He may originally be from Illinois, but having made New York his home in adulthood, singer-songwriter Joe Geni presents a stunning ode to this city on ‘City Where The Sky Subsides’, an upbeat, high-energy anthem that reflects the pulse of our changing world. Its captivating lyrics, woven into a tapestry of cinematic orchestration, mirror the dynamic interplay of life’s experiences, urban evolution, and societal shifts. Built with operatic grandeur, the song’s richly orchestrated foundation provides a soaring platform for stunning vocals that capture the essence of our times.
While he counts artists as diverse as Peter Gabriel, Claude Debussy, Elbow, Talking Heads and Future Sound of London among his influences, his music sounds like none of them in particular. Instead, you’ll find a striking sound that, albeit unique in its own right, sounds closer to newer artists like The 1975, Mitski or boygenius or older artists like Talk Talk Bronski Beat. Certainly the cinematic element leans closest of all to Talk Talk, but also the wonderful output of Luc Plamondon and Richard Cocciante (the songwriting team behind the musical Notre Dame de Paris).
‘City Where The Sky Subsides’ is a wonderful taste of Geni’s third album ‘Cities Built Upon Cities’, which traces the transformation of Long Island City, the part of Queens that Geni calls home, situated across the East River from Manhattan with its stunning skyline views. Now booming with skyscrapers, this place is now haunted by its industrial past and friends who have moved on, revealed in these recordings, which explore themes of change, impermanence, and feeling lost amidst the city’s constant evolution.
This album, was produced, mixed and mastered in Brooklyn by Charlie Nieland, a well-respected sound engineer and producer, known for his work with Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Blondie, Dead Leaf Echo, Oh Halo and Scissors Sisters, in addition to scores, including the feature film ‘The Safety of Objects’ starring Glenn Close. Awarded a Gold record (UK) for his production of Blondie‘s ‘Greatest Hits Sight & Sound’, Nieland also achieved a Top 10 Billboard Dance Chart Position with Debbie Harry‘s single ‘Two Times Blue’, which he co-wrote and produced.
Joe Geni explains, “‘City Where The Sky Subsides’ is a move away from the more electronic sound of many of my other tunes in favor of a straight floor-it-on-the-highway anthemic rock song (amusing since I was quarantined during the recording and the guitar was recorded on a 1/10w amp that fits on a bookshelf). This single’s premise is simple: a man disappointed that a promising date got rained out, leaving him “gazing out a double pane stained by exploding rain until the sky subsides.” If you’ve ever ended up stuck inside waiting for the weather to change, this one’s for you.”
Originally hailing from Evanston, Illinois, Geni has lived in NYC for most of his adult life (mostly in Long Island City), working various jobs around the United Nations. Making music that soundtracks the Anthropocene, Geni tries to capture what it’s like to search for home in a world that is constantly changing. Exploring the complex relationship between humanity and our environment, he channels these ideas and emotions into sound.
After emerging on the music scene with his 2019 debut album ‘After Wandering Empire’, Geni released his ‘Doggerland’ albumin 2021, both of which were also produced by Charlie Nieland. With a distinct, instantly recognizable voice (a blisteringly high tenor with a 3.5 octave range), he has a knack for communicating complex ideas through his lyrics, ruminating on themes related to international affairs, climate change, demography, transportation and urban infrastructure, but also the grand sweep of the human experience, including love, regret, modern art and even dinosaurs.
Earlier this year, Joe Geni released ‘City of Energy’, which will also appear on the new album. This pop-meets-dancehall-inspired track is an ode to New Yorkers, who exert enormous efforts to pursue their dreams with no guarantee of reaching them. He explains, “This song is about searching for love in a city that feeds on energy, both from its humans and its electrical grid. The city is hungry. The infrastructure is changing. The people are too. Does it all lead to a happy place? This is the question.”
As of July 23, ‘City Where The Sky Subsides’ will be available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The ‘Cities Built Upon Cities’ album, to be released on October 4, is now available for pre-order via Bandcamp.
SINGLE CREDITS
Music written by Joe Geni
Lyrics and vocals by Joe Geni
All instruments by Joe Geni, except drums by Mikhail Sapozhnikov
Produced, mixed and mastered by Charlie Nieland
UPC: 198500349573
Cover artwork by Joe Geni
Artist photo by Alice Teeple
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
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