Only a handful of songs have the power to simultaneously make me feel both emotional and euphoric. As the tempo picks up, the intensity of this emotive melody grows. In the song MEANT TO BE, lead singer Ed of the talented band Neon Fields demonstrated an exemplary style that gave the song an extraordinary tone. In addition to Luke and Piers, the band's drummer and keyboardist, they did an excellent job with this song.

The song will be released on 7th January so anticipate.

Please continue reading to learn more about this incredible band and their latest single!

Neon_Fields-Meant_To_Be

Neon_Fields-Meant_To_Be

South-West UK based rock band 'Neon Fields' was formed in 2020 by Ed Barrett (lead vocals), Luke Russe (drums) and Piers Ward (keyboards/guitar).
Their sound combines dark industrial rock, atmospheric soundscapes and vocals packed with passion and emotion to create their brand of Indie Electronic Rock.

How did you get into music?
Ed :
Growing up, music was always playing in my house. A varied selection from rock to the soul but the majority of it is Motown and soul. I enjoyed singing along to the music and I was always encouraged by my parents to perform as they loved to hear me sing. I bought my first guitar when I was 7 and based on that I should be a far better player than the novice I am!
I did a lot of musical theatre growing up and at one point acted alongside Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield in a production of Bugsy Malone. At school, I was the singer in a band that was heavily influenced by bands like Muse who have always been one of my favourites. Most notably in this band, we played alongside Mystery Jets a few times when they were first getting going. This band split up eventually in 2006 when we all went to different universities and struggled to keep meeting up regularly.
Over the 12 years that followed, I hardly did any music. I would get out the guitar or keyboard occasionally and begin writing a song but rarely would they go anywhere and I would never record anything. In 2018 I came across some of the old tracks I'd written 10 years prior and I felt inspired to write again. However, this time I began experimenting with using GarageBand on my iPhone to record layers and build up instrumental tracks that I could write vocals over.
I found it much easier to focus on creating good vocal melodies because I didn't need to play an instrument at the same time as singing. Once I had the base instrumental track to sing over, I would loop it in GarageBand to make the track length the same amount of time as my drive to work. I'd press record just before setting off for work and improvise loads of different vocal melodies during my journey! I'd do the same on the way home and then that evening I would listen back to what I'd recorded. This is one of my favourite parts of the process. Discovering what melodies work best and using different sections of what I'd recorded to form the vocals.

Luke :
When I was younger I had a very eclectic taste in music, I would end up listening to a lot of '70s and '80s through my mum but at the same time I would pick up CD's of artists like 50 Cent or S Club 7, I had the first Pop Party CD which I would play out my window for all the kids in the neighbourhood.
I started playing the drums at around age 14 which is when I discovered rock and metal. I used to play the trumpet before that but my heart was never in it so I used to ask my school all the time if they were ever getting a drum tutor. Once I did finally start learning drums it wasn't long after that I began playing in a band. I haven't gone a year of my life without being in a band since!

Piers :
I started singing at the age of twelve and shortly after started playing the guitar. There were five other guitarists in my year so it was a fun environment to learn in and there was rarely a day we didn't lug our amps and guitars to school to show off new riffs and ideas.
I am the worst guitarist to have on a camping trip or at a party because despite being a music lover, I had very little interest in learning other peoples tracks. There have been occasions where I've learnt arrangements or solos for certain one-off gigs but I don't think I played Nothing Else Matters until a student asked to learn it eighteen years later. I was only ever interested in writing my own music which, in hindsight, was not the best way to learn and a balance of learning quintessential guitar songs as well as writing would have probably made me progress quicker.

Neon_Fields-Meant_To_Be

Neon_Fields-Meant_To_Be

How do you feel about being in a band?
Ed :
I love being in this band. I'm proud of the music we're writing and releasing together and I know I wouldn't be able to produce music of this standard without this joint collaboration with two other exceptional musicians/creatives.
I also really enjoy the commercial strategy side of releasing music and building a fan base. I'm determined to make this band as successful as we can be and so it's crucial to treat it like a business as well as a passion. Fortunately, I enjoy much of the business and management side of it!
As a band, we actually make a pretty good team in terms of useful skill sets, aside from our chosen instruments. Piers designed and built our amazing website and it would have cost a fortune to get one created to that standard without that skill 'in house'.
Luke designed, programmed, and implemented all the lighting in our music video for our track 'Light Them Up' as he is also a skilled sound and lighting technician.
In my career, I found myself in commercial strategy and business management roles and I use those skills in what we do.
The final thing to add is, in forming the band I've found 2 friends for life in Luke and Piers! We get on very well and have a real laugh!

Luke :
I think at this point in my life I've been in bands for so long it would be weird not having some kind of creative outlet through music. That being said I've never been as passionate about being in a band as I have with Neon Fields. The combination of the music alongside Ed and Piers being amazing people makes this probably the most significant band I've been in.

Piers :
Being in a band is one of the most challenging and enjoyable things I've ever done. I think that one of the most important aspects of being in a band is that everyone shares the same vision but brings something unique to the table so writing feels dynamic.
I think this is something that we found in each other and have worked hard to maintain. Trying to get noticed as a small band that works independently requires a lot of effort and persistence. Without believing in what we're trying to create and achieve and developing a good sense of humour/a thick skin, as a group, it would be very difficult to keep up that momentum.
Most importantly though, being in a band and creating music I enjoy with my mates is amazing and I'd never change it.

