Telling a fictional tale sure to intrigue us all, the Alternative-Rock band Neon the Bishop releases the second chapter of an in-depth story with their latest single, "A Death Full of Life."
The 5-piece band noted that their eclectic sound provides stimulating and electrifying climates while also getting down and dirty with their lyricism.
Neon the Bishop was merely formed to tell the fictional story of a fallen clergyman, who after death, embarks on greater journey's that he missed when alive.
With their latest single "A Death Full of Life," Neon the Bishop brings a scorching atmosphere through lively alt-rock instrumentation and the lead vocalist's powerful and engaging vocals that keep us locked in. Not to mention his lyricism that depicts more extraordinary journeys laying ahead, Neon the Bishop takes us through bright and heavily dynamic instrumentals that perfectly reflect the song's unique message.
Opening with soft piano chords, "A Death Full of Life" perfectly begins with the track's haunting tone while reflecting the clergyman's upcoming adventure. Once the surrounding instrumentation starts to swell with powerful alt-rock instrumentals, the entire atmosphere delivers such strength and force.
Giving listeners a sense of renewal and rebirth through this single, Neon the Bishop depicts that our journey is much longer than our years here on earth.
Passionately moving back and forth between powerful and softened instrumentals, we can't help but get down with Neon the Bishop's textured and stimulating sophomore single "A Death Full of Life," and we're excited to see where their story takes us next.
Your single "A Death Full of Life" has indeed taken us on a ride. Could you enlighten us as to how the band initially found inspiration for the story of a fallen clergyman?
It was kind of by accident that we came up with the original concept. When we decided we were going to move forward with this project, we began looking for a name. Upon stumbling through some band name generators online, we found two words we liked. “Neon” and “bishop.” From there it grew into something that wrote itself. I knew from the start that if we were going to pursue success, that we would need to be different. Not necessarily just musically, but in how we operate as a band, how we treat others, and how we write. We want to tell a story that inspires and encourages people in the darkest of places. It is very much my own personal story coming out in an alter-ego if you will. It’s also a story I believe anyone can relate to. I was presenting myself to be something I wasn’t. I hurt myself, and a lot of people with my pride and selfishness. The same is true of Neon’s former self (yet to be revealed). His is a story of second chances, and killing his former self was the beginning of finding his true purpose. His story is “A Death Full of Life” in fact, not just in the story.
Regarding "A Death Full of Life," we can hear these sweltering and anticipatory instrumentals that resemble bands like Journey and Whitesnake. Would you say that your sound has this natural 80s flair to it?
Absolutely. Of course, when we set out to make music, we didn’t set out to sound like anything specific. We all had different bands and genres we liked, but we were excited to see what would come without forcing anything. Our great diversity of musical tastes and even our ages (youngest 18 and oldest 39) has led to a pretty original sound. Future releases are set to put off even more of this vibe. The “Neon the Bishop” sound is distinct but eclectic enough not to sound homogenized.
How does "A Death Full of Life" continue the original story told on "Ignite"? How do the two singles work off each other to add to the tale?
Our first single, “Ignite” represents Neon’s and our passion for what we do and sharing it with others who we hope will also share with others. “A Death Full of Life” is Neon’s origin story, so it becomes the prequel to “Ignite” and its music video. You can see glimpses of this story on our Instagram feed in the form of a kind of comic book. This will also be made more obvious with the “A Death Full of Life” music video release, coming soon.
Could you tell us about the group's inception, and how you came to the consensus that you would be releasing fictional and conceptual pieces of music?
We started as a group of guys just wanting to jam together back in January of 2019. We really liked what we were creating and decided to take it out of the basement. We played our first show on May 11th to a sold-out crowd of about 150 people at a little venue in Lone Tree, CO. The energy and excitement buzzing at that show told us that we were on to something special. We wanted to pursue something beyond just a hobby, and make a living doing what we love. In order to do this, we needed to do something that set us apart from other projects. Though many bands have done the conceptual thing, we wanted to do it in a way that came across in our live shows and that really brought a positive influence to those around us. The best part is that the story doesn’t have an ending. It’s writing itself as we go and as we write new music. That makes it just as entertaining to us as to those we create it for. We are still working hard at making this a “living” and the fun we’re still having makes it more than worth it.
What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?
This year has been difficult for most, and we are no exception. After a great 2019 creating a lot of buzz here in the Denver scene, our eyes were fixed on a very successful 2020. No need to explain what happened at this point, but we’ve kept up on creating and planning for the future. We’ve kept inspired by finding ways to highlight other artists here in Denver and beyond. We feel it’s part of our purpose as a band. It's too often that music scenes can feel cutthroat and bands step over one another to get to the top. We are here to support other bands and if that means they pass us up, then we feel we’ve done our job to support the music community and art as a whole. The arts and music scene everywhere are in need of mutual support and community more than ever. We should all be happy to lift one another up. It’s good for our cities and our communities. I am very excited that most artists here in Denver believe this as well, and for many, you can hear that playful harmony in their performances and releases. It's one of the many reasons we love the Denver music scene.