"'Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight' is about the love and truth that exists within all of us. It's about trying to latch on to those healing frequencies when you find yourself in an emotional attachment that is unserving. 
 
This song is related to a point in my life when I felt trapped in an unhealthy pattern of behaviour. My addiction was beginning to affect not just myself, but the people close to me. I knew that if I was going to heal I needed to find my way back to vibrations of love and truth; the true essence of our being. It was that sensation of being held close and tight by the energy of unconditional love that saved me."
- Geoff 🥃

Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight

“‘Blood-Soaked’ tells the tale of the power of the mind. Although you get to choose the outcome, you are not always the winner. Reality is your prize, and is your creation, and that creation can be your greatest achievement or your biggest downfall. I’ve tried to convey this message through the loose narrative of a prize fighter from ancient Greece in a battle of epic proportions, hanging on for dear life.”
- Geoff 🥃

Blood-Soaked

“‘One Day This Love Will Die’ is the surrender to lust. It is the dance of the serpent seeking its prey. It is the fatal blow of that serpent; the moment of possession; love paralysed and betrayed and falling victim to the venomous strike of lust.”
- Geoff 🥃

One Day This Love Will Die

“Liebling Girl” is the tenth and final single to be released from our sophomore LP Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight. In that sense it’s a celebratory release for us. It sounds like it too! 

The track celebrates the joy of love and the strength and power of the divine feminine and the protective maternal energy that comes with it. It also showcases a more vulnerable and tender side of Geoff's songwriting.

Here's some insight into the track straight from Geoff...

“‘​​Liebling Girl’ tells the story of how I met my wife. I was moving into a share house with some mates and, at the last minute, one of those mates pulled out. We were left without a third housemate so we needed to quickly find someone else to take his spot. We put an ad in the local paper and had a number of replies. However, it was a young German girl on a working holiday who took the room and moved in. Little did I know that destiny’s plan was in motion and after a few months our relationship became more than just roommates. ‘Liebling Girl’ takes you through the journey from my perspective, from this person becoming my roommate to becoming my wife.”
- Geoff 🥃 

“Liebling” is of German origin and translates to “darling” in English ;)

- JK

Liebling Girl

Sydney indie rock three-piece Crystal Cities have made a triumphant return after almost a year-long hiatus. Although that’s not to say they haven't been busy. Lead vocalist and guitarist/keyboardist Geoff Rana has been spending days on end in his self-made studio where he’s been writing, producing and engineering the band’s latest material. Today we get the first taste of said latest material in the form of new single, “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”. 

While the band’s previous effort - their sophomore album Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight - was an exercise in hard-hitting alternative rock that could rattle a live audience, “Love Don’t live Here Anymore” feels more explorative and colourful. Yes, the signature big anthemic chorus is still there, however this time it feels more personable, more relatable, and more emotive. Rana even tries his hand at a low croon for the song’s verses which will be a pleasant surprise for listeners familiar with their back catalogue. 

"I happened to be going through one of those 'down' moments where giving up music and writing songs seemed like the best option for moving forward with my life... Wild peaks of motivation followed by troughs of listlessness are simply part of the experience of being a creative person struggling to find some semblance of success in an ever-changing world... Ironically, it was when I was feeling at my lowest that I happened to sit down with my guitar and start strumming the opening chords for ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’.

It was through this song that I found myself reuniting with why I write songs and why I love it so much. ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’ is about the experience of losing something or someone you once loved and then the joy you get from reconnecting with, or rediscovering that something or someone."
⁣- Geoff Rana (vocals/guitar/keys)

The song also features the band’s newest member, Neel Shukla. Shukla replaces previous drummer Daniel Conte who has performed on all the band’s previous work. 

Long-time Crystal Cities collaborator Paul Lani (David Bowie, Prince) was once again tapped to handle mixing and mastering duties for the recording.

SInce the band’s formation in 2016 they have released a highly praised EP - Who’s Gonna Save Us Now (2017) - and two critically acclaimed albums - Under The Cold Light of the Moon (2019) and Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight (2021). 

The band consists of Geoff Rana (lead vocals, guitar, keys), Jared King (Bass, backing vocals), and newest member, Neel Shukla (Drums).

I Should Have Known That This Was War

Love Don't Live Here Anymore

Sydney indie rock three-piece Crystal Cities are back, this time with the title track and second single from their forthcoming 3rd LP, I Should Have Known That This Was War. The song reveals a more experimental approach to the band’s songwriting this time around, both in terms of instrumentation and arrangement. Geoff Rana’s first lyrics echo this sentiment of change also, “Hold my cigarette, yeah, I think I need a break from the same old song and dance”.

