I've yet to meet an Australian who couldn't be described as the nicest human being on the planet, but Keith Jeffery of Atlas Genius quickly made his way to the top of that list.  

He’s chill but still very much a rocker, with the vibe of someone who’s proved himself musically yet still knows there’s more to do. Or maybe it was the guitar case in his hand as he walked into The Veggie Grill at The Grove in Los Angeles. Either way, there was a sense of cool assuredness and a mastery of the vegan menu in front of us that I did not possess.  

Keith should be confident. He and his brother, Michael Jeffery, came out swinging with the massive hit, "Trojans," as well as “If So” off their debut, When It Was Now, which they followed up with the well-received singles "Stockholm” and “Molecules” off last summer’s Inanimate Objects.

As we at our salads—Keith’s the very LA workhouse-sounding “power salad” with blackened chickin’, which he highly recommended—the 34-year-old singer recalled the combination of hard work, innate talent and years of practice that led to the Jeffery brothers’ success. Growing up in the coastal city of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, Keith and Michael were surrounded by music. Their dad played guitar, and as young kids, the brothers would excitedly request songs for him to play. “Sometimes he would sit out and play guitar in the lounge, and we’d sit outside and hide out and hear through the windows,” Keith recalls. “We used to sit around so he didn’t know we were listening. The thrill that one of your family members, like your dad, [could play music] was great. I’m sure that sowed the seed.” 

Keith and Michael built a home studio with their dad, and they haven’t stopped playing in bands since, some of which included their other brother, Steven. (While he’s not in the band, Steven was involved in the making of Inanimate Objects.) 

“It’s all been working towards the same thing,” Keith explains of his many former groups. “It all just contributes to your aesthetic and approach to writing. I mean, at one point, we were heavily into blues, and you don’t hear that in Atlas Genius, but that gets into the guitar playing and certain choices that you make, even though it might be a subtle thing.” 

Everything Keith writes for the band is, in fact, about finding that perfect sound. “You chase the feeling that the music creates,” he says. “It envelopes you, and you’re set in time, and the feeling of it will evoke certain emotions or a stream of consciousness, so lyrics will just flow out.” 

Keith pauses to take a sip of iced tea, but quickly continues, fascinated by the deconstruction of quality pop music. “It’s trying to find a juxtaposition. You might have music that’s very somber and then you want to put a certain playfulness in the lyrics,” he explains. “Or conversely, with a song like ‘Trojans,’ the music might have a light to it. I remember someone describing ‘Trojans’ as being a summery song, and that was really surprising, because I always thought of it in relation to the lyrics, which are quite dark.

“I really detest pop music when it’s super happy music, super happy lyrics, and there’s no balance there,” he adds. “It’s like cooking. If you put sweet ingredients into a dish, it’s probably not going to be a great dish. You need to find the savory and sweet moments. It’s the same with song writing.” 

That’s precisely what Keith did with “Stockholm,” a single that’s inherently sad once you discover that the demise of a long-distance relationship was what led to the song’s creation. “Long-distance relationships are very hard. I think after about six months you need to make a decision, and we kept it going for [too long] and it became too painful,” he says. “So it was a really strange time. I had just gotten to Sweden, being with somebody you love, and kind of always knowing this is probably the last time that you’re going to see them.” 

The idea for the song and melody came while he was at the hotel gym, and he sprinted back to his room to flesh it out. The lyrics refer directly back to that week, which is, as he pointed out, clear from the second line: “Saw a mountain, went to bed.” 

That romantic relationship, as well as platonic and professional ones, make up the bulk of the lyrical heavyweights on Inanimate Objects, which comes with the territory when you spend the better part of four years on a tour bus with nearly a dozen people—one of whom is your brother.

“We definitely have our moments where it’s extremely challenging, and that’s why I think it’s always healthy that Mike’s on the East Coast and I’m on the West Coast,” he admits. “We get our space, and then we get back together, and it’s like, ‘I’m glad to see you!’”

Keith’s adopted city of Los Angeles has been something of a creative renaissance for him. Though he’s spent the better part of his life consumed by music, in California, he’s constantly busy, whether it’s working on Atlas Genius tracks or producing for others. “I didn’t think about it when I was younger, but the great thing about being here in LA is that every day I can write for someone or with someone,” he admits. “Everybody’s got a dream—some of them are delusional—but there are a lot of us here who are doing it because we are legitimately trying to express ourselves.”

Though Keith considers Southern California home these days, he rarely stays in one place too long. Shortly after we spoke, Atlas Genius began their tour, which has taken them across the country until their final date in LA, after which they’ll hit the summer festival circuit.

At every stop, there’s a little piece of his true home with him: a clothespin and Vegamite. Sweetly, the pin is because his mother left a clothes peg on after doing laundry for him, before one of his first tours in America. “It’s always nice to have it,” Keith admitted. 

Vegamite is because, well, the Jefferys are Australian. “Even though I’m vegan now, what I tell people is it’s kind of got a savory roast beef flavor,” he says. “If you’re expecting that kind of vibe, it doesn’t shock you. It’s when you’re expecting it to taste like Nutella, then you’re probably repulsed.” 

Veganism is why we were lunching at The Veggie Grill. Keith and his brother are “gung-ho” vegans. He admits that his stance is “militant,” noting that he has to be very careful when discussing his lifestyle choice because it can alienate those who don’t share the same beliefs. “I can’t think of another issue that I’m more passionate and adamant about, because there are no arguments that anybody’s ever come at me with to make me even feel like it’s acceptable not to be vegan,” he says.

Keith is intelligent and well-spoken, and while that was obvious from the moment we sat down, it became even clearer once he got rolling on veganism. He cited three reasons for why he lives an animal-free lifestyle: compassion for animals, personal health and welfare, and the environment. “Just because we’re not seeing it on a daily basis doesn’t mean there aren’t horrific things happening at every minute of every day on this planet,” he adds. 

To be fair, I’m one of those non-vegans with my own reasons for why I do eat meat, logistical standpoints that I’m well aware wouldn’t hold up to Keith’s arguments. But what I appreciate is that he doesn’t shy aware from his strict stance, both in real life and on social media. He called out both Ricky Gervais and Morrissey for being staunchly about animal rights, but the actor isn’t vegan and the singer only became one within the last 12 months. “He was vegetarian. And what a f**king confusing message that guy’s been sending to the world,” Keith said of Morrissey. 

While many musicians might not be so outspoken for fear of losing fans, Keith doesn’t possess that ability. “I’ve thought about keeping it under wraps, but it pisses me off too much,” he admits. 

That’s why he did what one wouldn’t normally expect—he called out Jared Leto for sharing a photo of an obese pig with huge testicles that was trapped in a cage, most likely going to market. 

As a fellow vegan @JaredLeto how is this well-endowed pig being taken to market an appropriate source of humour? pic.twitter.com/tCTTJeRkcy

— Keith Jeffery (@KeithWHJeffery) February 1, 2016

“He was laughing about the size of the pig’s testicles,” Keith explained of the meme. “That would be funny if it was in a field, maybe, but it’s not. It’s on its way to being killed. Don’t put this up as a funny moment. He’s a nice guy. I’ve met him and he’s been super, super sweet, at least to me, but I think it’s dangerous when people are put on a pedestal and they send a confusing message. It shouldn’t be tolerated, if you’re an animal rights activist.” 

As Keith admits, his opinions could turn some off, but that’s the point—he has a clear, distinct point of view. This intelligent, self-awareness guides his lyrics, which in turn guides his band, and while the smart, catchy pop songs speak for themselves, it’s the combination that truly makes Atlas Genius worth listening to.