Brock Geiger Reveals Intimate New Single, “After Later,” From Upcoming Album Some Nights
Brock Geiger’s latest single, “After Later,” offers a meditative exploration of the nonlinear journey of understanding life’s experiences. Drawing from avant-pop influences and iconic records like Pet Sounds and Scott Walker 2, the track features introspective lyrics and a minimalist yet deeply evocative sonic palette. It’s a captivating preview of his forthcoming album, Some Nights, arriving on March 18, 2025.
Co-produced with Grammy-winning collaborator Will Maclellan (Boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers) at the legendary Sound City Studio in Los Angeles, “After Later” showcases ethereal saxophone swells by Sam Gendel, blending subversive harmony with spacey electric guitars and mellotron textures.
The song originated as an experimental cassette recording on a Tascam 644 and evolved through a transformative process inspired by the avant-pop sounds of the 1960s. One pivotal moment came during an evening drive through Topanga Canyon, where Scott Walker’s music sparked the vision that shaped the song’s final form.
“After Later” is an intimate and reflective piece, inviting listeners into Geiger’s evolving soundscape.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Brock Geiger— I’m a musician, writer, and music producer based in Calgary. Over the last fifteen years, I’ve played in a handful of bands, worked on close to fifty records, and toured all over the world. I also have an independent recording studio (Studio B) where I work on records with other artists and do film score, sound design, and foley work. The music I’m releasing now is my “solo debut!”
“After Later” explores the nonlinear nature of understanding life’s experiences. What inspired you to dive into such a complex theme, and how did it shape the song?
Haha. Ya, the song is just a rumination on the passing of time and the endless potential in uncovering new meaning or understanding in unpredictable places. The guitar part existed first with this song and it’s something I used to just sit in bed playing, and it always felt calming. There’s a delicate nature to the chord progression and the way it’s played that gave me space to explore this sort of meditative narrative. This also informed the production in that it needed to be minimalist and intimate, but still immersive and surreal.
The song’s journey from a Tascam cassette recording to a full production at Sound City is fascinating. What was it like rebuilding the track in such an iconic studio?
It’s an amazing treat to work in that space and Tony has been incredibly supportive of Will and I utilizing everything the studio has to offer. Will and I have been making music together since we were kids, so it’s amazing to see him flourishing as an engineer in that scene and for us to continue collaborating. I don’t mean to underplay how amazing Sound City is, but really the magic is in the fluid collaborative relationship Will and I have. When we were making this record, we were just hanging out trying things like we always have, it just so happened to be in an iconic room.
Collaborating with Grammy Award-winning producer Will Maclellan and featuring Sam Gendel’s ethereal saxophone swells must have been exciting. How did their contributions elevate the track?
Having made music together for close to 20 years, Will and I have such an innate understanding of each others taste, tendencies, and language around productions that makes our recording process very fluid, exploratory, and open. There’s no one I trust more with my songs and ideas. We were referencing the avant-pop spaciousness of records like Pet Sounds and Scott Walker 2 and wanted to present something intimate, but still 3D. I’ve been a massive Sam Gendel fan for years and the Pino & Blake record had just come out, so having him in to play saxophone and subvert our world a bit was a really cool. The organic quality of the horn feels glued to our otherwise predominantly acoustic arrangement, but all of his crazy polyphonic pitch manipulation suspends reality in just the right way.
How does “After Later” fit into the broader narrative or theme of your forthcoming album, Some Nights?
After Later is the more delicate and introspective side of the record. The collection of music has a wide reach aesthetically— I think of the songs as sort of character pieces or personality fragments. It was a goal to have the album be groove-centric so there’s lots of rhythmically propelled pieces. The title track is a fun, grimy one!