โFound You,โ a retrowave hit that sounds like it belongs in a 1980s sci-fi thriller, hypnotizes with cutting synths and funky bass lines that could be the soundtrack to your favorite B movie. โFound You,โ a song by independent label Handsome Money that was produced by Kenny Cash (of the bands Goose, Similar Kind), motivated the team to complete a music video challenge in 24 hours while also documenting the process. For a Scream Fan Film that will be released in late 2023, โFound Youโ has already been requested to serve as the feature soundtrack. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
Evan: I used to be inย an Indie Pop band,โSimilar Kindโ and we recorded our records at Factory Underground Recording studio, Located in Norwalk, CT. Kenny Cash is the owner and producer at Factory Underground and thatโs where we first met Kenny & I worked closely on songs with Similar Kind and eventually started working together on some tracks that Kenny had and this led to Neon Sines.
2. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โNEON SINESโ?
NEON SINES: Neon Sines is heavily 80โs influenced and we incorporate styles like Synthwave, retrowave and vapor soulย but we love groups like MGMT, Crystal Castles, Mareux, Tame Impala, and Gorillaz.ย The name just seemed to fit the music.
3. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
Evan: I tend to add sonar sounds in some of the tracks. I donโt know what it is about that sound but I find it very appealing, and believe it subliminally attracts the listener even though thatโs probably not the case at all.
Kenny Cash:The lyrics and themes are always really forefront for me. For instance, โFound You,โ is about a dead girl found on the beach that ends up haunting the town where she was found. Thatโs not your typical topic to be singing about but it gave me a veryย visual way to approach the music and vibe.
4. You consider your Most recent release, โFound Youโ as Neon Sinesโ โfirst true single.โย Why is that?
Kenny Cash:ย Our first couple of releases (โGuilty Pleasure,โ and โLet Me Down Easyโ)ย were really created during the early stages of the project, when we were just feeling out where things would go.ย Those were also collaborations with other artists/singers and on โFound Youโ we decided after listening to Evanโs demo vocals that he could do the job.
5. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
Kenny Cash:
I lost the first hip hop artist I was producing, Lighta, to a car crash when he was driving home from a show.ย We had just released a video for his Song โI Die young,โ which was supposed to be a statement about violence.ย We shot the video in a cemetery where he was eventually buried.ย I lost a good friend that day.
6. 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 INDIE?
Evan:
I have no formal, and very little informal experience working in a studio, working with audio engineers or producers. I am learning every day when working with Kenny Cash. When writing music and working on demos at home, I believe that Iโve found a formula that works for me. Im comfortable with my writing process but not comfortable enough, to the point that Iโd ever be afraid of trying something new.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
Kenny:
ย The project is fairly new but from Iโm super happy with the reaction that we have been getting from our first true single, โFound You,โ weโve done some light advertising on youtube and Iโm pretty impressed with the amount of people that have been reacting to the track
8. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
Kenny Cash: ย I think inspiration can come from a lot of places.ย It could be whatโs going on politically or from your favorite tv show.ย At the end of the day I think itโs best for the listeners to decide what the art means to them and assign their own value to the music.
Evan: I think that itโs important that everyone should be free to interpret songs in their own personal way? Many times, Iโve written songs about 1 topic or idea, knowing it will be interpreted in many directions. Itโs fun hearing how they are interpreted.
9. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
Evan: Im proud of what i have done in my life overall and super proud of my son, Eli. As an artist and songwriter, I do have some goals that I would like to hit.
Kenny Cash:ย For me success in music is a little bit like a drug.ย Once Iโve achieved one โsuccess,โ Iโm immediately searching for the next.ย But some notable things are taking local bands such as the band that Evan used to be in, Similar Kind and Goose and being a part of turning them into national acts.
10. Whatโs next for Neon Sines?ย Do you plan on any special promotion or release strategy?
Kenny Cash:ย Because we are trying to bolster our music licensing catalog we plan on being pretty regular at releasing music.ย Our next release, โAfter Midnight,โ is set for a 4/21/23 release date.ย ย And we have been doing a Handsome Money (named after our label/production team) video podcast with our videographer/photographer friend from The Factory Underground, Guzman Gonzalez and Ben Macnamara from Similar Kind where we tackle various art/tech challenges and document the experiences.ย Itโs been pretty fun and we think itโs pretty funny.
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