A Conversation with Neon Bloom 

Interview and Photography by Zoobia Ilyas (@recent.developments)

I sat down with Toronto’s Neon Bloom on the release date for their first full-length album titled  “Begin Here” ahead of their bold and energetic return to the stage at The Monarch Tavern.  Throughout our candid conversation, the garage rock/synth pop band revealed insight into their  creative process, the importance of community, and what it means exactly, to Begin Here.  

Thank you for meeting with me today, and congratulations on the album release. How are you feeling about it?

Jen Simpson 

Very satisfied to finally have got all these songs, finished, recorded, put on an album and  released into the world. It's almost a relief in a way. A very triumphant feeling, and that's sort of  the message behind the album, too. So, yeah, we think we're going to have a good night  tonight.  

Speaking of the album – what a great place for us to start with, “Begin Here.” Can you walk  me through your process in creating this album? What story were you trying to tell, if any?  

Fred Yurichuk  

It's something that's we've been working on since the pandemic, when we started putting some  new songs together. We had released other singles in the meanwhile but this was a larger  collection and a lot of it was based on recordings that we had done in professional studios.  Previously, some of it was studios, a lot of it was home recordings, but this time we had the  capacity to get into some really elevated studios and work with different producers. We're  working with at least three different producers and three different studios in this album. I think  it speaks to a lot of a little bit of range and what type of music we come up with when we get  together and have our little alchemy from punk and garage rock all the way into like dance-y  electronics sounds. So we're getting a bit of variety, some darker sounds and even some  brighter songs. Some of the more bright and upbeat ones we've ever put in recordings.  

Jen Simpson  

Story wise, there's a lot going on there. There's a lot of very personal stories and then touching  on some more macro level type of themes like, you know, some of the worries about the  environment and where we're headed as humans and worries about technology and just like,  what is going on? Politically, everything. And down to like extremely personal stories for me,  some of them have to do with family, betrayal, divorce, disability, becoming ill, all this adversity.  

So there's a lot of very Gothic type of stuff in there, and dark stuff that happened. And then  ultimately, lyrically, the whole album sort of hinges on this journey through all of that real stuff that, people have to deal with, hopefully not all of that in one lifetime, but, you know, I just won the lottery there.

Going through it, working your way through, and then coming out into a much  better, brighter, happier place, which I think that feeling is reflected in some of the more upbeat  songs, like Through Fate, which was the focus track for today, actually for the release day. And  finding your way and beginning again and beginning with what you have. Instead of lamenting  all the things you don't have, or you could have, or you should have or where you should be in  life, you just take a very stark and sober look at where you are. Start from there and stay very  hopeful because there is always a brighter day and better things ahead and you just have to  keep going. That's really the main thing. It's just to not give up.  

Can you talk about what your musical influences were during recording? What were you  listening to while you were making the album – were there any specific influences that you  drew from? Were there any influences that you think your fans would be surprised about?  

Jen Simpson  

I think we have a lot of similar influences, and then we also diverge in different ways. So I'm sure  for each instrument, everyone has their specific influences. For me, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs,  Blondie, like all the classic female-fronted rock bands. I love all that. Pretenders, Joan Jett, all of  it. Metric. I also really love Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. That might be a little out there and  something people wouldn't really necessarily imagine, but I love, love, love, love him. And the  showmanship and the drama and all of that.  

Chris Romano  

I could say from a groove standpoint, in the rhythm section, we're very all over the place. But I  know coming to this band, it's always situated in a “it’s got to feel good” kind of notion. So if it's  not grooving or you're not bobbing your head or something, it got re-envisioned. At least that's  the way, on drums, that I've always approached it. And so especially with the influences from all  over, from Red Hot Chili Peppers to some of the grunge 90s Nirvana kind of influences, and then  going to Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs…But I always have to say from a rhythm section, it's got to feel  good and it's got to bop and have a little funkiness to it.  

