Music Spotlight: GeoTrip
// photos by Shan Shaikh
The Band:
Marcos Barba // Bass/Drums
Jonathan Rodriguez // Drums/Bass
Daryl Cummings // Guitar
Andrew Chavez // Guitar/Vocals/Synth
Asymmetric Magazine: Tell us about your current work as a band.
GeoTrip: As of late, our focus has been on songwriting and rehearsing with plans to record an EP soon. We also just played our first show in December, 2015 and have a few more shows lined up for early 2016.
AM: How would you best describe your sound?
GT: The music is experimental/indie rock with progressive and psychedelic touches. Given that we all have a pretty wide set of musical influences, ranging from hip-hop and jazz to electronic and rock we like to incorporate elements from these genres into our music.
AM: What musicians are currently inspiring you?
GT: We have an eclectic taste in music, but, for the sake of brevity, we each chose three of our favorite artists in no particular order.
Jonathan: Depeche Mode, Interpol, Flea
Marcos: The Smiths, Radiohead, Flying Lotus
Andrew: The Velvet Teen, The Drums, Mac Demarco
Daryl: Charles Mingus, Frank Zappa, The Mars Volta
AM: What inspires you most?
GT: I think we’re all inspired by our love of music. Whether it's perfecting our craft and getting better at our instruments or being able to express ourselves through songwriting and lyrics, it all boils down to a passion for music and creative expression that inspires us to continue being in a band, in spite of all the challenges. Also, we're all really inspired by each other and by the encouragement and support we've been getting from people who've watched our shows.
AM: So, you guys rotate instruments?
GT: Yeah, we do rotate instruments. Our rhythm section rotates between drums and bass, and our guitarist, Andrew, also switches over to synth from time to time. Its all a very fluid process for us; we're comfortable enough to switch instruments and explore each other's strengths and complexities. I think it speaks to our fondness for experimenting, and we're looking to have even more switches on our upcoming songs. We're a small band that goes for a big sound, and we just try to have fun with it.
AM: How'd you land on the name "GeoTrip"?
GT: The original usage of the word "geotrip" was something one of our friends used as a name for the geology field trips he went on for school. For some reason, the name just struck a chord with us. It sounded cool, and to us, it represents the conscious experience of life on Earth.
AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work?
GT: We were all born and raised in Los Angeles and are really proud to have spent our whole lives in a city that really values progressive ideas and artistic expression. Los Angeles has a strong connection with its artists and that connection is strong in us, as well. It’s nice to have so many different venues so close by to experience live music and no shortage of people who are passionate about art and music.
AM: What themes do you pursue through your music?
GT: Lyrically, we like to keep things subtle and sometimes cryptic. However, there are definitely themes about growing up, love and identity. Musically, there’s a definitely a shared interest among all of us to make music that is interesting and experimental but not overly complicated. We believe the golden ratio in music is balancing familiarity and surprise.
AM: Tell us a real life experience you had that impacted your work.
GT: Well, our first real project together was scoring a film called Balloon Girl. Before then, we were just a band that jammed in the garage from time to time. Doing that project as a band really brought us closer together, and GeoTrip sort of just took off from there.
AM: Whats the best advice you’ve ever received?
GT: "In this line of work, no matter who or what is in front of you... Be it a producer, a loving crowd, an empty room, a microphone ready to record you, or any situation or experience, what should always stay the same is that each and every opportunity you get, the most important thing is that you get out there and do what you do. Cause at the end of every show that's what it's all about... The experience of a show is an experience for musicians as much as it is for the crowd they play for. So experience it, grow from it, that's how you'll ever get anywhere..."
