Photo via Facebook / Joe Quinto
Joe Quinto’s first full-length album, Blue Genes, has a somewhat stripped-down energy in comparison to his previous shorter releases. However, the project feels like the biggest release of his musical endeavors to date, with the most intimate look at the man behind soulful hybrid of hip hop and pop. Largely revolving around acoustic elements like a prominent ukulele and subdued bongos, the tracks take on a very personal approach, both captured by Quinto’s lyrics as well as his vocal tones. It sounds like someone bearing their soul for the world to hear, and hoping that the right people will connect with that.
Part of the intimacy of the record lies in the way that it was created. Quinto first developed the sound that would ultimately make up Blue Genes on a pair of tracks that were unveiled as the Soltura EP in 2019. The full-length follow-up that would become this album had been planned for 2020, and then ultimately was pushed to this March. A good percentage of the project was recorded in a cabin in northern Wisconsin, which worked well for production logistics and a creative workflow.
“About 50 to 60% of the album was done in that weekend in the cabin” explains Quinto. “It’s funny, the outro to the album is a song called ‘Together,’ and that wasn’t ever on the docket of anything. I was out on the deck writing what I thought was the last verse for the record, and I heard strumming come from inside. I knocked on the window and was like ‘Lay that down’! I was done writing that verse, I came in, and it was recorded. It ended up being a nice bookend to tie the album together.”
The recording approach undoubtedly helped develop the sound that would play out on tracks like “Just Breathe” and “Life of the Party,” which feel like a campfire-fueled jam session upon first listen. The latter, which was released as a single, is a testament to the clever songwriting that happens throughout the LP. The song has all the tropes of your radio-ready party pop smash, until ultimately revealing that the party in question is a funeral. It’s a somber turn of events that quickly reminds you the type of record that Quinto and his collaborators set out to make; one that can keep you engaged, yet still make you think. While it would be easy to assume the solitude of quarantine would fuel this record, that wasn’t the case.
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“Most of these songs were written in 2019, before everything sort of went sideways” explained Quinto. “Once things did get crazy, though, it was interesting to me how they sort of resonated in a different way. I feel like the amount of people that could relate to the themes in the album expanded from that. The things that I wrote about on the album are definitely things that affected me, but they’ve become more universal.”
Almost a year removed from the creation of the album, the world looks very different for Joe Quinto going forward. While continuing to write and prepare new material, there aren’t many personal goals remaining for 2021.
“I’m hoping to get to play a show or two this year” said Quinto. “It doesn’t have to be anything big. I just want to get out there and connect with people again.”
You can stream Blue Genes today on all major streaming platforms.
