INTRODUCING: Queen Cult
Some bands absolutely thrive on a live environment, with an in the moment feel that can be hard to capture. Three-piece rock outfit QUEEN CULT, based out of Macclesfield where the likes of JOY DIVISION, THE VIRGINMARYS and CASSIA have all spawned, offer a very bold, very distinct kind of sound. We caught up with front woman Maisie Johnson about their new EP For Now, Not Forever, preforming and creating an organic community around them.
With a strong political edge and a steadfast LGBTQ+ identity, QUEEN CULT instantly found themselves creating hard hitting, topical anthems to vent against the system. Their live shows have huge stage presence from their inception in 2018 to now have been a big draw for fans. That connection is also paramount to the experience for the band too. “Live shows are the part where we can really make the connection with people,” Maisie tells us. “The ultimate aim isn’t just enjoying the craft and process but to hopefully help be a voice or a musical outlet for others too. If you can help someone else understand themselves and their surroundings simultaneously, that’s a bonus.”
Being independent, QUEEN CULT do everything within the creation and distribution of their music. While they thrive in their work, it’s easy to overlook how exhausting that might be. “SO exhausting,” she agrees. “We have always kept full creative control, with a couple of collabs along the way with ‘It matters to me’ and ‘Better believe it’ which actually was very good from a song writing perspective to do. I learnt a lot from that for our own writes. A lot of bands will agree it’s hard to get your team right at first. And the way you work within the band too. We work endlessly towards making our live set sound better as well as in the studio!”
Their latest EP, For Now, Not Forever is brimming with attitude to rival the likes of NO DOUBT, PARAMORE and ROYAL BLOOD, with bold, hard rock sound and razor-sharp lyrics. Maisie’s writing has always been very open, with the process always appearing very open. Because of that, QUEEN CULT has inadvertently built a community that really feels supportive. “Honestly never really thought too much of it,” Maisie admits, “It almost felt naturally part of it, I couldn’t see it any other way. I’m an open book with that stuff, I like to be as me as possible, if that makes sense? At the same time, it doesn’t feel like an easy thing to keep up sometimes! We’re very lucky to have lovely supportive people around!”
With the EP just out and a tour ahead, QUEEN CULT’s latest work is their strongest yet and fans can’t wait to experience it live. When we asked about the writing process, Maisie notes, “it was a different approach with a couple of co-writes but I think it basically sums up this year. It’s a collection of very different songs, but sonically they still somewhat coincide with each other in some way. We’ve had such a transitional year and I feel it shows in the music too. We’ve adapted to change within ourselves and our music identity. It’s cleared the path for what’s ahead that’s for certain.”
QUEEN CULT are incredibly driven to make music that’s sustainable for them as people without burning out. “For a while now, we’ve all been looking at different ways to approach this as it’s only getting busier for us now,” she agrees. “And ultimately, we will have to find a way to fund or change our day to days for this to work, especially now it is harder. It’s not news that the industry is way more saturated now. And with streaming services calling all the shots and social media platforms dictating what’s popular or not, it doesn’t even come down to craft anymore. Which is sad. But the love for pursuing a career in music doesn’t just go away. So, you have to put these efforts in to know you at least tried and hope we can do it in a fulfilling way that feels true to us and the listeners.”
For Now, Not Forever is out now via self-release.
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