Neon Trees

Biography

Neon Trees are an American rock band founded in Provo, Utah. The band received nationwide exposure in late 2008 when they opened several North American tour dates for the band the Killers. Not long after, the band was signed by Mercury Records. Their first single, "Animal×Animal21 January 2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Animal3:32", climbed to No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart.
Since their formation, Neon Trees has released five studio albums: Habits×Habits1 January 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Sins of My Youth3:382Love and Affection3:043Animal3:324Your Surrender3:41519833:426Girls and Boys in School3:327In the Next Room3:508Our War4:059Helpless2:5310Farther Down5:16 (2010), Picture Show×Picture Show17 April 2012 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Moving in the Dark3:022Teenage Sounds4:223Everybody Talks2:574Mad Love3:105Weekend4:356Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night)3:437Trust6:058Close to You5:059Hooray for Hollywood3:1310Still Young5:0411I Am the D.J.5:14 (2012), Pop Psychology×Pop Psychology22 April 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks1Love in the 21st Century3:212Text Me in the Morning3:053Sleeping With a Friend3:494Teenager in Love3:185I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends)3:166Unavoidable3:587Voices in the Halls2:598Foolish Behavior3:519Living in Another World3:4310First Things First5:07 (2014), I Can Feel You Forgetting Me×I Can Feel You Forgetting Me24 July 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Nights3:362Used to Like3:183Holy Ghost3:134Skeleton Boy2:555Mess Me Up3:166Living Single3:187Everything Is Killing Me3:128Going Through Something4:019When the Night Is Over3:1010New Best Friend3:43 (2020), and Sink Your Teeth (2024). The band has also released eight EPs (two exclusive to iTunes) and fourteen singles.

Early years (2005–2010)

Formed initially by childhood friends Tyler Glenn (vocals, keyboards) and Chris Allen (guitar, vocals) who both grew up in Murrieta, California, the band made its first home in Provo after Glenn and Allen moved there from Southern California, eventually adding Branden Campbell (bass guitar, vocals) and Elaine Bradley (drums, percussion, vocals) to the lineup. David Charles plays with the band as touring guitarist.
They first started playing under the name Neon Trees in late 2005 with five original members, Tyler Glenn and Chris Allen from California, and three veterans of the Utah music scene, bass player Mike Liechty, drummer Jason Gibbons and keyboardist Nathan Evans. The band's name originates from the lighted trees on the In-N-Out Burger signs, which inspired Tyler Glenn. In a strange coincidence, it was later learned that Branden Campbell's father, Steve Campbell, installed the exact Neon Trees in the In-N-Out that inspired Glenn while working for a sign company out of Las Vegas.
They released an EP, Becoming Different People×Becoming Different PeopleNovember 2006 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Friendly Fire5:412Phones4:213Up Against The Glass4:344Tidal Waves2:425Souvenir4:546Sister Stereo4:387The Morning Becomes Electric3:46, in 2006 during the time of their first tour through California. The EP featured promising songs like "Phones", "Sister Stereo", "Up Against the Glass". They also recorded other unreleased tracks during the "Treehouse Sessions" in 2006.
The band's lineup soon narrowed down to four members with Branden Campbell and Elaine Bradley joining the group on bass and drums, respectively. Touring musician Bruce Rubenson on keyboards and drums joined in. Shortly thereafter, The Killers' drummer, Ronnie Vannucci Jr., went to watch the band play at a small club in Las Vegas as he had been in a Ska band called "Attaboy Skip" with Neon Trees bassist Branden Campbell prior to joining The Killers. Ronnie was impressed, and as a result they were chosen to open for The Killers for a string of dates on their 2008 North American tour. Vannucci later helped the band sign to major label Mercury Records, which was announced in late 2008. Additionally, the group was voted Band of the Year in 2009 by City Weekly, a popular Salt Lake City publication.

2010–11: Habits and commercial breakthrough

Although they had several prior independent releases, the band released its debut album on Mercury/Island Def Jam, Habits×Habits1 January 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Sins of My Youth3:382Love and Affection3:043Animal3:324Your Surrender3:41519833:426Girls and Boys in School3:327In the Next Room3:508Our War4:059Helpless2:5310Farther Down5:16, on March 16, 2010. "Animal×Animal21 January 2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Animal3:32" was chosen as the lead single and was shortly thereafter featured as the Free Single of the Week on iTunes in March 2010. They performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 23, 2010, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on May 14, 2010, Lopez Tonight on October 18, 2010, Live! with Regis & Kelly on November 4, 2010, and TBS' Conan on November 24, 2010. They performed a second single 1983 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on January 13, 2011 and another stint on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Jan 18, 2011. They performed third single "Your Surrender" on Late Show with David Letterman on May 5, 2011 and a third appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Jun 10, 2011. Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 selected "Animal" as his Spin magazine Pick of the Week. The song has also been featured on a commercial for Las Vegas. The group has also released a digital EP of four remixes of the song, one of which by Tyler Glenn.
In 2010, the band covered Justin Bieber's song "Baby" as well as Ben E. King's "Stand By Me". Throughout early 2010 the band, along with Mutemath and Street Drum Corps, opened for the Thirty Seconds to Mars tour Into the Wild. Subsequently, they headlined the Bang the Gong Tour with Paper Tongues, MeTalkPretty, and Civil Twilight in mid-2010, performed a set to 7,000 at Lollapalooza, and went on tour with Thirty Seconds to Mars in the last half of the year.