The synth pads underlying the track create a spacey, cosmic bed which instantly take the listener somewhere they’ve never been whilst listening to a Crystal Cities track. Rana delivers the verse vocals with swagger before the song opens up into a spacious and uplifting chorus. The track then takes a Bowie-esque turn, relaxing into an almost free-time bridge where a haunting theremin-sounding synth provides most of the harmonic support. 

"It is a song about the polarising experience of life; when the universe and all the things that encompass it seem to coalesce in such a way that life appears to be your ally, but then quickly turns and appears to become your enemy; when life seems to gracefully surrender to your will, but then in an instant throws everything it has at you. It’s about the unexpected wins and losses that life can deliver at any given moment. The song takes some unexpected twists and turns to reflect this sentiment."
⁣- Geoff Rana (vocals/guitar/keys)

Lead vocalist and guitarist/keyboardist Geoff Rana has been spending days on end in his self-made studio where he’s been writing, producing and engineering the band’s latest material.

While the band’s previous effort - their sophomore album Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight - was an exercise in hard-hitting alternative rock that could rattle a live audience, the band’s third LP, I Should Have Known That This Was War, feels more explorative and colourful (at least from the two singles released from the band thus far, the first being “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”). 

This new single happens to be the last Crystal Cities song previous drummer Daniel Conte performs on, with new drummer Neel Shukla taking over the drumming duties for the remainder of the tracks on the upcoming album.

Long-time Crystal Cities collaborator Paul Lani (David Bowie, Prince) was once again tapped to handle mixing and mastering duties for the recording.

SInce the band’s formation in 2016 they have released a highly praised EP - Who’s Gonna Save Us Now (2017) - and two critically acclaimed albums - Under The Cold Light of the Moon (2019) and Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight (2021). There is no scheduled release date for the band’s forthcoming third album. 

The band consists of Geoff Rana (lead vocals, guitar, keys), Jared King (Bass, backing vocals), and newest member, Neel Shukla (Drums).

Sydney indie rock three-piece Crystal Cities continue to build momentum as they release “The Strangest Dream”, the 3rd single from their forthcoming 3rd LP, I Should Have Known That This Was War. The single marks a return to the band’s earlier more dark and brooding material with lyrics like:
Yeah, I had the strangest dream
Yeah, the one I’ve had a million times
Yeah, the one where I wake before I die

Spacey dreamscape verses turn into thundering choruses as the track unfurls. New drummer Neel Shukla makes his presence known as he digs deep into his rolling chorus pattern, gradually  building in intensity and complexity. Jared King’s bass also gets a moment to take centre stage in verse two as the instrumentation is pared back to just a synth pad, bass and vocals. A beautiful moment ensues as the bass and lead vocal dance around each other before the song explodes once again into an anthemic but ominous chorus that The National would be proud of.

“'The Strangest Dream' is about a recurring dream I was having where I was fighting for my life against some kind of foe. Some nights the dream would become so intense that I felt like there was no escape and that I was looking death right in the eyes. It was always then that I would be awakened.”
⁣- Geoff Rana (vocals/guitar/keys)


Lead vocalist and guitarist/keyboardist Geoff Rana has been spending days on end in his self-made studio where he’s been writing, producing and engineering the band’s latest material.

While the band’s previous effort - their sophomore album Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight - was an exercise in hard-hitting alternative rock that could rattle a live audience, the band’s third LP, I Should Have Known That This Was War, feels more explorative and colourful (at least from the two singles released from the band thus far, the first being “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” and the second being “I Should Have Known That This Was War”). 

This new album also marks the departure of previous drummer Daniel Conte and the arrival of new drummer Neel Shukla. Neel, Geoff and Jared have a long-standing relationship that spans all the way back to when they all studied Contemporary Music Performance together at The Australian Institute of Music in Sydney.

Long-time Crystal Cities collaborator Paul Lani (David Bowie, Prince) was once again tapped to handle mixing and mastering duties for the recording.

SInce the band’s formation in 2016 they have released a highly praised EP - Who’s Gonna Save Us Now (2017) - and two critically acclaimed albums - Under The Cold Light of the Moon (2019) and Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight (2021). There is no scheduled release date for the band’s forthcoming third album.

The Strangest Dream

“The White Wall” is the fourth single to be released from Sydney indie rock three-piece Crystal Cities forthcoming third LP, I Should Have Known That This Was War. 

The single is the group’s most hard-hitting and assertive track in a while. While the band’s iconic reverb-drenched dreamscapes are still present, the more energetic and aggressive performances from each member on this track don’t go unnoticed. 

“The White Wall” captures the listener’s attention immediately with its stark intro; a thunderous drum groove with only vocals to accompany it. Geoff Rana’s lyrics are biting: “My God, I can’t believe it, that you have fallen for this now. The lights are barely flicking, but you can’t wait to put them out.” 


