Qualia are far from your typical rock band – their sound is a bold and fascinating fusion of punk, rock, metal, and mathcore, creating a unique sonic identity that grabs your attention from the first note. Hailing from Greece, Qualia are set to bring their explosive energy to New Long Fest 2025 in Nea Makri. As Myth of Rock gears up for this year’s edition of the festival, we had the chance to sit down with the band for an in-depth and revealing interview – expect some surprising answers and plenty of insight into the world of Qualia!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
When, where, by whom and under which circumstances were you formed?
I (Markos) just asked the rest of the band a simple question: do you wish for eternal glory and unimaginable wealth? They all said yes, so I hired them. They wanted to nominate me for the Chemistry Nobel Prize because of the unbreakable bond I created. Jokes aside, we were formed in Athens, in 2017 as a mix of old schoolmates and bandmates. We shared two things in common: our love for music and an inability to concentrate on anything for more than 10 seconds.
How did you select your band name?
It is quite a long story. We wanted to find something that was unique but also something that would encompass all our personalities. Believe us when we say that there were not many candidates. Nevertheless, we managed to find the perfect one, “Qualia”. A Latin word indicating the subjective or qualitative properties of experiences. Unfortunately, the name was already taken so we did a very mature brainstorming and editing and made it truly unique.
Have you any got official releases? If yes, can you give us all the info about these releases?
Certainly! We’re counting two LPs and one single, which are:
# Qualia over Quantia (2018, LP): Our debut release, and our breakthrough into the technical skate punk scene. The album’s youthful energy is highly apparent through fast tempos, intricate riffing & odd math meters, all layered by Grigoris’s vocals which bring coherence to the underlying madness. The desire to push our musical boundaries is evident, and remains to be an ambition in our songwriting still.
# Me, Myself and Maybe Some of You (2020, Single): A single that emerged after an obligatory hiatus due to studies abroad, partially stifled by the burden of our country’s universal conscription, all the while undergoing the great quarantine of our times. If not a cry to have our voices heard, it marks a new direction composition-wise by tweaking the first album’s formula with a more math-rock sound, while keeping our quintessential skate punk elements and catchy vocal lines.
# Accidentally Funding the End of the World (2025, LP): Our latest and greatest, a record that stares straight into the polluted heart of modern existence. The album digs into PFAs, BPAs, PCBs, heavy metals, microplastics, and the toxic legacy we keep burying ourselves in. It’s not just about environmental rot, it’s about the mental and physical decay we live through every day under the weight of endless consumerism and material obsession. At its core, it’s about being human, about still choosing to love, to talk, to reach out — even when everything feels poisoned — to achieve connection in the middle of collapse.
How would you define your music style? Which are your main music influences?
Well, in two words it’s punk rock. In many more, it’s fast, heavy, harmonic and chaotic simultaneously. We try to blend elements of punk, rock, metal and math. The purpose is simple: why listen to different songs, when you can have them all at once? Like a cocktail, it tastes better and it hits you harder. A colorful note for every mood, an adrenaline shot if you should. Our main influences come from the new school American scene, including names such as Bad Religion, Protest the Hero, Propagandhi, Mars Volta, NOFX etc.
Who are the ones who write your music and lyrics? How is usually a song of yours written?
Most of the songs are written by Grigoris and me (Markos). It usually starts with an initial idea, and then we work together to shape the material into its final form. As for my own approach, I like to combine smaller parts into something more complex. Rather than relying on improvisation, the process feels more like assembling a puzzle—carefully fitting pieces together until the result sounds coherent and satisfying.
Where do your lyrics refer to? Do you try to convey any messages through your songs?
Our lyrics explore the dissonance of modern existence, environmental collapse, digital numbness, consumer addiction, and the quiet despair beneath daily life. The themes often deal with contamination. Literal and metaphorical. We aim to hold a mirror to the systems we live in, while also expressing the struggle to stay human, connected, and emotionally present in a world designed to distract and exhaust us.
How would you describe the Greek rock/metal music scene?
The Greek rock and metal music scene is quite diverse, with bands representing almost every subgenre. From classic heavy metal to thrash and black metal, from hardcore punk to pop punk. There’s a lot of talent, and many bands are producing high-quality music with their own identity. However, compared to a decade ago, the scene today feels less unified within each subgenre with a few exceptions. You don’t really see major local scene-driven live shows anymore, like four strong thrash metal bands (random genre example) playing together in one big event, each with its own character but forming a cohesive scene. Instead, bands tend to operate more independently, often touring abroad on their own or opening for international acts when they play in Greece, rather than participating in unified local showcases that highlight and support an entire subgenre.
How do you make band decisions (as a band or is there a leader)?
Since the forming of the band, we have never changed members. We always respect each other and always make decisions as a band. We have faced several difficult periods but having no leader has kept us healthy and together. As in every relationship we cannot agree on everything but being in an odd number band majority rules.
Which are your band ambitions and goals?
Our main ambitions are to further establish our signature sound in everything we create, making it instantly recognizable and unique. We also aim to become an active part of the European scene by touring and playing at festivals across the continent. Another major goal is to release our third album, which will complete the “cookie album trilogy” we’ve been building with our previous records.
Which is your motto in life?
Praise the Sun and eat cookies.
What do you think about the use of AI in music?
As with the use of generative AI in all forms of art that can be digitally represented, it is evident that the best one can do with it is to create content that resembles an artist’s preexisting work, though lacking the definitive drive of one’s expression of thoughts and emotions through the exercise of talent, which is what defines art as we know it. We deliberately overlook its use for content that falls under a fair use policy — think memes, for example — but anything more should be held reprehensible as it is built upon the uncountable of hours all artists in humanity’s timeline have contributed to shape art as we know it today, all the while being given zero credit for said contributions, figuratively or otherwise.
Digital or analog? Vintage or modern? What do you prefer?
Our live sound leans heavily toward an analog approach, no digital plugins, plastic sounding productions, or fake amps. We focus on keeping things authentic and organic. That said, our overall production isn’t raw in the way ’90s punk often was. It’s a bit more polished to ensure clarity, especially since our music includes technical parts that need to come through precisely. At the same time, we balance that with vintage elements, like choruses built on simple chords and the use of a guitar synth pedal, that add a nostalgic, old-school character to our sound.
How important are live shows/concerts for you? Which are the characteristics of your live performances?
Live concerts are very important for us since they are the only way to build a connection with your audience and finally be able to feel the music on a bigger room than your average studio. We always try our best to showcase our skills while maintaining an energetic set.
You are participating in New Long Festival 2025! Which are your feelings about it?
Definitely excited to be part of a fest that we believe serves as a landmark in the Greek alternative / extreme sound scene. We have been in the crowd for several years and its really exciting to finally be able to see the view from the stage. Be sure to come and reach out!
Send your message to the readers!
If you feel overwhelmed, like the world’s falling apart and nobody’s paying attention, you’re not alone. Qualia is about facing the chaos with honesty, noise, poetry, and stubborn hope. Keep feeling. Keep trying. Burn down what poisons you. Stop feeding the mouths of misconceptions. We’re in this mess together, and music is how we scream, dream, and rebuild.
