Neon Trees Return to the Last.fm Studio for a Victory Lap

Since first coming by our studio in February of 2010, a month before the release of their debut album Habits, Neon Trees have never stopped doing what it takes to get heard and seen. They toured relentlessly across the globe, which made me wonder if Tyler Glenn, Chris Allen, Branden Campbell and Elaine Bradley would ever find time to start album #2.

Tyler spent the last few years writing in hotels, airports and airplanes and eventually would plan time in that busy schedule to get the band together to begin working on what would become the sophomore album, Picture Show. As we waited two years for the follow-up album, outside of their fans anxiously waiting for the next batch of songs, they really didn’t have “eyes on them” which relieved the pressure of getting that next record out. But believe me, with Picture Show out, the Provo, UT band are truly relieved!

Bassist Branden Campbell put it best when he said that their music is “not defined to one musical genre”. “There’s something for everyone”. Settle in and watch Neon Trees play three songs from Picture Show, acoustically for the first time anywhere, from our studio in New York City.

Everybody Talks Lyrics

Hey baby won't you look my way,
I can be your new addiction
Hey baby what you got to say,
all you're giving me is fiction
I'm a sorry sucker and this happens all the time

Get the rest on MetroLyrics »

 

 

“Everybody Talks”

The band did not want to lose the appeal of Habits, with this song bridging the two albums together. It was inspired by The Beatles, David Bowie and the really outlandish pop songs of Queen. The first time they heard the demo of it, they were in the artist lounge at the festival T In The Park in Scotland last year as they were packing up getting ready to leave. Almost immediately Tyler created “the dance,” which he hopes will become the next Macarena!

Everybody Talks Lyrics

Hey baby won't you look my way,
I can be your new addiction
Hey baby what you got to say,
all you're giving me is fiction
I'm a sorry sucker and this happens all the time

Get the rest on MetroLyrics »

 

 

“Mad Love”

This one was in Tyler’s head for six-months. He first wanted it to be a “bratty song’ with the throwback vibe of Bruce Springsteen’s “Tunnel Of Love”. The finished version leans more in the Weezer and Descendents vein. In Tyler’s words, imagine Roy Orbison and Bruce Springsteen meeting Yazoo and The Human League. Elaine chimes in and agrees with Tyler that this song is their proudest musical moment to date.

“Lessons In Love (All Day, All Night)”

A collaboration with Kaskade that first showed up on his album Fire & Ice. Neon Trees decided to record their own version for the Picture Show album. It’s described by Tyler as a charming, yet haunting song that visits the sophisticated dark-wave synthpop of the mid ’80′s by bands like Soft Cell, New Order and Depeche Mode.

Interview Part I:

Interview Part II: