Steve Geraci taps into history with primal alt-rock urgency on ‘Save Yourself’
Boston musician and Tear Downs frontman celebrates the immigrant’s journey with a high-energy and timely new single out Friday, August 22
Produced by Dave Westner and recorded at Woolly Mammoth Sound in Waltham
Listen to March single ‘Voice In My Head’
Photo Credit: Jennifer Geraci
HOMEPAGE . BANDCAMP . SPOTIFY . APPLE . YOUTUBE . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK . BLUESKY . LINKTREE
BOSTON, Mass. [August 22, 2025] – There’s a common sentiment in fiction writing that suggests that even the most made-up tales have some foundation of truth and reality embedded in their imaginative core. That idea can be applied to penning lyrics as well, and it's a realization Steve Geraci experienced very recently.
When the veteran Boston musician was penning the words to his latest single, a blistering fit of frenzied alternative rock and neo-glam called “Save Yourself,” set for release on Friday, August 22, his initial vision of a mythical journey and the characters who would discover a new land and eventually defend it as their own was actually rooted in history. Especially his own.
Turns out, Geraci, the Needham native and frontman for rock band The Tear Downs, was tapping into his own family’s lineage, and leaning into a storyline of past generations coming to this country to find a better life. What began as a wild, made-up tale of fantasy was suddenly hitting close to home.
“‘Save Yourself’ is celebrating the immigrant’s journey to the United States – a very real journey experienced by my ancestors and many other Americans,” Geraci says. “My grandparents’ journey, and my father’s journey. The idea of coming to a foreign country where you didn’t speak the language or know the people for the chance of a better life for your family – that’s the American dream.”
The subject matter has become all the more timely, given recent current events and news headlines detailing our government’s increasingly hostile view on immigration of all kinds. But Geraci knows that his family came to this country seeking that aforementioned American dream, and hopes one day we as a society will be as accepting as prior generations were.
“In contrast to how immigrants are being treated today,” he adds, “I wanted to share a glimpse of how it once was in the U.S., and how I believe it will be again.”
“Save Yourself” was produced and engineered by Dave Westner, known for his work with homegrown luminaries Peter Wolf and Dropkick Murphys, and recorded earlier this year at David Minehan’s Woolly Mammoth Sound in Waltham, Massachusetts, a studio often frequented by The Tear Downs. Westner also supplies drums on the track, adding some thunder to Geraci’s guitar, bass, and vocals.
What emerges is dynamite out of the speakers, an electric track with a ‘90s-era alt-rock intensity and livewire urgency. Geraci knew he had a proper banger on his hands early on in the writing process, and he’s thrilled at how it came together with Westner behind the drum kit and the production board.
“I want the listener to stop and lay witness,” he says. “The Dave Westner drum force de jour brings Howitzer reinforcements. The chemistry is evident between Westner and myself. The second take made it on the final version. Same with my guitar track. Two takes. The raw energy translates to the listener! During playback I knew we captured something very cool!”
And there’s even a rippin’ guitar solo that enhances its sonic gravitas, taking the composition to new heights with a sound straight out of MTV’s Buzz Bin.
“Hell, that was fun!,” he says with a laugh. “Coming out of the Pink Floyd-ish ethereal bridge, I wanted a sonic re-entry to wake the dead. Just my trusty Les Paul with feeling through Dave Minehan’s Marshall stack and a tinge of Leslie organ guitar effect to seal the deal. Magic.”
Geraci’s been weaving his musical magic for a minute now. With him splitting time between his solo work and fronting The Tear Downs – with an amicable relationship where the band isn’t territorial about what’s a Steve Geraci song and what’s a Tear Downs track, giving the songwriter room to explore new sonic terrain and chase a creative vision in his solo material – this new single follows up his well-received March single, “Voice In My Head.”
But where that track was sun-kissed and playful, a loose and infectious cruiser that recalled the new wave glide of Talking Heads and indie-pop buoyancy of Vampire Weekend, this one goes straight for the rock and roll jugular. And that’s by design, as it showcases a different side of Geraci’s solo output.
“Being an independent artist, I’m not bound to certain styles or genres, but go after vibes or styles that feel real to me,” Geraci admits. “I’ve been very lucky to work with some fantastic producers who can translate that vision in the studio. And kudos to The Tear Downs for bringing these tracks alive onstage and the audience for the juice!”
