About Us

Culture Countered

Founded in the UK in 2008, The Quietus is one of the world’s leading independent websites for quality longform writing on visionary and modernist music and culture, covering all genres with an equal weighting.

The Quietus treats the emerging artists of the genre-melting present with the same reverence the mainstream reserves for the stale canon of yesteryear. We look to reappraise and revitalise those artistic pioneers abandoned in the hinterland.

We champion trailblazing and illuminating cultural journalism from around the world – numerous successful writers and broadcasters are first published on our pages.

After years held back by a creaking old website, The Quietus (tQ to our friends) has been regenerated, providing an indispensable portal to a realm of cultural discovery, devilment and debate.

“The Quietus believes in the power of cultural criticism to cut through the noise of social media and the ultimately disappointing guidance of tech platform algorithms. To write down a series of words that have never been combined before, expressing a complex series of emotions, thoughts and experiences that unites writer and reader at a level that feels telepathic and changes the joint experience of reality: That is the definition of magic.” – tQ Co-founder John Doran.

The Quietus Founders & Editors

John Doran

  • Writer and presenter of international award-winning documentaries and series for BBC Radio.
  • Writer and presenter of Vice/Noisey’s 8-year long, multimillion-viewer film series The British Masters.
  • Author of the critically-lauded book Jolly Lad.

Luke Turner

  • Author of Men at War and Out of the Woods (shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize).
  • Writer for UK broadsheets, including Dazed & Confused, NME, Vice and National Geographic.
  • Appearances on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC TV’s Countryfile.

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