Ucraina.
Your favourite song or detail about Depeche Mode's Black Celebration?
That’s tough. It’s an amazing record from the very start with the title track and “Fly On The Windscreen” kicking it off. I saw them on that tour, and it remains one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Of course, “Question of Lust” remains a very special song as well. That and Violator is all the Depeche Mode I need.
Your Bluesky profile says you are a 'music worker'. If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be, why, and who is best positioned to fix it?
I could go on about my fears of where the industry is heading and the dystopian future of what music might become but in simple realistic terms, most writers, musicians and creatives aren’t rewarded enough for their efforts. It sometimes feels like being a worker on the production line of a huge corporate music company. The streaming platforms have made it very difficult for artists at our level to exist. Live music has become our only lifeline and even that is being chipped away at. Having said that, I’m aware that I’m not owed a living but for a lot of artists I know making music has become a luxury hobby instead of what used to be a full-time endeavour. Who can fix it? No idea.
Is there someone or something that made a major difference for you or gave you an advantage during your music career?
We were in the right place at the right time when some influential record execs came to town. It all happened very fast after that. But the song that changed everything for me is “She Sells Sanctuary”. It changed my listening habits overnight.
Anything else your fans can expect to hear or see from you in 2025? Other releases or collabs, live shows, deluxe listening lists or a Steve Queralt Christmas jumper?
Who knows? Maybe. I’d love to play live at some point but putting a band together doesn’t work financially at the moment and just me with a bass and a laptop isn’t the most exciting proposition. I love making music and have started demoing some new tracks. I’m a long way off album two but the sketches are starting to come together.
Swallow is out June 13. But before you go watch Ian Astbury’s tight whites from 1985, make sure you’ve got Swallow headed your way on release day… there’s a t-shirt + vinyl bundle, and CD, available via Sonic Cathedral’s Bandcamp.
Thanks to Steve for the time he spent on these questions and to Nat for facilitating.
Somehow I still got into Ride’s show in Utrecht last month even after my “Final Countdown” comment last year. All the fingers crossed that Steve, with his bass and laptop, is the opening act for a Chapterhouse reunion show sometime before I’m too old to stand up for longer than 30 minutes at a show.