The guitar and bass tightly interweave with one another in the verses to create a kind of claustrophobic tension, before the song finally opens up into an ocean of guitar ambience with Rana asking the listener, “Did I tell you about the time? Yeah, behind the white wall.”

“‘The white wall’ is a term I read about, regarding the illusion of reality, where behind the white wall lies the truth about our existence. I related this concept to my experience during the Covid lockdowns and the psychological warfare I found myself in during this time; unable to reach for any kind of solid truth within the fog of mass hysteria…”
⁣- Geoff Rana (vocals/guitar/keys)


Lead vocalist and guitarist/keyboardist Geoff Rana has been spending days on end in his self-made studio where he’s been writing, producing and engineering the band’s latest material.

While the band’s previous effort - their sophomore album Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight - was an exercise in hard-hitting alternative rock that could rattle a live audience, the band’s third LP, I Should Have Known That This Was War, feels more explorative and colourful (at least from the three singles released from the band thus far:“Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”“I Should Have Known That This Was War”, and “The Strangest Dream”). 

This new album also marks the departure of previous drummer Daniel Conte and the arrival of new drummer Neel Shukla. Neel, Geoff and Jared have a long-standing relationship that spans all the way back to when they all studied Contemporary Music Performance together at The Australian Institute of Music in Sydney.

Long-time Crystal Cities collaborator Paul Lani (David Bowie, Prince) was once again tapped to handle mixing and mastering duties for the recording.

Since the band’s formation in 2016 they have released a highly praised EP - Who’s Gonna Save Us Now (2017) - and two critically acclaimed albums - Under The Cold Light of the Moon (2019) and Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight (2021). There is no scheduled release date for the band’s forthcoming third album.

The White Wall

‘Haunted By You’ is the fifth single off of our upcoming 3rd LP, "I Should Have Known That This Was War"

“‘Haunted By You’ is a goodbye to someone I had a turbulent relationship with. I never had the chance to resolve this relationship before this person passed over. The song is a letting go of the memories that tied me to this relationship and shaped who I was for such a long time. This is my final conversation; my forgiveness.”
⁣- Geoff Rana (vocals/guitar/keys)

Haunted By You

‘Just a Fool’ is the sixth single off of our upcoming 3rd LP, "I Should Have Known That This Was War"

“‘Just a Fool’ is about the time I found myself in a relationship where I couldn’t be 100% honest with the other person. I didn’t think they would understand or accept me for who I was at the time. I really liked the person and we were having such a great time together but at the same time I felt like a fool. I was keeping a big part of me a secret and the longer I found myself in the relationship the more I couldn’t relax and be my true honest self around them and explain why at times why I was acting so aloof… Looking back now I was just a fool… Being open and honest in the relationship would have been a lot healthier on us both.”
⁣- Geoff Rana (vocals/guitar/keys)

Just a Fool

Under The Cold Light Of The Moon

The Wolves They Will Come

The head swims as its gorgeous intro tenderly carries the conscious away. The vocals of lead singer Geoff Rana, soft and angelically unique, surprise and delight as they soar effortlessly.  And while it’s a chilled track that you can just kick back to, in the same breath, it has a tempo to which you can gently groove to.

With its calming yet wistful nature, I can’t help but be fondly reminded of The War on Drugs’s 2014 record Lost In The Dream. If ever there were a track to play in your car, driving down a long scenic stretch of road, your windows down to catch a cool summer breeze just as the sun rises – this is it! It’s simply stunning. 

Who's Gonna Save Us Now EP

Talking To Myself

Tell Me Now is an edgy indie pop track that has been submerged into a groovin fuzz bass with driving drum patterns, dripping with indie pop guitar hooks and coated with an infectious vocal melody that is sure to remain in your consciousness and get you singing along in no time! Tell me now evokes the need to stop immediately, get in the moment and not waste a moment more.

www.facebook.com/crystalcitiesmusic
www.instagram.com/crystal_cities
https://twitter.com/CrystalCities
https://crystalcities.bandcamp.com

Tell Me Now

Debut EP "Who's Gonna Save Us Now" coming out March 3rd 2017

"We spent a year in our mate's garage writing and recording some tracks. It got pretty dreamy (and sweaty)... and we're digging it... it's good to finally be out and giving you these tunes.

We'll be dropping our debut E.P. in March. It's called "Who's Gonna Save Us Now". This is also the title of the lead single (cause ya gotta have a single ya know...). Feels good to open the garage door and set these tracks free into the world and into ya ear holes.

Peace, 
Crystal Cities “

EMAIL:
hello@crystalcities.co

SOCIALS -
www.facebook.com/crystalcitiesmusic
www.crystalcities.bandcamp.com
www.twitter.com/CrystalCities
www.instagram.com/crystal_cities
www.soundcloud.com/crystalcities

Who's Gonna Save Us Now

Binary Eyes is the second single released off Crystal Cities debut EP, "Who's Gonna Save Us Now".

