Atlas Genius comes to the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on Monday (Photo by Anna Maria Lopez).
By DCist Contributor Christina Smart
It’s been several years since an unsigned Australian band called Atlas Genius uploaded its song “Trojans” to SoundCloud, with a very unexpected result.
The heartfelt and airy pop song gained the attention of the music industry, prompting a bidding war that landed them a deal with Warner Brothers. Boosted by the success of the singles “Trojans,” “If So,” and “Electric” from the 2013 debut album When It Was Now, the then-Adelaide-based band found itself thrust onto the international touring circuit, giving the band the opportunity to work and tour with musical heroes.
“It’s funny ’cause the first year or two you’re around all these bands that you love and it’s like ‘Oh my God, it’s so and so,’” said lead singer and guitarist Keith Jeffery.
The novelty of constantly seeing musical heroes, however, quickly wore off.
“After a while, though, you realize that these are just human beings and some of them have created stuff that you love and that’s great,” Jeffery said. “You kind of see this is just people doing their jobs.”
Now older and wiser but still on the road, Atlas Genius makes a stop at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on Monday.
Major life changes, including a move to Los Angeles for both Keith and his brother, Atlas Genius drummer Michael Jeffery, also contributed to the change in outlook. As Jeffery explained, the move was completely unintentional.
“We were going to work on the second album so we decided to go to Los Angeles and see how that goes,” Jeffery said. “And then, how life goes, you’re living in a certain spot for three years and that’s now where you live. We never assumed we were going to uproot ourselves, it just happened, you know?”
The new locale provides Jeffery ample opportunity to write with other Los Angeles-based artists.
“We’ve collaborated with a bunch of musicians over the last couple of years,” said Jeffery. “Luc from The Kids, he and I wrote a song a couple of years ago that ended up never putting out. I was pretty fond of it. I don’t know why we didn’t put it out.”
But for Jeffery, these collaborations are more about the creative process than the need to continue releasing hits.
“That’s the way all art should be, really. It’s about going in and trying to express something and then if it works, it works,” he said.
The band is also working on its yet-to-be-revealed-title third album, which will be released via Caroline Records next year. Atlas Genius unveiled the singles “Make You Believe” and “63 Days” this summer.
While the pop elements are still very much intact, experience has spawned far more introspective lyrics from the band. “63 Days” is a musical expression of what can happen to a couple when one of those people is a touring musician who is constantly on the road.
“The song is really about the promise that if someone needs you, then you’ll be there,” said Jeffery. “Long distance is always a challenge. The feeling I was trying to convey was ‘it may feel like I’m not always there but I am.’ If push comes to shove, I’m on a flight back home.”
This feeling behind the single prompted Atlas Genius to develop the social media campaign #63DaysOfLove, asking fans to make a 63-day commitment to spreading compassion and kindness. Fans can also submit photos featuring two people in a Soul Stare—a pose which requires two individuals to stand face to face, leaning their foreheads against one another in a show of respect.
“We wanted to use this, in a small way, to make a difference,” said Jeffery. “If we can, we just want to try to remind people that a lot of lives are being shattered, but we can focus on our similarities as human beings. We want to remind people with this #63DaysofLove that if we come together, it will be a lot better situation overall.”
Atlas Genius plays the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on October 16 at 8 p.m with openers Magic Giant and Half the Animal. $20/$23.
