Music that’s unique, honest, and sticks in your head is music that ticks all of our boxes. That’s exactly what we found in the music of Dallas trio, Quiet, Please.
Putting our awestruck fangirlishness to the side, we wanted to know all there was to know about these guys and their music. We also invite you to have a ‘live listen’ of their EP; An Attempt At Finding Myself, as we pose thoughts and questions inspired by each track. Here’s what we found out about the band, their music, their beliefs relating to music, and more.
Who Are Quiet, Please?
“Who is in Quiet, Please and what does he do?” (bonus points for getting the reference.. ;))
We caught your reference (; The members of the band are vocalist, pianist and ukulelesist? [That’s definitely a word – DepthMag], Brice Griffith, drummer Kevin McMinimy, and bassist Dominik Montez.
Quiet, Please, as an individual entity, is our creation to convey a message of hope. We just want people to know that they are not alone and are not as crazy as they may think.
How long have you guys been playing music?
Kevin and Brice have been playing ukulele, piano, and drums for about two and a half years, and Dom just recently picked up the bass within the last few months. We have been playing music together for about a year and a half.
How did you get into music in the first place?
Music has always been a huge part of our lives, and has helped us through the biggest obstacles in our lives. We wouldn’t be where we are today without music, and as a band we want to do the same thing for others.
Let’s Listen to An Attempt At Finding Myself
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/298120857″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]Playing an old record is a very cool way to start a song and an album. Is it intended to set the scene?
Well, we made a trip to a record store a while ago and bought a big box of old records for 10 dollars. When we got home we grabbed one of the records, listened to the first song, and messed with the playback speed on the record player. The idea to use it to start “Flowers” hit us shortly after that, and it stuck ever since.
The light guitar sound (of “Flowers”) has us hooked. As does the vocals approach of spoken word and virtually telling a story.
The “light guitar sound” is actually a hard body electric ukulele. Vocally, the song does tell a bit of a story, and we like the idea of all of our listeners interpreting the song in unique and individual ways.
How do you create something so unique and stick to it in the face of being ‘weird’/’different’? Where do you feel that line is; of creating for acceptance versus doing it uniquely as yourselves. Asking for a friend.
For us, music is the place to be both weird and different. We write songs that help us get through bad days and nights with hopes that we can reach people who feel similarly. As far as we are concerned, there is no “line” that defines originality, and widespread acceptance is not something we are overly concerned with. We just make what we want to hear.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/298120705″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]“Sign” feels like a struggle. Like I hold my breath a little when I hear it. Was music something that helped you in the past?
“Sign” most definitely conveys a struggle, and music is most definitely something that has helped all three of us in the past. We don’t know where we’d be without it.
It’s a dark song with a happy electro beat. Do you guys tend to listen to music like that? (i.e. pop punk)
We listen to an extremely wide variety of music. Pop punk is definitely something we listen to often, but we love music in general. There is not too much we don’t listen to.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/298120822″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]“Way Too Deep” is a favourite. Even before the vocals start it feels so honest and “here I am”. It’s grander of sound compared to the other tracks, has a bigger ballad feel with space given for the instruments to ‘speak’. What’s this one mean to you?
“Way Too Deep” is very much an honest song. The heavy chords make the song hit hard, and the lyrics are very personal which ties it all together. Each of us takes a different message from this song, but we all agree that it’s about acceptance of being in way over your head but finding a way to power through and see the possibilities that the future holds.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/298121477″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]“Only Thing” is such a sweet sound and comfortable beat. Ukulele yes?
“Only Thing” is played on a ukulele and has a personal feel to it, as does most of our music. The simplicity allows the song to speak for itself and its vibe is relatively peaceful. It offers somewhat of a break from the rest of the EP’s deep, emotional, heavy hitting tracks.
Agreed.
I love the rush on syllables in the chorus, like a rush to have the last word. How do you build your songs? What seems to come first?
Building our songs is always different. Sometimes we get lyrics first and sometimes we will jam out something and get it recorded and have a whole song laid down before we even think about words. The only consistent factor of our song building is the amount of effort we put in. We keep playing with each song until it’s exactly the way we want it and we feel we’ve made it as good as it can be.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/298121579″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]“Note” is so funky, for such a dark song. Loving that melody and how real the piano sounds. Was this a tough one to make?
“Note” was actually the first song we ever wrote, and as one would expect it took quite a while to get it how we wanted it. Each aspect of the song took months in the making, and it all came together piece by piece, making the song what it is.
“Life is a gift so let’s live it well”
The last minute of “Note” is so beautiful to me..
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/298121346″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]“My Ship Is Sinking, I Should Probably Learn To Swim”. What a title. Was writing this cathartic? It says some really powerful things that a lot of us think but don’t necessarily say or put into words.
This song was a very cathartic song to write. I actually remember this one so clearly, I nailed down some chords and then put a drum beat behind them, turned on a mic and just started speaking my thoughts and what I felt. Then we all made it what it is today. This is actually one of my favorite tracks.
“I want to make something you hear
And be like ‘Hey that sounds like art!'”
As a band with a title on your EP like An Attempt At Finding Myself, it seems like a creation for your own healing/growth. But I can see it would resonate deeply with many. Do you get feedback along those lines from fans?
The title for us is that music has taught us so much. When we first started this band it was after we had lost all our passions for the other things we had done (hockey, wakeboarding etc) and music was a reach to find something new. Now not only has it taught us so much about ourselves and each other, its made us feel purposeful, like what were doing means something to somebody, like we’ve found who we truly are. As for the fans we want it to mean something to them. Whatever that may be.
How have your live shows been going? What’s your favourite part of performing live?
Our live shows are what we live for. We leave everything we have on stage and make our shows as entertaining and genuine as we possibly can. Engaging the crowd and watching them experience and react to our creation is something that will never get old, and we hope we can bring our live show around the country soon.
What is coming in the future for Quiet, Please?
New music, music videos, merch, tours, shows, and many more things like this can all be expected!
Anything else you’d like to share?
When we put out An Attempt At Finding Myself on December 16, we weren’t really sure what to expect. We are completely blown away by how much positive feedback we’ve received and couldn’t be more thankful for everyone who has supported us.
Thanks so much Brice, Dominik and Kevin for taking the time to answer some questions for us. We’ve loved An Attempt At Finding Myself and are already looking forward to more music from Quiet, Please and watching what you do next. You’ve got really big things ahead, we can feel it.
Connect with Quiet, Please to keep up to date with what they’re up to:
Website: https://quietpleaseband.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/quietpleaseband
