Boy Genius
Channeling their harmony heavy, indie pop strengths in the form of new album "Anchorage," Brooklyn band Boy Genius have their sights set on conquering the prestigious Athens PopFest. The band, consisting of Jason Korenkiewicz (vocals), Lisa Klimkiewicz (drums), Jeffrey Mensch (bass), Marisa Cerio (guitar), play their next local gig on July 25th at Cakeshop in NYC.
Riffin': How did the name of the band come about? What does it represent?
Jason: I came up with the name. I'm not sure how I came up with it. I recently went back to what I was reading at that time, and had it been named from what I'd been reading from that time on a subconscious level, it would have been from a book titled "An Abundance of Katherines" by Jonathan Green. The book is about a guy who had dated 67 Katherines, had a Eureka moment, and he was known as a boy genius. I thought it was a great band name, and I was surprised it wasn't taken, and I think that's where the name came from.
Riffin': What do you think is unique about Boy Genius?
Jason: Absolutely nothing, which is what makes us unique!
Lisa: I wouldn't say that! We combine all of our influences in a unique way. Especially in New York where rock is so big, there isn't always a lot of room for poppier bands like us, which really is a reason we are unique.
Jason: Also, when people give us feedback about their favorite song, it is different to everyone. There isn't one song that really takes preference over the rest. I haven't come across a lot of other bands that receive that same response.
...when people give us feedback about their favorite song, it is different to everyone.
Riffin': If you had to describe your sound in three words, which would they be?
Jason: Indy slacker pop!
Lisa: Ramshackle!
Riffin': Your new album 'Anchorage' was just released, what are your expectations for the album?
Jason: I'd like people to hear it. In the overall sense, the climate of the music industry changes your expectation. This time the idea is to get the record listened to by more people, while also trying to make some money off of it; trying to balance the art with the commerce, while trying to broaden the name.
Riffin': How excited are you for playing the Athens Popfest this summer?
Jason: Ridiculously excited. We are huge REM fans, and REM is from Athens, so there is rumor of some sort of REM stalker tour taking place.
Lisa: I'm just psyched to go someplace else to play, and go on tour.
Riffin': Do you plan to tour the album further?
Jason: The plan right now is to do a Southeast tour around the Athens date, and then try to do the North East in the fall.
Riffin': Did you strive for a new musical direction with 'Anchorage'? Do you plan to do so for future albums?
Jason: I think the new album will be more guitar heavy. We're actually going back to the studio in June to release something in the fall, and this will be the test batch of songs for this new direction. So we'll know sooner, rather than later, whether we are headed in that direction or not.
Lisa: But it'll still be ramshackle!