Tonight

Tonight, the Geniuses are taking the first step in a new direction.

When I told people I wanted to change the sound of the band, almost every single one thought I was crazy. This group has done some great things over the past two years - it's always amazing to watch when creative people start to work together and "get" each other, and one day, you look up, and six things have become one thing. The Geniuses: a well-oiled, full-throttle, indie-soul-machine.

So why change? Why give that up?

Well, I've written a lot on this blog about the individual voice. In my solo work, my focus has always been on being relentlessly myself, in the most authentic way possible. I believe that when you create work that feels real and honest, people will be compelled by it. Some people won't, but that's just how it is. (In fact, this sounds a lot like my general life philosophy.)

With the band, however, my focus had been different. There's something so visceral about performance that it's easy to fall into traps, and rely on what works. You can put on a great show that you love, and the audience loves, without ever doing anything they haven't seen before. The more talented the players, the easier it is to get hooked on that experience, and lose sight of the greater goal.

So a few months ago, I had to ask myself: what do I specifically bring to the table? What can the Geniuses do that isn't already being done? What can we give to the world that feels meaningful and real? And what am I doing as a solo performer that isn't happening with the band?

So we sat down, Genius-to-Genius, and we started to hash it out. The answer is hard to put into words, but it has a lot to do with space. A certain quiet intensity that allows our three voices to really stand out. A sound that explores, but still feels warm and safe.

Less soul, more soulful. Less work, more play. Less yeah, more yes.

Tonight, we're gonna set sail to find our destiny. We hope you'll come with us.