Binary Eyes

Cut Me Loose is the second track off Crystal Cities debut EP, "Who's Gonna Save Us Now".

Cut Me Loose

Title track and lead single from the upcoming debut album by Crystal Cities.

"The song ‘Under the Cold Light of the Moon’ was inspired by the plight of young North Korean girl Yeonmi Park who escaped North Korea in search of freedom. After watching her speech I penned the lyrics, interpreting her story.”
- Geoff Rana (vocals / guitar)

Under the Cold Light of the Moon

Track #1 from the debut album by Crystal Cities, 'Under the Cold Light of the Moon'.

If I Don't Make the Morning

Track #4 from the debut album by Crystal Cities, 'Under the Cold Light of the Moon'.

I Hear a Cold Wind Calling

Track #3 from the debut album by Crystal Cities, 'Under the Cold Light of the Moon'.

Could You Love Me Again

Track #6 from the debut album by Crystal Cities, 'Under the Cold Light of the Moon'.

Between You and Me

Track #8 from the debut album by Crystal Cities, 'Under the Cold Light of the Moon'.

You Were the Last to Know

"Don't Speak Too Soon" is my first attempt at being an engineer and producer. It was a lot more involved than just showing up to the studio to record my parts! I think more hours were spent reading and watching tutorials than actually recording.

One of the biggest mental and technical hurdles I had to overcome was losing all my vocal takes and having to re-record them all over again.

- Geoff

Don't Speak Too Soon

"Got My Back to the Wind" is based on a night out I had where I found myself at the casino till the late hours of the morning. I pieced together moments and characters from the night as inspiration for the song and based the narrative around a larger-than-life main protagonist - a sharp dressed, martini-drinking gambler with attitude, rolling with the big time players.⁣
⁣
The character finds himself winning effortlessly and thinking he can do no wrong. Draped in woman, with pockets full of money, and completely out of his mind, he eventually stumbles out of the casino in the early hours of the morning looking for the next adventure. ⁣
⁣
"Got My Back to the Wind" is the high before the hangover.

⁣- Geoff

Got My Back to the Wind

When I was on tour years ago I was stopped and questioned by U.S. Customs at Toronto airport. They wanted to know my intentions and why I was travelling to the US after spending a week in Toronto. "Well, I’m a singer in a band and I’ve got shows booked across the country from New York to LA" I said. The rest of the band were completely unaware of the situation I was in and were way ahead of me, had cleared Customs, and were awaiting my arrival on the plane.

After an intense interrogation, the Customs officials decided to deny me entry based on my Visa not allowing me to sing in the U.S. - you actually need an Entertainment Visa to do this which requires a lot of money and filling out tonnes of paperwork... The Customs officer walked me to the front of the airport, turned me around and said "Good luck". 

So, there I was, in a country I had never been before and I’m looking around thinking 'Where the hell do I go? What's my next move?'. Lucky I had met some really cool Canadians during the week at some of our shows, so I gave them a call. I spent the next two weeks soul searching and sleeping on floors.

"Shadow of a Doubt" is about those two weeks of having no real sense of commitment, time, place, or idea of how and when I was going to get back to Australia.

- Geoff

Shadow of a Doubt

The meaning behind this song is something I've chosen to remain a mystery. Being a music artist in 2021, we’re encouraged to share every little detail about our lives with our audience. While this has opened up many opportunities for artists to have unique and personal interactions with fans - something which we encourage and take full advantage of in Crystal Cities - there are some things that perhaps should be kept to ourselves in order to set boundaries and protect and respect the privacy of other people... In this instance, I want the context of this song to be left up to the listener’s own interpretation.

- Geoff

Jenny, How Were We to Know?

Jenny, How Were We To Know?

‘Terrified of your Love’ is about the intense love I feel for my wife and kids and, at the same time, how terrifying that love is since I know that one day we will have to say goodbye when death ultimately tears us apart.
- Geoff 🥃

Terrified of Your Love

Terrified Of Your Love

“Where do we go when we sleep? Is sleep a gateway? A portal? Is it a chance for us to reconnect with the other side? Did we make some pre-arrangement that when we wake we will not remember these other worldly visits? Yet, some mornings we awaken with foggy recollections of our out-of-body journeys - an experience we call dreaming. It was this paradoxical sense of return to a place that was familiar yet unfamiliar that inspired ‘The Unknown’”. 
- Geoff 🥃

The Unknown

DIY Dream Rock from Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺😴 🛏🎸 
Click the link to hear our NEW single "The White Wall" ⬇️👇⬇️👇⬇️
https://open.spotify.com/track/3xEjbLOSfDBinJ1ukeXe4U?si=e38c448e072b4d64

Crystal Cities

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