Hey friend! Just so you're aware, Inside the Machine is complete and no longer producing episodes. Please enjoy the archives, and maybe take a listen to my current work.
Six years ago, Joel Ebner exited his previous band and started a totally different project. His former act, The Modern Temper, were purveyors of explosive indie rock, and experienced a nice wave of local success. Eventually, they did as all bands do, and dissolved: each member sought artistic freedom, and the need to move on.
He found that freedom to experiment in City States. Trading his guitar and bass for synthesizers, the landscape of his music changed drastically. The band, though only comprised of a single member, took on a life of it’s own — releasing several EPs and growing in popularity with each one.
His debut full-length, Geography, is poised to amaze. Altered by the loss of Joel’s father (which he received news of during the writing process), the album is filled with haunting lyrics, exploring our own mortality. Ebner’s performances will grab you, and the melodies will stick in your head.
But what does it mean, when your first major project addresses the end-of-life? How can you connect a fresh project with ideas about the end? I ask, and Joel responds. Let’s hear his story today on Inside the Machine.
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