Interview with Crystal Cities: ‘I get carried away and have too many guitar lines!’

Sydney rock band Crystal Cities is gearing up to release some new, punk-oriented songs.

The band comprises Geoff Rana (lead vocals, guitar and keys), Jared King (bass and backing vocals) and newest member Neel Shukla (drums). ‘Myself and Jared have known each other forever, we studied music together at uni,’ Rana said. ‘Ned came on board recently when our old drummer moved to the other side of the country. He jumped in at the start of the last album.’ Of their band name, he says: ‘It’s a vision of a utopian future where people are drawn telepathically to each other in a future of peace and harmony. We got the idea from a podcast where a guy described his near-death experience as going to a “crystal city”, it’s like Superman going back to an icy world.’

In October, they released their single ‘I Need You More Than Ever’, a hooky rock track with a big chorus that is incredibly cinematic and underpinned by a Bond-like violin melody: ‘I wrote it back in lockdown, I can’t remember if it was one of the first songs (laughs). I wrote that change into 6/8 tempo, I was drawing on all the strength I could muster to get through lockdown, I didn’t leave the house for so long,’ Rana said. That’s where the line “Do you hear that, is it rain, as we slowly go insane?” comes from. We haven’t played any of the new songs live yet – the chorus in this one is pretty long! I always write with the intention of playing something live and keeping that energy. That main hook going through the different time signature, I never sit down and say “I’ll write it like that”. I’ll have to sit down and learn them again (laughs), like ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’. It’s got a pretty chord progression, I was listening to a lot of Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles and I had three or four chords going around in my head. The chords come first and then I write the lyrics. I sit at home and write where we are now, I flesh it out, it’s the juice (laughs). Then I pass it to the guys and if they think it’s worth continuing with it, they flesh their parts out.’

‘There’s more of a disconnect as a guitarist, there’s no hiding as a singer’

Rana actually started off as a classical guitarist before turning his hand to singing: ‘I had a band of mates who needed a singer and nobody was auditioning (laughs), so I said: “Screw it, I’ll sing” but I never thought I’d stay! I always say I play guitar rather than that I’m a singer, I feel a bit of a fraud. There’s more of a disconnect as a guitarist, there’s no hiding as a singer.’

One of their most memorable tracks is ‘Hold Me Close, Hold Me Tight’, the title track from their second album (2022), with a big, anthemic chorus, which you can imagine going down well with the crowd live: ‘It’s one of our poppiest songs but the lyrics are quite depressing against the melody,’ Rana said. ‘The song’s about hoping that everything will be alright.’ The chorus could be about drug use, drowning or even just going under metaphorically with the lines: “When the needle hits your skin and the water come rushing in. Filling up behind your eyes. Hold me close, hold me tight. Hold me close, hold me tight.”

It marks a big shift from their first album, which Rana acknowledges: ‘The very first album, we signed a deal with a publishing company in the UK, we went over to Abbey Road to record it, it’s a different vibe going from Abbey Road to writing in your bedroom! This song is in a major key and I really like the guitar hook, it was the stand out element for me. I remember the chord progression came first. Sometimes, I write a few chords and think: “Nah, that’s shit” (laughs) but this one just unfolded in front of me. Knowing me, I probably wrote five or six guitar hooks before this one and then wondered which one I should use! You can sit there and just get these guitar lines. I get carried away and have too many guitar lines! But Jared will tell me if it’s too much or I’d be here forever (laughs). We worked with a producer once who only gave us five minutes on something, then said we had to move on! Next up, we can expect some tracks that take them in a new direction: ‘They almost sound a bit punkish! I want to make them more like ‘I Need You More Than Ever’.’

‘John Lennon once said he didn’t pick up the guitar for five years – that might be a bit long!’

Other songs come to him on a loop, like ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’: ‘I came up with the chord progression, hummed a melody into my iPhone. If it makes it into the studio, we’re good. At the moment, I’m struggling with the motivation and just taking a step back, but I’ve written three or four songs. I’ve sat back and thought I wanted to wait, you can’t write for writing’s sake. You have to enjoy it. John Lennon once said he didn’t pick up the guitar for five years – that might be a bit long!’

I tell him the story of a young Paul McCartney and John Lennon getting on a bus to the other side of Liverpool because they’d heard there was someone there who could teach them to play a B7 chord and he laughs: ‘There’s something magical about going to somebody’s house to learn a chord, isn’t there? These days, I listen to Miles Davis, The National, The War on Drugs, bits and pieces. I try not to analyse music, I want to find the magic and just listen to it. I find myself listening to more podcasts at the moment – it’s like a reset. Locally, the DMAs come to mind, they’re great, I saw one of their first gigs in a small pub. Gang of Youths, Spacey Jane and Sticky Fingers – they’re some of my faves. Perth have produced some amazing bands over the years, like Eskimo Joe and The Sleepy Jackson. Melbourne has always had a good scene but they’ve tried to kill the scene in Sydney over the years by shutting down venues.’

He mulls who he’d most like to go for a pint with: ‘I guess everyone says John Lennon but he’d be cool, he’s probably my fave singer out of The Beatles,’ he said. ‘Or Matt Bellamy from Muse, to explore how he writes his guitar hooks, I’d ask him: “How do I write a good song like yours?” It would be cool to have a jam with them, to see what their perspective is!’