Atlas Genius, the wonderfully unique band from Adelaide, Australia, has come back two years after their debut album to release “Inanimate Objects,” out August 28.
In the midst of a busy tour that will take the band to San Diego on Sept. 2, singer Keith Jeffery took some time to answer a few questions about their new album and touring.
Q: What was the recording process like for this album?
A: It was a long process in comparison to the first one. And there were a bunch of times where I nearly lost my mind. Creating this…there were so many ways you could go, and we really wanted to explore a bunch of new territory with this album. At the same time with it being really exciting, it can be a bit daunting at times when you’re going down the rabbit hole, and you may not be sure where you’re going for a week or two. Like you can start working on a song and there’s something good about it but it’s still formulating…it’s slowly becoming a song in front of you but…I think when you’re really trying to push the boundaries with what you’re doing currently there’s also, there’s some anxiety that comes with it…I don’t think we’re the band that ever wanted to keep writing the same couple of songs for the rest of their career. Although doing that probably would have been a lot easier had we tried to rewrite “Trojans” or “If So.”
Q: Yeah, well “Trojans” gained a lot of momentum when it hit the states and elsewhere. That wasn’t something you thought about with “Inanimate Objects”?
A: Well I think that the only thing we really did that was similar to what we did with “Trojans” or the first album is that we really didn’t try to conform to any sort of style…you know I think this album is very different from the first album. The thought process behind it is very similar in that we didn’t want to recreate anything. “Trojans” is the first single that came out and we were still working on the rest of the album. There were no other songs that were like an imitation of that song, and I think part of the success with “Trojans” is just it was an honest song that felt very inspired at the time, so the thought with this album was to do the same…if you listen to the charts, what’s popular or what’s streaming at the moment, you end up chasing, and then you just become…you’d be crazy to try and follow it. We just went with our gut and really didn’t consider anything else…we weren’t thinking too much about the last album.
Q: Ok, this album is a lot more serious and even dark at times. What is that a reflection of?
A: I think as individuals that’s where the band is. Lyrically I felt like I went through some darker times. You know it wasn’t full on clinical depression, but you know there is that place toward depression that I think is a very real thing which we experienced after spending so much time on the road. Just the reality of doing that…also, we went back to Australia for a bit of time. I was in Australia for four months writing the album in the beginning, and I felt it was very isolated from what we had been doing while touring. And just the stimulation of playing in front of a crowd, you know we were very fortunate that we had some amazing crowds that we played to and really supportive fans over that period of time, so to be away from them as well was kind of like it was strange. It’s like going to school every day and seeing your friends and then all of a sudden, school is out, and you know you’re on your own. And also, I went through a couple of break ups through the period of time because it was quite a long period of time before the album, and I don’t think I ever had time to process those personal parts of my life before we took time to write, so it was all there waiting to be processed like a pile of paperwork I had to get through once we finished touring.
Q: What are you hoping people get out of this album?
A: I’m hoping that people with a similar mindset than myself or Michael…like when we finished this album we thought it was a good representation of us as artists, and it’s an intangible thing, but I think when you listen to an album or song, when it’s the right song for you it sort of, it really resonates with your molecules in some weird way. And I hope that people that hear this album and it moves them in a way…like the albums that I loved growing up did to me, so I think that that’s what it is. Whether it’s feelings of joy or feeling down about something…I think our album is pretty dynamic. It’s definitely a darker album, but there’s certainly a bunch of different vibes that travel through this album. It’s a bit of a journey.
Q: Definitely. In a press release you said each song is like an intimate moment that explodes. Is that what you mean by wanting this album to resonate with likeminded individuals?
A: Yeah, personally I like to find the singular moments and magnify them to turn them into pieces of art as opposed to writing about grand themes. To me I find the personal interactions that you have with another human being are the most powerful and moving experiences you could go through. Those are the moments I find myself reflecting on way too much…the ones with a girlfriend or close friend or whatever. Those moments end up becoming songs.
I think when you listen to an album or song, when it’s the right song for you it sort of, it really resonates with your molecules in some weird way.
Q: Is there a particular moment or song that you feel most attached to?
A: I think “Friends with Enemies” and “Levitate” are probably the two songs where I really put myself out there. Those songs, they take me right back to a specific moment in my life. Of course no one else knows exactly what that is, but I think there is enough pain and emotion coming through those songs that people get a good idea.
Q: You mentioned recording part of the album in Australia, and then bringing the recording out to LA – what was that like? Did you come for inspiration or to seek a different energy?
A: Oh, definitely that’s why we came here…LA’s got a really great music scene at the moment. I think there’s a lot of people…there’s a lot of small time studios here. One of my friend’s in a band that we toured with has one. It’s also a lot more affordable here than in other parts of the world. A lot of musicians have tended to move out here in the last few years. I think being amongst all that was great. There were pros and cons, but I think that it was the right decision for us to come over here.
Q: OK, well with your current tour, what do you hope to bring to the stage?
A: I think you aim for the shows, so that in the hour or so we’re there that they…I would love it to be us becoming just one group of people in the same space being somewhat teleported from the everyday life. I think that whenever I go to a show and it’s a show that really affects me and connects with me, I forget about all the other bullshit in my life at that moment, and I think our job is really to take people away from their daily troubles for the hour or so that we’re on stage. Successfully that’s what should happen I think each time we step on stage.
You can see Atlas Genius on Sept. 2 at the San Diego House of Blues or on Oct. 28 with Passion Pit at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.
The band’s latest album “Inanimate Objects is available for pre-order on the band’s website and drops August 28.
Source:: Keith Jeffery from Atlas Genius talks new album and touring