Bristol-based composer, conductor, and instrumentalist Joe Galuszka returns with the release of his deeply moving new single 'The Quiet Was Loud', the first offering from his forthcoming EP 'Fractures'.
Blending ambient neoclassical textures with cinematic weight, the track is a poignant reflection on grief, memory, and emotional transformation. Originally penned on a train journey home to see his father for their first Christmas together in over a decade, 'The Quiet Was Loud' shimmers with wintry melancholy, featuring Joe’s delicate piano work, bells, glockenspiel, and rich string accompaniment from members of Bristol Ensemble.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I think that would probably be the organ or piano. My grandad in Derby I recall would always be playing away at the ‘rock organ’ when we went to visit him in the summer holidays and he would either have The Carpenters out on the stand, Debussy’s Clair de Lune, or Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. I remember once as a young boy sneaking in to the room once wanting eagerly to play it, before activating the pedals rather loudly- I don’t think Granny was impressed! Probably later on all the brass instruments, and percussion , but in the early days it would have to be Grandad’s rock organ/piano!
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Well, it’s a good question, and I’m torn, as from a very young age, whilst my parents were still together, I’d be drawn to listening to their joint vinyl collection, in the loft – whilst I was 3 or 4 years old (I faintly recall!) ; that might be jazz, classical or Incognito’s 1992 cover of ‘Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing’. But I think I went through a lot of discovery when I was 12 I thought I was a rapper as I arrived at secondary school ( the next Eminem!) when I was 16 I was listening to My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy, as an avid keyboardist, and then at 18 arriving at university in Canterbury , it was all the tuba concertos, classical music by Shostakovich, and a plethora of brass band and big band music- so forever diverse!
What was the first album you remember owning?
Oooff.. well. I think that would have been Now That’s What I Call Music 48- many NOWs ago! But I did have a vinyl of Fatboy Slim’s ‘Right Here Right Now’, and I think my first CD was probably the music from the FIFA World Cup 1998, which was a recording of a singer singing Gabriel Faure’s Pavane- that really inspired me to look more into classical music for sure as a young boy!
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
So written myself? It would be Chopin’s Raindrop Prelude. Whilst Fractures features a tribute to his Prelude in E minor, I know a lot of his works had such raw emotion in and tells the story of Chopin’s despair and hope during a stormy winter , with his lover, George Sand, that persistent, rhythmic A-flat note mimicking the sound of rain and too for Chopin's fear of drowning and death, transformed by Sand's narrative into music reflecting inner turmoil and eventual calm.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
So it can often be quite different, given the medium or genre, or forces. For a lot of my brass band and orchestral music, it often needs to be a cultural event , current affairs or news item sometimes that prompts me to then explore new musical ideas. But for writing ambient music and soundtracks it can be the smallest of habits, just being in a very empty place , emotionally and physically, at the piano , and coming up with that idea out of nothing. I’m a bit of a night owl so I often like the idea of writing stuff in the middle of the night IF the idea is there, and feels right, capturing that in paper form, or on software if I can justify loading the computer back up at the early hour!
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I think I’ve found myself revisiting rather strangely the music of Einaudi. As a teenager, whilst it was always treated with some stigma for being ‘easy to play’ piano music, I would relish the beauty in the simplicity of his chord progressions, and how the purity in it would wash over me. I really enjoyed his latest album, The Summer Portraits, but also love re-exploring the works of Roberto Cacciapaglia, a very talented Italian composer and pianist. It’s also true I’ve stumbled across Kjartan Sveinsson’s Teil I, which has come up at the top of my Spotify Unwrapped for 2025. As a former member of Sigur Ros, there is something in the spaciousness of his opera ‘Der Klang der Offenbarung des Gottlichen’, that I find so haunting and has arguably steered me to write the album ‘Fractures’ as I have this year myself.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Open a show? I think it’d have to be Shostakovich. Dmitri was arguably as an undergraduate one of my favourite composers to study , and explore the music of, but also the why. Why did he write the music he did? So I’d want to open a show for him , to get his reaction to my music, were he to be alive today. I think a composer gleans a lot from another, certainly someone who wrote so deeply from the heart and conjured up the challenges of their time. Shostakovich wrote music about politically sensitive subjects, reflecting life under Stalin and challenging Soviet norms through powerful storytelling and hidden meanings. When I’m gone, I’d like my music to be seen as something that tested the norms, that evoked the emotions of many , and depicted the raw passion that make people gravitate towards the music of our time.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
It has to be working with people. All through my career to date, I’ve had the luxury particularly as a conductor to meet people from all walks of life, across the UK but also further afield, and lead various orchestras, choirs, bands, and school ensembles, and inspire the future generations as well as those revisiting music later in their prime. It connects people to music. It gives people purpose. Validation. Hope. And for that I’m truly grateful to be often in the driving seat or at the front, bringing people together. In a world of turbulence and uncertainty, the one constant is the power of music. To bring people together in a world that seems to advocate division more and more each day.
And what is the most frustrating part?
That’s a difficult question. I think the difficulty is only in keeping strength internally . For all of life’s challenges, music has sometimes been a sanctuary when times are tough. And so sometimes loneliness can seep into the picture where long days of composing or working with groups lead you through a sometimes solitary way of life. So I guess it’s probably in short, the often multiple jobs you have to balance these days to make it as a freelance musician. But I wouldn’t want to use the word ‘frustrating’ . Fractures is all about resilience , and in a way there’s a sweet irony to how despite all these challenges, I still go on, and wouldn’t do anything differently. I always wanted to make a living as a musician and was always led to believe it was a farcical idea. Now today, I can say proudly that music is my livelihood, and my livelihood is music. So no, frustrating , no. Rewarding, hard work, resilience-testing. They would be better words.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Hahaha. Keep going. It’s so cliché isn’t it? But there is a beauty to keeping at something in any industry, any sector, any job or career. But it has to be that. It’s so easy for us to give up. In any profession. And the up and coming generation are finding this now even more so in this dynamic and changing world. But I’d say that is the best, be resilient, and believe in yourself . Tick off the things you are doing well at, and celebrate them. Sometimes I don’t always live by these rules I preach myself, but it is so important. As it’s the artists that hack at it every day, day in, day out, that have gone far. So we are all on a journey. And we should never disparage others- and when people do, it normally says more about them than yourself. So keep going! To any young musician, I would say believe. Ignore the noise. Go for it! It'll be worth it!
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Joe Galuszka's new single 'The Quiet Was Loud' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.