By Keith Sharp
Had everything gone according to plan, Halifax natives Neon Dreams would have concluded a major Canadian tour earlier this year, opening for crack Vancouver rockers, Hedley, a tour that was projected to vault the R&B/EDM/rappers to a higher echelon in the Canadian music stratosphere in support of their current EP `Wolf, Princess & Me’
Yet instead of gracing the stages of key venues like Oshawa’s GM Place. Montreal’s Bell Centre and Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre, Neon Dreams now find themselves heading out on a lengthy club tour of locations like Toronto’s Mod Club and Kitchener’s Maxwell Centre opening for Ria Mae.
To be fair to Neon Dreams, it was their decision to pull out of Hedley’s Cageless tour when allegations of sexual impropriety were leveled at Hedley, a decision neither lead vocalist Frankie Kadillac, guitarist Matt Gats, drummer Adrian Morris or DJ/Vocalist Corey Larue regret making.
On the phone from Toronto, Kadillac admitted “The band’s energies had been poured into that tour and we had no idea initially what to do next, we had put everything on the line.” But what did happen as a result was an invite for Kadillac to attend a SOCAN songwriter’s clinic in Nicaragua which proved to be a life-changing experience for the young songwriter.
With the release of the band’s new single “Guilty”, a composition inspired by Kadillac’s Nicaraguan sojourn, he says that in retrospect, cancelling the Hedley tour was the best thing that could have happened to Neon Dreams.
“We could have still played those dates but after we heard about those allegations against Hedley, we just didn’t feel right doing them,” Kadillac confessed. “My mother always told me to be honest with myself about how I feel and the band felt it made the right decision. And my life has changed in such a positive way because of that decision.”
When Kadillac got the last-minute invite from SOCAN he didn’t even know where Nicaragua was having never set foot off the North American continent. “But aside from the song writing, I started meditating, doing Yoga and accepting a new way of life. The whole process proved to be beneficial.”
Kadillac’s internal rejuvenation has sparked a bout of creativity that will shortly come together in the band’s first complete studio album, to be released early next year on their own imprint, Dreaming Out Loud which will be released by Warner Music Canada.
Ever since making an impact with the hit song “Marching Bands” off their second EP, `To You’ released in 2016, Neon Dreams has slowly but steadily evolved from a Rap/EDM band to one with an evolving R&B base. “Our first couple of EP’s were experimental but as our song writing has taken shape, I think our material is taking on a more distinctive mood.
Aside from operating their own label, the band is also investing in managing other Maritime talent and are currently working with Bridges from Newfoundland and Cape Breton ‘s Jodi Guthro, daughter of famed Maritime musician Bruce Guthro.
Neon Dreams are looking forward to road testing their new material when they not only perform their own set but also back Montrealer Ria Mae, an artist the band has the greatest respect for. “When I first started song writing I was looking for a female voice and Rae was looking for an EDM band to back her so we hooked up to record a song and we have been looking for an opportunity to work together,” informed Kadillac.
“The next project will be incredible for us and it will shine the light on a new direction,” buzzed an enthused Kadillac. “We also want to shine the light on the East Coast of Canada. We want to create an album big enough that other people will be checking out Halifax and the Maritimes in general to discover the next big talent. There are some great artists there and if we can help develop them – so much the better.” For complete touring information, please link to. https://www.neondreams.ca/tour/