With Geraci looking ahead to 2026 for his next solo EP, the follow-up to last year’s Coming From Your Blind Spot, which will feature the aforementioned “Voice In My Head” and this new single, and a new album from The Tear Downs in the works, he’s eager to get back on the live stage. On “Save Yourself,” he’s dipped into something personal, primal, and ultimately quite timely. And it should sound huge whenever it gets performed live.
“From my earliest demo to early rehearsals with the Tear Downs, the energy on ‘Save Yourself’ was always great,” he concludes. “Then, the rawness was captured during our recording session. Listening to the rough mix revealed we bottled pure octane in this track."
Turns out it also revealed something very real.
Media Contact: Please direct press inquiries to Michael Marotta at michael@knyvet.com,
and reach Steve Geraci at teardownsband@gmail.com.
***
‘Save Yourself’ production credits:
Music and lyrics by Steve Geraci
Performed by Steve Geraci on guitar, bass, vocals
Produced and engineered by Dave Westner
Drums performed by Dave Westner
Recorded at Woolly Mammoth Sound in Waltham, MA
Artwork by Steve Geraci
***
‘Save Yourself’ single artwork:
Design by Steve Geraci
***
Steve Geraci bio:
A fixture in the Boston music scene for more than 25 years, Steve Geraci has honed his songwriting and performance skills in clubs and venues across the city. As the frontman of The Tear Downs, Geraci has gained global recognition for his introspective songwriting. With three studio efforts, including the acclaimed Open Air Cellars and Escape to the Lake, Geraci and The Tear Downs continue to push the boundaries of indie rock with this latest release. Last year, Geraci embarked on a solo career, releasing debut EP Coming From Your Blind Spot, and followed that up with a string of singles throughout 2025, beginning with “Voice In My Head” in March and now August’s “Save Yourself,” with more music on the way.
***
Media praise for Steve Geraci:
“A magnificent new melody” _The Whole Kameese
“[‘Voice In My Head’] is a cool song. Light, fun, and a little alt-rock-ishly dissonant.” _Geoff Wilbur’s Music Blog
Steve Geraci of The Tear Downs has a new solo single out that both sounds like Boston and nothing like Boston at the same time. ‘Voice in My Head’ is a slightly off-kilter version of the kind of Boston power pop we cover quite a bit here at If It's Too Loud... It's a bouncy and upbeat sounding indie rock goes power pop song, and is kind of perfect for those of us in New England as we start gearing up for spring. It's catchy and infectious… sounding like Vampire Weekend meets T Rex.” _If It’s Too Loud
‘Voice In My Head’ by Steve Geraci finds The Tear Downs’ frontman in a rather buoyant mood. From the outset, the track’s contrast of groove led drumming and intermittent guitar chops advertises something a little off-beat, but there’s actually a great melody fighting its way through the spikier elements. The guitar tone is cool enough to hold the listener’s interest, but as Steve steers everything further into a world where new wave quirks collide with pub rock swagger, the melody feels even more assured. …[T]he end result is great, and the song is far more infectious than your first listen might suggest.” _Real Gone
“On the one side [in ‘Voice In My Head’] I hear the strict, formalistic new wave of the late 70s, early 80s and on the other I hear an attempt to be far more pop. In fact even Duran Duran entered my head at some point, like in the pre-chorus. When all is said and done, the combination does work. Steve Geraci's voice makes me think of Dan Baird of 'I Love You, Period' fame over here. Geraci has that toughness in his voice, while being able to carry more poppy elements as well. The combination of it all simply works.” _WoNoBlog
“The 11 songs on [The Tear Downs’] Open Air Cellars fit comfortably within the expansive territory of power pop and straight-ahead rock.”_Metro West Daily News
“Based off of our first listen of Open Air Cellars, this is one of the most cohesive sounding records that come across our path in quite a while. From start to finish, it certainly shows off a wide variety of genres, however, The Tear Downs have put a signature sound on it that distances themselves from the rest of similar acts producing similar sounds.” _We Write About Music
***
Press Contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Artist Contact: Steve Geraci at teardownsband@gmail.com
HOMEPAGE . BANDCAMP . SPOTIFY . APPLE . YOUTUBE . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK . BLUESKY . LINKTREE
