For more information on Geiger's upcoming album, you can visit his PledgeMusic site. You can also check out his single "Shake it Off" below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlJm1-cUl5Y
Street: So you’re in the process of recording a new album through PledgeMusic, which is an independent publishing platform. What are some of the advantages you’ve found from working with Pledge?
TG: What’s cool about Pledge is that it allows fans to participate in the whole process of making the album, and see behind the scenes. Essentially the fans kind of become your label, they give you feedback as the process is happening. Also, there are preorders of the album and different exclusives that go toward the mixing and some of the recording of the record. It’s good that you get that creative freedom and that direct dialogue with your fans. So you can have fun making the record, and your fans get to be a part of that and see what’s going on in the studio as you’re making all the songs.
Street: The response to PledgeMusic has been great among your fans too, since it’s rare to find artists who involve their fans so much in the process of making an album. Can you tell us a little bit about the upcoming album, which is called The Last Fears, and the inspiration behind these new songs?
TG: My first record was a lot about growing up in the years from middle school to high school and what that’s all about. The new record has been a lot of the songs just about me being out on my own, and being away from home and growing up and figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life. It’s kind of that post-school, like “what to do?” kind of thing. And also dating as an adult and basically just young adulthood — whereas the first album was extra, extra young adulthood.
Street: Pledge also has a charity component. What inspired you to pick Save the Elephants as your charity?
TG: Basically I just heard a lot of great, touching stories about elephants, and there are so many places of the world where they’re abused and mistreated, or killed for their ivory. Save the Elephants educates the public in different areas on how they can help stop the poaching and teach them about how things go, and that sort of thing. It’s just a really great foundation.
Street: You’ve also had some acting experience on the CBS show Love Monkey and the film The Rocker with Emma Stone and Rainn Wilson. Do you think you’d like to any more acting in the future?
TG: Definitely, I’d love to do more acting. I haven’t been super focused on that, I’ve just been getting together this record. But in the near future I definitely want to start taking auditions.
Street: If you could pick any artist, who would you want to play a show with the most?
TG: I really like Leonard Cohen, but I don’t know…maybe Coldplay. Coldplay would be ideal.
Street: A few years ago when your first single “For You I Will” was a Top 40 hit, Teen People magazine labeled you “the next John Mayer.” How do you feel about being compared to John Mayer?
TG: It’s good. He actually called me when I was being compared to John Mayer, and said “I don’t think you sound like me.” Because John said he’d always been compared to Dave Matthews. And he said: “I wish the guy would just call me and be like ‘look, you don’t sound like me.’” So he did that for me, which was nice. It was great talking to him. But yeah, I feel good, he’s a good songwriter, so it’s a good comparison.
Street: What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?
TG: I don’t really know. I used to get a lot of candy, which isn’t crazy – it was great. Free candy’s always great. Oh, there was this one time two girls snuck onto my bus, and left a note saying “We farted in the bus.” It was a long note – that’s probably the weirdest, craziest thing someone’s ever done.
Street: Can you give us a glimpse into a-day-in-the-life when you’re not on tour?
TG: It’s just a lot of writing music, mostly. I’ve been doing some workouts in the morning on my stationary bike. Usually I take the dogs out mid-afternoon, and do a little cooking maybe. That’s generally my day. Maybe some delivery, staying in and writing music. That’s about it.
