Joe Geni - City of Light
Following the singles 'City of Energy' and 'City Where The Sky Subsides', New York-based indie-pop artist Joe Geni presents his new single 'City of Light', which highlights the power of human connection and resilience, and reflects on the solace found in friendship and community during recent lockdowns and the renewed hope that emerged as the world began to heal.
This single previews 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.
"My previous album 'Doggerland' was about climate change, but the pandemic hit mid-recording, so much of the album ended up being about that. When the album came out, I got a call from my mom. She said, “The album is wonderful but, speaking as your mother, are you OK?” So I resolved to write something more positive," says Joe Geni.
"Lockdowns were still on, and the world was quite scary. But I had a friend in the neighborhood and we began taking walks and getting coffee whenever chance and schedule allowed, and watching the goings on. And there were a lot: the clanging of new construction, the mess of wires spilling off unfinished buildings, the sounds of birthdays in the park, of protests in the street. And as the pandemic abated and something vaguely resembling normal life began to re-emerge, I, like one of our tiny mammalian ancestors crawling out of its burrow after the meteor that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs, felt a burst of energy, and a feeling that that really in spite of everything we will be OK. Maybe."
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.
Since emerging on the music scene with his 2019 debut album 'After Wandering Empire', Geni released his 'Doggerland' album in 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.
'City of Light' is out now everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where the 'Cities Built Upon Cities' album (out October 4) is available for pre-order.
