Canadian alt-pop artist Brock Geiger has spent the past decade shaping the sonic landscapes of nearly fifty records as both a performer and a producer. With his new album, Some Nights, released on March 18th, he steps out from behind the scenes and into the foreground with a bold, genre-hopping debut that defies easy categorization.
At its core, Some Nights is an album about exploration, both sonically and thematically. Geiger’s approach embraces a vast range of sounds, pulling from indie rock, avant-pop, and even sci-fi-inspired soundscapes, all while maintaining a cohesive thread that keeps the album feeling unified. How does he balance such a wide sonic palette while still delivering a seamless listening experience? According to Geiger, the key lies in letting go of self-imposed constraints.
“The aesthetic diversity on the record comes from getting out of my own way and leaving room for exploration, experimentation, and surprises at all stages of writing and building the songs,” Geiger shares. “I have the tendency to be my own worst critic, so my way around that is to not let the ‘judgment brain’ enter the conversation until ideas are seen through.”
That willingness to experiment is evident throughout Some Nights. The album’s singles, including “Steps Taken,” “After Later,” and “Early August Rain,” showcases everything from driving, rhythmically charged moments to more introspective, dreamlike arrangements. The latter, “After Later,” featuring saxophonist Sam Gendel, blends 1960s avant-pop influences with a contemporary edge, reflecting on the nonlinear nature of personal understanding.
Geiger’s production choices, often infused with space and sci-fi elements, add to the album’s distinctiveness. His background in sound design for animated films plays a role in how he builds atmosphere within his music. “Exploring spatial sounds to recontextualize how a song feels and the environment it lives in is a really fun part of the process for me,” he explains. “We played around a lot with subverting the presentation of organic instrumentation with a bunch of re-amping and mangling.”
Helping to bring Some Nights to life is Grammy-winning producer Will Maclellan, known for his work with Boy Genius and Phoebe Bridgers. Maclellan and Geiger have been collaborators since their teenage years, making this partnership a natural evolution of their creative relationship. “Will is an insanely creative and talented guy and operates in the coolest, understated ways,” says Geiger. “Getting to dive in on this kind of project with your friends is immeasurably rewarding.”
Lyrically, Some Nights tells deeply personal stories of self-reflection, psychological awareness, and empathy, shaped by Geiger’s experiences navigating relationships impacted by addiction and mental health struggles. Despite the weighty subject matter, the album doesn’t dwell in darkness. “There’s some catharsis in honoring the heaviness of all that while making a record that feels fun,” Geiger reflects.
Recorded between the legendary Sound City Studios in Los Angeles and Geiger’s own Studio B in Calgary, Some Nights features contributions from a stellar lineup of musicians, including Matt Chamberlain on drums, Gabe Noel on bass, and Clea Anaïs on vocals. The result is an album that feels as expansive as its influences yet deeply personal in its execution. For fans of artists like Dirty Projectors, Perfume Genius, and Local Natives, Some Nights is a must-hear. With this record, Brock Geiger not only solidifies himself as a dynamic solo artist but also as a fearless sonic architect, unafraid to push boundaries while crafting something undeniably cohesive and compelling.
Some Night is out March 18th on all major streaming platforms! Follow Brock Geiger at his website or Instagram.
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