As previously mentioned, Freelance Whales will be performing in Madison this Saturday at Redamtè, but make sure not to miss out on the opening act, Geographer. Jonk Music is giving away two pairs of free tickets to this soon-to-be sold-out show. To those who win, you’re in for a treat: this San Francisco-based trio is so good that they shouldn’t be viewed as the opening act. Think of this show as one big concert, covering both coasts (Freelance Whales hails from New York) with two awesome bands offering very different sounds.
A combination of synthesizers, acoustics, cello, and drums, Geographer has been around since 2008 but it sounds like these guys have been playing together for decades. Comprised of Mike Deni, Nathan Blaz, and Brian Ostreicher, the band approaches their music with a meticulousness that guarantees to provoke emotion and ease. The way each piece of Geographer complements the other is a rarity, especially because they are constantly refreshing their sound. Mike Deni chatted with Jonk Music to discuss the death of “selling out,” the communal feelings of San Francisco, and more.
Mike, you hail from New Jersey, and Nathan and Brian met at Berklee, yet Geographer was formed in San Francisco. How has San Francisco influenced your musical style?
“Hard to say, really. I’m sure our sound was shaped by the way San Francisco audiences react to music, and the fog, and the stimulating atmosphere. But the largest way San Francisco has affected us is through the many opportunities of exposure we’ve gotten through all the tech companies that are out here. I think there’s a general sense of excitement about technology and home-grown things, whether they’re bands, or bakeries, or bike frame builders. There’s an all-inclusive sense of community that extends beyond simply the musical.”
The song “The Morning” was featured in the New York, I Love You trailer. How do you feel about your music being used for this particular film? Have you ever created your music with the intention of it being used for other mediums?
“Not yet. Nate has made music for art installations, but our music is designed just to be music. If people pick it up on a trailer or a commercial, we’re very thankful, because that’s essentially the only way to make the money you need to keep making music for people. Selling out is on its way to the cemetery.”
If you could choose any venue to perform at, where would it be and why?
“AT&T Park [in San Francisco]. Because it’s enormous and beautiful.”
The Internet has dramatically altered the way artists can reach an audience. What are your thoughts on the power of the web in terms of helping (or hurting) your music?
“Though I have certainly benefited from the Internet, and I always say you shouldn’t fight the fire, I am a lover of old music. Music that was made with care, music that centered around melody and lyrics, with expensive and gorgeously crafted equipment, for an audience that was hungry to truly listen. The Internet has not destroyed those things by any means, but it has contributed to making them more rare. With every piece of technology that makes things easier for us, we are further from truth. We’re obsessed with ease and perfection and immediacy, and those things are not always good for art.”
What are you listening to these days? We’re always on the look-out for new artists; any new discoveries that you’d like to share?
“Unfortunately, I got nothing new for you. I’m listening to Harry Nilsson, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, and trying to get into Randy Newman.”