The New York rock band Geese, whose members were asked to name the artists that shaped their sound growing up, gave a varied list spanning classic rock, garage rock and alternative acts rather than confirming the frequent comparisons made to The Strokes. Such deflection is a familiar move for buzzy new bands facing constant comparisons to a single obvious reference point, following a pattern seen with artists like Jake Bugg (often likened to Bob Dylan) and Greta Van Fleet (compared to Led Zeppelin).

Frontman Cameron Winter said the band leaned on "heady classic rock like Pink Floyd and Yes" in middle school, before gravitating towards garage-inspired acts including Thee Oh Sees, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Ty Segall in high school. He added that the band's tastes have since diverged individually, though they share a common love of Radiohead, Swans, Deerhoof and Led Zeppelin, and he named Radiohead's In Rainbows as the album that most changed the course of his life. He also recalled his first ever gig being They Might Be Giants performing in Prospect Park.