2011–13: Picture Show

On December 7, 2011, an article published by Rolling Stone's website streamed the band's new song "Everybody Talks×Everybody Talks20 December 2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Everybody Talks2:59". On February 10, 2012, a video was posted on their official YouTube page, titled Neon Trees – Picture Show Teaser One / The New Album April 17, advertising their new album is to be released on April 17, 2012. In March 2012, Neon Trees and their single "Everybody Talks" were featured in a commercial for the 2012 Buick Verano. The single was covered in episode five of season four of Glee.
Neon Trees' second studio album Picture Show×Picture Show17 April 2012 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Moving in the Dark3:022Teenage Sounds4:223Everybody Talks2:574Mad Love3:105Weekend4:356Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night)3:437Trust6:058Close to You5:059Hooray for Hollywood3:1310Still Young5:0411I Am the D.J.5:14 was released on April 17, 2012. On August 29, 2012, Neon Trees performed "Everybody Talks" on the America's Got Talent live results show. In early fall 2012, the band toured with The Offspring and Dead Sara. In 2013 they joined Maroon 5 in their world tour alongside Owl City. In November/December 2013 they were a support act for Taylor Swift's three concerts in New Zealand and four concerts in Australia. The band was featured on NBC's coverage of the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They performed an abbreviated version of their single "Everybody Talks". The second single from the album is the track "Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night)" with the collaboration of American record producer and D.J. Kaskade.

2014–2017: Pop Psychology

Neon Trees' third studio album, Pop Psychology×Pop Psychology22 April 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks1Love in the 21st Century3:212Text Me in the Morning3:053Sleeping With a Friend3:494Teenager in Love3:185I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends)3:166Unavoidable3:587Voices in the Halls2:598Foolish Behavior3:519Living in Another World3:4310First Things First5:07, was released on April 22, 2014. The first single from Pop Psychology, titled "Sleeping with a Friend×Sleeping With a Friend11 January 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Sleeping With a Friend3:49", was released for digital download. The band performed the single on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on January 22, 2014.
"Sleeping with a Friend" was solicited to U.S. Contemporary hit radio by both Mercury and Island Records on February 25, 2014. Neon Trees later released four more singles following "Sleeping with a Friend". The singles are titled "I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends)", "Voices In the Halls", and "First Things First". "First Things First" is the end credit song for the 2016 Netflix Original series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
In 2015, the group announced the "An Intimate Night With Neon Trees" Tour. The tour ran from June 6, 2015, to July 26, 2015, finishing in Boston, Massachusetts, at the House Of Blues Boston. Opening acts included Alex Winston, Yes You Are, Coin, and Fictionist.
On May 5, 2015, the band released a non-album single entitled "Songs I Can't Listen To" and an accompanying music video on June 3, 2015, featuring Dustin Lance Black.
On August 4, 2017, the band premiered a new single "Feel Good×Feel Good4 August 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Feel Good3:29".

2019–2023: I Can Feel You Forgetting Me

Neon Trees released "Used to Like×Used to Like13 November 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Used to Like3:18", the lead single from their fourth album, on November 13, 2019. The second single, "New Best Friend" was released on May 20, 2020. On July 10, 2020, the band released the third single called "Mess Me Up". The fourth and final single, "Nights", was released on July 22, 2020. The album, I Can Feel You Forgetting Me×I Can Feel You Forgetting Me24 July 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Nights3:362Used to Like3:183Holy Ghost3:134Skeleton Boy2:555Mess Me Up3:166Living Single3:187Everything Is Killing Me3:128Going Through Something4:019When the Night Is Over3:1010New Best Friend3:43, was released on July 24, 2020. In December 2021, they released a new single and video, "Holiday Rock×Holiday Rock29 October 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Holiday Rock2:57".

2023–present: Sink Your Teeth

Sink Your Teeth, the fifth studio album by Neon Trees, was released on September 20, 2024. There are 12 songs on the album. On June 30, 2023, the first and lead single of the album "Favorite Daze×Favorite Daze30 June 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Favorite Daze3:27" was released. The second single, "Losing My Head×Losing My Head15 September 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Losing My Head3:20", was released on September 15, 2023. Three more singles were released in early 2024 before the album; "Bad Dreams×Bad Dreams31 May 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Bad Dreams2:49" (May 31), "El Diablo" (July 19), and "Cruel Intentions×Cruel Intentions23 August 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Cruel Intentions2:47" (August 28)

Musical style

Neon Trees' musical style has been described as pop rock, new wave, synth-pop, indie rock, alternative rock, pop, and electropop. When describing the band's sound, Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote "Neon Trees blend new wave, dance, and indie into smart, catchy pop." Sputnikmusic described the band's debut studio album Habits×Habits1 January 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Sins of My Youth3:382Love and Affection3:043Animal3:324Your Surrender3:41519833:426Girls and Boys in School3:327In the Next Room3:508Our War4:059Helpless2:5310Farther Down5:16 as a "refreshing blast of timeless rock energy and spirit that wouldn't sound out of place at any point from '60s garage-rock to 2010 dance rock."

Band members

Current members

Chris Allen – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2005–present)
Tyler Glenn – lead vocals (2005–present); keyboards, piano, synthesizer, occasional rhythm guitar (2006–present)
Elaine Bradley – drums, percussion, backing vocals, occasional lead vocals and rhythm guitar (2007–present)
Branden Campbell – bass guitar, backing vocals (2007–present)
Former members

Mike Liechty – bass guitar (2005–2006)
Jason Gibbons – drums, percussion (2005–2006)
Nathan Evans – keyboards, piano, synthesizer (2005–2006)
Bruce Rubenson – drums, percussion, keyboards, piano, synthesizer (2006–present)
Touring musicians

David Charles – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2005–present)
Denney Fuller – bass guitar, backing vocals (2025–present)