Neil C. Young Trio will release ReWorks Vol.3 on 14 August 2026, a three-track EP featuring dense, heavy Jazz Fusion and Post-Rock reimagining iconic pop and hip-hop structures. Utilizing doubled bass lines and solo-guitar architecture, this North West England-based group bridges technicalities with raw, genre-bending performance. Neil C. Young Trio are a North West England based post-rock jazz fusion outfit led by critically acclaimed guitarist Neil C. Young. Known for their sophisticated yet soulful sound, the trio blend jazz, folk, and rock influences into a rhythmically driven style that can touch your heart and set your hair on fire! Check out the exclusive Interview below:
1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO:
My earliest memory of making music that made sense (to me at least…) was when I was 4 years old and I was messing about on the piano my parents had in the house and I ended up finding a 4-chord sequence that I kept looping around and around which has stuck with me ever since. After a good number of years, I had the theory knowledge to be able to work the sequence out and it turned out to be – Am Dm/A Bm(no5)/A Am – and so the liking of crunchiness and a sense of journey seems to have been unlocked back then, just didn’t know what it was, just liked the sound!
2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO:
It was personal exploration which then led to formal training and education. I tried everything I could that was around, the piano and then the recorder at junior school. It was the recorder that was the first step in reading music, before then trying the cornet with an old teach yourself cassette tape that I used to play along to, again, this all helped with the reading of music. I did try the guitar soon after this but it didn’t seem to trigger anything at that point but then the violin did, everything made sense with the sound and mechanics of it; and also the marriage of reading and where those notes lay on the fingerboard. It was this that then led to formal musical study which led to rediscovering the electric guitar and then using the guitar as a means to compose and arrange and ultimately adding in the improvisational element to my work.
3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound? Also, what’s the story behind choosing the name ‘NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO’?
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO:
My dad is the first person to mention as although he is also a musician left both my brother and me to discover music in our own time which has helped to develop the enjoyment aspect of music and to play what you enjoy and to embrace the fact that it is very much about expressing yourself. Second is Gary Boyle who was the first guitar legend/hero I met and got to know well. He encouraged and helped to get across the power and expressive impact of the technical side of playing not just with the guitar itself but the power of listening to others to promote creativity and again, enjoyment of playing. Finally Fred T. Bake who helped shape the theoretical aspect and to keep on thinking alternatively about things and to experiment and just that he always had a strong faith in what I was doing or at least attempting to do!
The name Neil C. Young Trio is simply because I made a decision to play my music in a band and so it was a quick solution, which due to a certain other Neil Young, the ‘C’ has been added along with trio to attempt to differentiate between the two of us, there has been confusion between in the past but maybe that’s a whole different conversation
4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO:
I believe that it is the creation of an individual sense of journey that we create through the trio’s music. The trio have developed a chunkiness to the sound through the doubling of the bass line with the guitar, yet, there is an expansive ambient and cinematic element using the FX pedals to contrast that which are explored during performances (Studio and live). I would describe our sound as post-rock jazz fusion and we hope to generate a range of emotional experience at our gigs, from the nostalgic and sentimental across to more emotions that could be on the anger spectrum.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as ROCK?
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO:
Definitely emulation has been taking place, from the earliest bands and players that I was listening to with my first guitar (a fine black strat that I still have) – The Edge (U2) and Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) are the two that stand out, but it wasn’t long before I got turned onto Jazz and fusion music which then switched who I was listening to, so Weather Report and Keith Jarrett were people I was listening to and emulating on the guitar and then from there I did get heavily into Pat Metheny and Allan Holdsworth and so there was a lot transcription taking place. It was through seeing and hearing their use of the guitar synth that I got one, a Roland GR30 and it generated glorious tones, and the band that I used this is was more experimental than a straight ahead trio with a DJ and samplers set up. Two more players to mention that I have spent time emulating elements are George Benson and Wayne Krantz for their phrasing and also melodic chordal work.
