Tuesday, July 12, 2022

DJ Interviews: Neon Fields

 Hey there guys DJ Dizzy here & this is my interview with the band, Neon Fields.


How'd you get started in music? 

After a twelve-year hiatus, Ed Barrett (vocals) began writing demos intending to find like-minded musicians and start a new project. Neon Fields formed in 2020, weeks before the start of the global pandemic, with Piers Ward on keyboards and guitar and Luke Russe on drums. A few weeks into working on new material, a national lockdown was announced which restricted us from being able to meet and rehearse. Determined to continue, we worked together remotely producing ideas at home and sharing them electronically. This writing process coupled with additional time, allowed us to take a more considered approach to production, which had a positive effect on our music and helped sculpt our style. 

 Who are your inspirations or influences? 

As a collective, there are several bands and artists we draw influence from including Gary Numan, NIN, Depeche Mode, Alt-J and Moderat to name a few. We are also heavily influenced and inspired by Sci-Fi films and literature. The compositional styles of Vangelis, Hans Zimmer and Atticus Ross contribute to our cinematic style and creative structures. Furthermore, Sci-Fi and apocalyptic themes are woven throughout the narratives in our material. 

 What advice would you offer aspiring performers? 

The best advice I can offer is to try and make the most out of every situation. Very little goes to plan in the music industry and the past few years have often been unpredictable and inauspicious but try and find a way to turn situations to your advantage. I would also add that regardless of how many people are involved in your project, play to your strengths and trust in other people’s abilities. Above all, encourage one another. It’s difficult putting yourself out there so it helps if you’re each other's biggest fans. 

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers? 

We strive to create an immersive experience both compositionally and thematically with our material whilst keeping it relevant and approachable. I think this helps make us stand out in a very crowded space. I also think because we draw from such a span of influences, our music crosses several genres which gives our sound a unique component. This has had a counterintuitive effect in the past in that we have struggled to concisely define our genre and find an existing fan base. That being said, we have built an amazing and engaged group of fans both locally and in the US, Canada and Australia. 

 Any new gigs or albums in the future 

Our debut album is scheduled to release on the 12th of August which is very exciting. It’s a self-titled piece of work that is the result of two years of hard work. The album comprises the six tracks from our EP released in 2021, the two singles Meant To Be and Shelter which both received enthusiastic approval from fans and critics, and five brand new tracks. In the lead-up to the release, we are hosting a digital album launch event for which we are releasing a series of videos that discuss the narratives, lyrics, composition, and production of each track. The entire album will be available to download for free for anyone who has signed up for the launch event at neon-fields.co.uk/join. We also have a new line of merchandise to celebrate the album including a commemorative tee. 

No comments:

Post a Comment