A Dirty Dozen with QUESTA – November 2026

Photo credit: Hannah Zimmerman

According to a recent press release: “Rising creative force QUESTA has released his dreamy new pop rock single and music video “SHE GAVE ME.” Juxtaposing dark lyrics with joyful melodies to capture a toxic relationship fueled by control, “SHE GAVE ME” explores the imbalance of a one-sided relationship. Drawing inspiration from the dystopia of A Clockwork Orange, the Freudian, tongue-in-cheek visual follows QUESTA as he undergoes intense conditioning to become a better person – someone completely different from who he really is.” We get Questa to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about “SHE GAVE ME.” What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

“She Gave Me” starts by explaining (through a Freudian lens) all of the positives of a failed relationship: the various “gifts” my ex-partner provided me with that I was unable to reciprocate. However, by the chorus, we realize that these gifts come with a cost, hence the lyric “but the milk, it was never free.” It explains the notion that perhaps there is no such thing as unconditional love. That said, my last line in the song is the real story “She gave me all of my love that I could never give.” Essentially, I complain about this being a relationship where my ex-partner’s love came with a cost but, in reality, that price was just my reciprocation of love, which I was unable to give back due to my immaturity.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I was coming off of an off-Broadway musical that ended opening week due to COVID. I found myself trapped in my home but with a pent-up energy to sing, write, and perform. Given the pandemic, I didn’t have much else to do other than write and the soul of music overtook me. It was during that time that I wrote my first songs and produced my first collection of work that started my independent music career. Ever since, I’ve been pursuing music under the name QUESTA.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I admire old rock that does not necessarily adhere to the cliche sound of “rock and roll” like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Lou Reed, etc. I also love newer melodic groups and artists like Radiohead, The Strokes, and Mac DeMarco that play with that same idea of guitar-driven rock but in a dreamy, melodic format.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

My current hero is Thom Yorke. I love the way he blends the haunting with the beautiful. I don’t think a lot of artists live on that cusp, but that sort of approach is something I am trying to emulate in my own work and he’s the absolute king of that.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio?  What do you like to do to unwind?

Most recently, exercise has been a great tool for me outside of making music that helps me lock in later. Sometimes I feel bound with energy, and if I am able to expel that energy in a healthy, physical way that lets me focus later, I’m better off in my work.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Alternative indie music with a dreamy, psychedelic, theatrical and sometimes haunting aura.

7. When you’re with your collaborators and are hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Well, my drummer is the fitness guru, my bassist is the accountant, my synth player is the music savant, and I’m the “head chef.”

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Seeing Nine Inch Nails at the Barclays Center last year was an unforgettable experience. I loved the way Trent Rezner uses live music as sort of this “aggression therapy” tactic in his approach to performance. It was an unbelievable form of controlled chaos matched with incredible music that has inspired me performatively.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part of being a musician is being able to communicate feelings and messages through song in ways you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Sometimes, we don’t have the words to explain our feelings about a situation, but for me music is the messenger for getting those things out effectively. My dream job outside of music is to be an actor: something I am also professionally pursuing.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I think the idea of making music for yourself versus others is an interesting concept. Of course, music is meant to be heard, but the best songs are usually made by the artist and for the artist. I think I get tired of the question of “how did you get into music.” Music has always been a part of my life, but I guess making it is different than consuming it, so I do understand why the question is asked.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Sometimes I feel like not going by my real name was a mistake. Emilio Cuesta is a great name but, by that same token, there’s something more mystical about an alias or stage name. At least in my mind.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Oh, man… Maybe Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. To this day, I think “God Only Knows” is the greatest song in the history of music. Being a witness to the magical mind of Brian Wilson would be a dream. Rest in peace to a legend.

QUESTA LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

INSTAGRAM

Category: Interviews