Lee Barbara and Bobby Seus, known as the pop duo Quiet Type, hail from Portland, Oregon, but they might as well be a California export. Debut single ” target=”_blank”>“Fugitive” sounds like the warmth of an Indian summer in sonic form, sandwiched perfectly between Rooney’s laidback guitar grooves and the warm welcome of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys. For late February, in Boston or pretty much anywhere else, “Fugitive” plays like an early, onset summertime love song.
“Musically, we just tried to write a fun dance song, with some weird chords and inversions in it,” says Seus, Quiet Type’s primary songwriter. “Lyrically, we liked the idea of treating romantic endeavor as a sort of criminal act. There’s rarely any justice in it, after all.”
The duo started working on “Fugitive” back in 2012, when it started as only a chorus melody and chord progression. The first demo they made ended up really dragging, Seus adds, so Quiet Type shelved the track for about a year until Barbara revived it with an entirely new idea in mind. That approach ultimately became the version of “Fugitive” that we hear today.
“Fugitive” is out on Feb. 26, and they’ll be playing the Secret Society in Portland later that night. The single sets the tone for the duo’s debut album, due sometime later this spring.