One might say San Francisco-based Citay’s sound is as epic as its hometown’s skyline. Despite the grandeur and the spaciousness that has captivated music critics and sonic aficionados alike, the origins of Citay trace back to one-Ezra Feinberg. In 2004, Feinberg began work on the self-titled debut CD “Citay,” showing great promise for recreating the acoustic sounds of golden AM radio with a dark twist. Citay followed with the critically-acclaimed “Little Kingdom” in 2007. This album is a collection of beautiful soundscapes of varied topography, forming canyons from complex dissonant valleys and rising, arching vocals. Primed for another album, due out early next year, Feinberg agreed to share a few tidbits about his creative process and Jewish life with schmooze.
schmooze: What is one thing you would want someone to know about Citay before listening to your music?

Feinberg: Music is as important as anything in my life, and that is something that my band and I work really hard on.

schmooze: What do you set out to portray in your music? What is your mindset when you come to the drawing board?

Feinberg: I just want to come up with something good. I want to come up with a good idea, one that sticks with me, one that leads to a song that I like listening to. Something that provides a mood or a vibe or just gives me a smile. For me, it only happens through hard work and trial and error-until I find something that works. I don’t have a lofty goal in mind, other than to put together good ideas that will be part of a great song and a great album. I don’t say, “I’m going to write a happy or sad song.” I try to keep things simple harmonically, but allow them to get elaborate, compositionally. I like to get carried away when I write.

schmooze: The types of songs that you’re making have this dual grandness and simplicity to them-where do you start with a song like that? Does anything ever come to you in your sleep?

Feinberg: Nothing has ever come to me in my sleep, unfortunately. Usually, a melody or a bar on the guitar will emerge from playing around quite a bit, and I’ll go with it. But the process is a laborious one, because even when melodies appear, they need things around them. I start with my acoustic guitar and an Apple computer with GarageBand [software]. I spend a few hourat a time to make simple recordings of little pieces-just little pieces-and I do this for several months. I never try to compose whole songs in one or two sittings. That’s why I can only do about two or three songs at a time. After about four months, things start to emerge and I start to have enough material for an album. Then I go to the studio with my producer Tim Green, and he helps me flesh out the songs, add to them, change them. Basically, he helps me recreate songs that I made in my living room in the studio. But it all starts with one man alone and a canvas, the canvas being GarageBand of course.

schmooze: Do you feel that the studio versions of these songs are represented accurately on stage? What are some of the adjustments you have to make for a live show?

Feinberg: When people come see us live, they’re surprised by the volume and intensity. The songs are being played rather loyally, but the music has this sonic element and a punch that you don’t hear on the albums. The songs are a little more mellow and spaced out.

schmooze: Many critics have described your music as “psychedelic pop-rock.” Do you agree with that label?

Feinberg: Citay’s music encompasses a whole lot of influences because it encompasses the music that I listen to. And I listen to a lot of different music. I think that “psychedelic” is a term that is very much in vogue now, and I think I know what people mean by it. The “pop” part resonates the most with me, because Citay songs are my best attempt at writing pop songs. Citay songs are pop songs to me. I know they’re a little long and don’t quite fit the mold perfectly, but they’re melodic and catchy, and they’re the best that I can do at writing pop music.
schmooze: Are there any particular tracks of yours that stick out to you as favorites?

Feinberg: There are a couple of songs where I play electric guitar, “Former Child” and “Vinter,” and they have these darker, heavier jams when I play them live. I really love being able to stretch them out live.

schmooze: There’s a song on your debut album Citay entitled, “Shalom of Safed.” Where’s the inspiration for the name of the song?

Feinberg: Shalom of Safed is an Israeli artist. I don’t really know much about him. But in my house where I grew up [in Cambridge, Mass.] there was this painting of goats and animals grazing, and it was by this painter Shalom of Safed. I never really knew who he was or what it meant…it was just something that was around me.

schmooze: That brings me to a couple of questions regarding your Judaism. What’s your level of observance?

Feinberg: I’m not terribly religious, but I grew up a Reform Jew-I had a Bar Mitzvah. I feel very identified with being Jewish, although I don’t practice. I don’t really believe in God, but I’ve gotten more into it in the last year.

schmooze: Have you done anything Jewish informally?

Feinberg: I started going to the East Bay Chevrei, which is an informal Torah/Talmud study group. Every two weeks, we meet at my cousin’s friend’s house and we discuss a different theme: animal rights, sexuality, Zionism, tzedakah, things of that nature. We study what the Bible and the Talmud say about it and what we think about it. Usually we’ll have an hour-long discussion about the topic. There’s a young rabbi, David Kasher, who runs it, and he really does a great job leading the group. It’s by far the most religious activity I’ve engaged myself in since my Bar Mitzvah. For me, this is just as Jewish as believing in God. I was used to Judaism just being Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, etc…and so this Chevrei group has been pretty cool for me. It doesn’t feel Jewish in the same way as going to temple, but it feels just as Jewish.

schmooze: Do you think that your Jewish identity finds its way into your music, or do you view your music as a secular endeavor?

Feinberg: I think it’s more of a secular endeavor. I don’t really have an interest in having my music being identified with Judaism. I think klezmer music [a type of music that sounds like the human voice] is cool and I know the canon of Jewish rock stars, but there’s nothing Jewish about Citay except that Ezra Feinberg is writing those songs.

schmooze: What can we expect next from Citay?

Feinberg: If you like Citay’s music, you’ll like the next record. But it’s noticeably different. It’s certainly poppier and more stretched out. It’s got a looser feel to it. Imagine the hair being let down and the free flags flying.

Text By: Benji Derman