Mary Gilmore, Staff Writer
On April 26th, SUNY Oneonta held its annual OH-Fest, a day filled with festivities followed by a concert. This year, students selected Neon Trees as the headlining act. The event began with a performance by Oneonta’s very own student band, Buffalo Joe and the Hobos, setting the stage for an unforgettable evening. Before the concert, I had the privilege of interviewing three members of Neon Trees: Tyler Glenn, Elaine Bradley, and Chris Allen.
If your band didn’t know, the Oh-Fest selection process is done by the students, so you all were hand picked by the students here at SUNY Oneonta. What was your reaction when you found out your band was voted as this year’s OH-Fest performer?
Bradley: You know, it’s not really presented to us that way. We just get an email that says, “Hey can you do this,” but nothing that says the students chose us.
Glenn: Yeah so we’re in real time finding that out. That’s super cool.
Your band has released so many songs together and there’s always a story in the lyrics. What inspires your lyrics and what themes do you like to explore in your songs?
Glenn: Often it just comes from my personal life. I really like to pay attention to what makes me tick, what makes me feel hot, and what makes me feel underwhelmed. I like to really subvert dark themes into happy sounding songs. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Smiths and Morrissey, so I enjoy that subversion of dancing and waving your hands in the air, but if you listen a little deeper, you’re miserable.
How does it feel to perform in front of a live audience?
Bradley: It’s really cool. It depends on the audience though. I feel like anytime anyone shows up, there’s an inherent gratitude there, but some nights are tougher than others. Because as an artist on stage, we all depend on the energy exchange with the crowd. So, if you’re feeling a stubborn energy, you’re sensitive to that.
Glenn: The minute and chance we get to all be crammed in a room together and not glued to our phones, it’s truly rewarding. It’s a reminder that we’re all human beings with a heart trying to have a good time. That’s my goal as the frontman.
How do you hope your music will be remembered by your fans and the music industry?
Bradley: I hope we’re one of those bands, like The Smiths, where I grew up on them, but I can go back and listen because they stand the test of time. So I hope that people feel that we’ve released music that is timeless enough to enjoy it for the rest of your life. As far as the industry, who cares honestly? We equally say, “thank you and f*** you” to the music industry.
Glenn: It’s scary to age and watch new fads come and go, but it’s almost nice to be sixteen plus years into our career and still performing shows like this for younger generations. Like you guys are young and we’re well into our 40s now, but it’s so exciting to be playing for the youth.
Our school has a talented music program and students have even formed bands of their own. What advice would you give them?
Glenn: Just believe in yourself. I think your intuition and personal goals are way more powerful than you give yourself credit for. There’s a lot of noise and unsolicited advice that will come your way, but if you’ve got talent, focus, and a dream, then believe in that.
Bradley: I never set out to do what I’m doing. Go after what you want, but be able to pivot. I always thought I would be the front person in a band, but somewhere along the way I got stuck behind the drums and it worked. It made sense. But the most important part is to go after what you want. You won’t be able to pivot if there is no motion.
What can your fans expect from you in the future? Do you have any new projects you can share?
Glenn: We have a fall run of this tour that we will announce in more major cities. Then we’re gonna cap the tour and get back to writing. I don’t want to take another big gap from writing and producing again, I kind of just want to put out another record soon.
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