All these have helped shape the style in the trio but somehow unintentionally we’ve walked into a Post-Rock environment which we were made aware of by audience comments and rattling off band names that I was previously unaware of as I was still thinking of us being a Jazz Fusion band; but it does seem to make sense and reflects the rock roots but laced with the improvisation and harmonic structures.
6. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, what’s the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?
With the ReWorks project the first part is identifying a track that I’d like to play in its original format, albeit in and instrumental form and then from there, learning the original song and then playing from that transcription to discover a fragment or larger sequence from the track that could become a fundamental element in a new arrangement; these could by any of the musical elements, there are no restrictions just the element that appears. From then it’s playing and experimenting further to generate a first draft arrangement and then we rehearse it and gig to see where else it takes its course. Some tracks have been arranged and played in that form still to this day or some are always throwing up new ideas so they are continually developing and growing.
For the original music side of the repertoire, it is pretty much the same, it’s just getting that initial idea before the composition and arranging process begins that is slightly different, sometimes an idea appears in the head or an idea will appear whilst practicing something completely unrelated.
For both the ReWorks and original works there is a shared practice of developing tracks and that is that wherever possible, the gig or rehearsals are recorded to enable the analysis of progress and also to be able to hear any new ideas that could have emerged either through an accident or in the improvised sections that warrant being a larger and more significant feature of the track.
7. On the flip side, what moment or achievement in your career so far has made you feel the proudest, and why? And let’s talk about your latest release and future plans.
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO
The proudest thing so far is not a single thing but that I still have the motivation to create and improve and not sit still musically, there have been times when I have had doubts but that’s what makes it significant that I am still working away and finding areas to either explore or improve on.
The latest release is the 3rd and final EP in a current set which is also reflected in the artwork for the 3 EP’s. It also is a reflection of where we are as a trio, capturing our long form live versions rather than the shorter recorded arrangements on Vol.1 and 2. It also demonstrates how our sound has evolved through the expansion of FX pedals being used to generate a new sonic edge, mainly through the use of momentary freeze to generate washes and pads. There’s a rig rundown over on YouTube demonstrating the set up used on the recordings.
Coming up next are more releases, firstly an EP of original music in the autumn and then another ReWorks EP in 2027. Alongside gigs across the autumn to support the releases and then, a long standing idea to complete a project involving a string section which has been lurking in the mind for a while now and it needs setting free!
8. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO:
It is something that I have dealt with by not engaging with them, I’m fortunate to not be the recipient of any online issues as yet, it’s been mainly people at gigs giving a bit a grief but then I try to remember that they simply don’t like what we or I am doing and that’s totally ok it’s the way they present it to me in an aggressive form that I walk away from. . Sometimes though, there are people who can express themselves in a more respectful manner and I have ended up having longer and more interesting conversations with them about music which is how I think it should be, you can disagree, it doesn’t have to be aggressive.
9. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO:
This is difficult to choose; in rehearsal or studio time there is a relaxed environment to explore all and any ideas that come to mind either by design or happy accident and the chance to talk through ideas, try them out in isolation and then put them back together however, in the live setting, the one off moment to play and let out the work done in the studio and see how it works with a live audience is equally an exciting moment, the audience does drive me on to explore and push my ability to express myself and to find the limitations of my technique and to feel the audience move along with you as the journey through the arrangements progresses, creating a unique shared experience.
10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
NEIL C. YOUNG TRIO:
In relation to the ReWorks project I do think it’s important to convey what we believe the message of the song is about and how I’ve tried to keep that message present in our performance and also, the musical elements that we have used directly from the track and where the most impactful changes have been made.
In relation to my original music, I would like people to hear and make their own interpretations and experiences, this is reflected in the track names which I attempt to keep as abstract or nonsensical as possible. This is particularly highlighted in a sub-series of tracks all linked to the title ‘Anon’ as they are of a spiritual and reflective nature.
I try not to place any demands or expectations on the audience and I don’t assume that audiences will get what it is that we do at first listening but once in, it does seem to be that audiences are enjoying the journey and epic nature of what we collectively are creating at the current time.
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