Simon Chow  

And there were a few points I remember we were talking about Daft Punk too, Daft Punk drum sounds, or groovy dance-y stuff they were doing, especially on Random Access Memories, those kinds of tones and sounds. For some of the dance-ier songs we kept coming back to that. Some of the synth stuff, the guitar stuff. 

I was watching your music videos, and I noticed that you're very involved in the direction and  the production, the acting, etc. Why is it important for you to be so deeply involved in the  visual aspects? And is that something that you hope to continue throughout your career as a  band?

Chris Romano  

I'd like to say we've been very blessed by some very talented people. Especially Fred, who's  done a lot of the videography, cinematography, photos and everything. I can't take too much  credit. Simon as well for putting those videos and the vision behind everything's been pretty  awesome from their side.  

Fred Yurichuk  

Thank you, Chris. And Jen's very natural in front of the camera and with acting or some dance  moves and moving in circles of friends, people pulling together to help us, you know, with  whatever we may need, some extras – spaces, photo shoots, yeah.  

Jen Simpson  

We have a lot of friends who are photographers and a lot of friends who will film great videos  live at shows too. The main thing has been like Fred is professionally, a videographer and editor,  so that's a huge help.  

And for me, I always have been very visual and I feel like the aesthetic and the clothing and all  of that might not be the most important thing, but it's part of it to me. I feel like I see things all  the time. So if I hear something, taste something, touch something, I see something associated  with that in my head, I think in images a lot of the time, so it's very much a poignant thing for  me to have a visual that matches what I'm hearing or seeing or saying or whatever. It's  underscores the message a bit for me. 

How does it feel to be back at the Monarch after quite some time? 

Fred Yurichuk  

It feels great because The Monarch definitely is a place known to have a great vibe and to be  very hip. We're working with you know, a very popular promoter, Denver, so it gives it an air of,  you know, a special show. It is a smaller room than a lot of the rooms that we've been playing,  but it's interesting because it's in a neighbourhood it's on Clinton Street. It's not a major street,  and I think people are inclined just to drop in at The Monarch, knowing that it's got a cosy,  intimate, and cool vibe. And we thought it would be fitting to work with that type of venue.  

Jen Simpson  

Yeah, it feels good when it's fuller and people are closer up to the stage. There’s a big difference  when you're performing and connecting.  

Fred Yurichuk  

And it does have great sound and lighting too.

Your fans will definitely enjoy the album, but what do you hope that newer fans will take  away from the listening experience? 

Chris Romano  

I would say that a song like Closer is a really unique song. If you were maybe not listening to  some of our other tunes, you might not have known it was actually us. That would be a cool  one, so I find that's a really unique way to find another fan base that may really like that, and  then they might traverse through some of the other stuff.  

Jen Simpson  

I feel like Closer is very different than usual, a Nirvana-esque type thing. We like experimenting. 

Fred Yurichuk  

I do like playing Like a Lover. It's really fun to play, energetic.  

Jen Simpson  

I always love playing Take.  

Chris Romano  

That one has a special emotional release. I can't not sing with Jen when she hits the main  chorus. She doesn't see it because I only see her back. But I'm usually screaming that chorus at  her from behind. Simon, which one do you shred in on, Take us Back? I don't know if that is your  favourite, but you're always ripping a guitar solo.  

Simon Chow  

Take Us Back is fun, or Say When. I think that and Take are always fun.  

Chris Romano  

From a rhythm section, I always go with the drum beats in my head. One Last Time. That one's  probably one of my more favourite ones.  

That was all the questions I had. Was there anything that you wanted to highlight for the  interview that we haven't touched upon?  

Chris Romano  

I think we just want to thank friends, family, all the people that have supported us, coming to  shows. Ross, our producer, David Plowman, Rob Sanzo, Brett Zilahi as well, in there. Yep. So  yeah, just everyone, everyone who's coming tonight, it’s just going to be a lot of fun. 

Simon Chow  

We're getting on almost a decade, so it feels quite triumphant. 

Thanks again, I appreciate your time! Best of luck on the show tonight. 

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