Who or what inspires you or motivates you? And why?
Ed :
My biggest motivator is my enjoyment and passion for what we're doing.
However, I'm sure that drive would gradually lose momentum without the wonderful feedback we get from people that hear our music. Honestly, I feel so lucky that I get to chat with people who show so much love for the music we write.
We really appreciate anyone that takes the time to listen to us and when someone lets us know how much they love what we've created it's incredibly motivating.

Luke :
I actually find inspiration hard to find and tend to find it in random places. Sometimes it's a technical discovery or a new idea that motivates me to pursue it. More recently over lockdown, however, I spent a lot of time watching, and to some degree studying, other bands' live performances. Mostly to see how they transform what is typically a few people on stage playing music into something huge and awe-inspiring.

Piers :
Finding and listening to new music is a huge part of my life. The current scene is a little saturated but mostly, it's diverse and very exciting. Contributing to new music with something unique and that I hope people will enjoy is a constant source of motivation. I do my best to pull influence from as many different genres as possible. The challenge then becomes more about trying to weave a consistent style throughout each track so records don't seem inconsistent.
Live music is a big inspiration for me. When an artist or group can deliver a great live show, whilst nailing their parts and in particular when they can change it up from the record. I'm also inspired by artists who can release albums that don't only feature great tracks but also have an overall narrative that keeps your interest from start to finish very.

Neon_Fields-Meant_To_Be

Neon_Fields-Meant_To_Be

What was your first project and the people you worked with and which year?
Ed :
The band I mentioned previously that I was in at school was the only other group project I've been in. This started in 2001 and was called 'Away The Star'. Other than that, I wrote a few solo pieces on the piano that I performed on a few occasions. One of which was my wedding day!

Luke :
My first band was a cover band with no singer called 'Cyanide', we were absolutely horrendous. I believe that would have been in 2007

How many projects do you have so far?
Ed :
Just 'Away The Star' and 'Neon Fields'

Luke :
Absolutely countless, possibly in the hundreds.

What do you look out for in this line of business?
Ed :
An engaged fan base. It's an obvious statement that the world is saturated with music and so getting heard on mass is incredibly difficult. The key to any band's success is the relationship with its core listeners. Building a following of people willing to buy merchandise or a CD or actively spread the word about our band is crucial to our growth and potential success. Quality of fan base over quantity is key for a band like us and we are extremely lucky with the amazing support our fans have shown us so far.

Luke :
It's hard to have any expectations, the music industry is absolutely brutal and even those who 'make it' are still constantly having to work in order to keep what they have in terms of success. I don't look for fame or anything like that but I would consider ourselves accomplished if we were able to bring a good amount of people to our shows if out on Tour.

Neon_Fields-Meant_To_Be

Neon_Fields-Meant_To_Be

What is this new release about?
We wanted to write a love song with a twist. The first verse sounds like it will be a standard love song but as we go into the first chorus we find out that it's unrequited. Not only that but 'she' feels the need to hide from 'him'…
The track takes the listener on a journey from a mellow emotive vibe to an energetic and frantic ending which is intended to help tell the story of unrequited love and sinister obsession.
The love interest is a girl, serving behind the counter at a coffee shop. The voice recording we hear in the instrumental is a recording he took without her knowledge when buying his coffee. He gives her a compliment which she finds creepy but remains friendly, saying: "Oh thank you… Have a nice day" From this encounter, he invents the rest in his head. Convinced that the smile she gave him that day had deep meaning behind it. That she felt the same way.
He becomes more obsessed with her and convinced they're 'Meant To Be'.
Now when he visits the coffee shop she actively avoids him. He can't understand why her feelings for him have changed when in fact they were never there in the first place.
Regardless, the only one he needs is her and he won't let go. They are meant to be.
Meant To Be is our 7th release and probably our most commercially strong track to date. It seems to be very popular with our fans and we're very excited to get this track out there! We consider it to be the flagship single of our album which we plan to release mid 2022.

What can your previous and new audiences anticipate from you in the future?
We are working hard towards releasing our debut album within the second quarter of 2022. It will contain 'Meant To Be' as well as our previous 6 releases that can be found on our debut EP. The final tracks we are creating for the album are written and are at different stages within the recording/production process. Once ready, we're planning a virtual launch event which fans will be able to sign up to nearer the time of the release. The event will run over the 10 days prior to release and participants will receive access to exclusive bonus content each day as well as a free download of each album track.

We also can't wait to start performing live and that is a very important part of what we shall be doing in 2022! Many people are surprised to hear this but we have never performed live as a band. I began forming the band at the end of 2019 and we've been in and out of lockdowns ever since! This allowed us to concentrate on honing our sound and writing / releasing tracks, but it's about time we got out there and started performing our music! We can't wait to start gigging in 2022!
Our intention is to perform local gigs but also to put on a live stream show so that we can include the many incredible supporters we have across the world. We have a small following but through the nature of social media, they come from many different countries. They are all such incredible advocates for our music and we owe it to them to include them in any way we can.

You can follow the band here:
Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube and Instagram.

The single would be release on 7th January but not to keep you waiting, you can listen their other releases.