Formed in 2008, Maq is an acoustic pop duo comprised of guitarist-vocalists Quinn Carson and Matt Alderman, who fine tuned their chops together at UM's Frost School of Music.
"We formed as an acoustic songwriting duo, writing songs about girls," explains Alderman.
The two wasted no time recording a demo to pass out at the open mics and other small gigs they hit up back in their hometown of Miami. And eventually, songs from that demo would go on to make up their debut EP, aptly titled The EP.
"The EP is the extended version of our original demo," explains Alderman of the process, which took the duo a year to record and master, as they made use of the studio where Carson worked in Chi-Town. "We tried not to make it like any other album where there are one or two hits and then the rest are fillers. We wanted to make each song as catchy and memorable as possible."
Having sung in a vocal group in high school, singing in harmony came naturally to Carson and Alderman, and the latter affirms, "that's kind of our thing."
He goes on to say, "The vocal harmonies and melodies are forefront in our music. We perform as a duo with a more chill acoustic vibe, which is how we started."
But he's quick to point out that they sometimes beef up the presentation for a live setting like tomorrow night's gig at Transit Lounge, bringing in electric guitars, keys, bass and drums to make for a more dynamic take on their breezy, laid-back pop sound.
"We are stoked to be playing with a brand new lineup this fall in Miami and we've been consistently working on our sound," says Alderman. "This is a fun lineup, with a great sound, and even greater energy. Transit is gonna be a blast on Wednesday night!"
Maq performs live at Transit Lounge (729 SW 1 Ave., Miami) on Wednesday, October 13. There's no cover.