By Brian Sweeney
Producer Tim Pagnotta calls them the pioneers of post-punk soul. Makes sense, because Alt-rock trendsetters the Neon Trees are getting some major sun through a new deal they inked on Mercury Records. Last month, the band hit #1 on the Alternative Rock Specialty Charts with “Animal,” the first single from their debut, Habits, which came out March 16th. For a freshman effort, “Animal” delivers melodic lyricism and catchy hooks while managing to make a much deeper statement, giving the listener what she wants without any shortchanging. This can also be said for the album as a whole.
Though Habits is not intended to be a concept album, it’s difficult to overlook the cohesiveness and continuity of the tracks, which makes listening to it a real musical treat. With songs such as “Sins of My Youth” and “Girls and Boys in School,” Habits is a coming of age tale about “the human experience,” says bassist Branden Campbell. “It explores what it means to love and to be loved, it is a reflection of our lives, things you can do better, interactions with people. For us, that is where the music comes out.” This homegrown brand of sincerity comes across quite clear in the album and is well represented by the band’s logo: a human heart with wings, taking flight.
The lead singer of this sturdy-yet-musically-flexible outfit is Tyler Glenn. Glenn grew up in Southern California where he first envisioned the moniker the Neon Trees, literally. Only then it was the Neon Palm Trees, thanks to actual neon palm trees that decorated the outdoor café of one of his favorite hometown spots. Tyler carried the name in his back pocket for a few years with an eye toward the future. The seeds had already been planted.
Originally formed by Glenn and his neighbor, guitarist Chris Allen, Campbell’s joining was almost serendipitous. He recounts, “as a youngster growing up in Vegas, my dad was a sign electrician who was commissioned to make those very same neon palm trees for that café in SoCal. He actually hand delivered them to Temecula.” Once they rounded out their line-up with drummer Elaine Bradley, a few years later the Neon Trees were officially in bloom. And since 2005, they’ve been growing upwards. They received some serious exposure opening for the Killers during their 2008 tour and last month they played Jimmy Kimmel. Like a good electro-indie band, they’ve turned up on the soundtrack to some of your favorite CW shows, too.
The band found the flourishing arts scene of Provo, Utah as the best place to spread their branches and create their first major album. “There is a great energy in Utah, and Provo is a big visual arts city. I studied graphic design at Utah Valley University and always knew I’d be involved in the arts somehow,” Campbell says. Though nowadays they’re in popular demand, they still remain true to their roots as they can often be found rockin’ one of their favorite venues, Club Velour in Provo with up-and-coming area rockers The Devil Whale, Desert Noises, and Shark Speed.
With their earthy, deeply rooted sound, the Neon Trees “like to mix the organic with the electronic. We’re postmodern rockers with an early punk energy, a rock band that writes songs with a pop sensibility. We are responsible to entertain people and as live performers we like to engage the audience. There is a raw emotion in the lyrics and we are certainly not afraid to create a production or put on a show. We enjoy diversity and want to ‘take it there’ while making it as fun as possible. We never want to be predictable yet always do what we believe in. Plus, we’re singing about real life, not about picking up hot chicks in nightclubs. Although,” Branden says, “maybe that will be our second record, after the tour.” The Neon Trees current national tour kicked off April 9th in Vegas, where they were joined by 30 Seconds to Mars. In addition to Philly, which the band’s playing on April 24, Brandon looks forward to getting back to Charlotte, Atlanta, and the Miami/Orlando area. As far as Philadelphia is concerned, Branden is quick to admit that he’s a big fan of Always Sunny. For this elemental foursome from Utah, let’s hope it’s always neon in Provo.
