New Neon
We at New Neon are a very different musical animal. Unlike so many artists who stake their claim to a specific genre, style or sound. We allow ourselves absolute and complete freedom of artistic expression.
Our personal love for music goes so deep and far beyond the man made limits or self imposed genre rules that permeate the world. We are free to express and create anything from pop to specialized underground and obscure songs. We operate under no restrictions with regards to construction. Software, Keyboards, Analog, Digital…it simply does not matter to us.
Q&A
1) Who are the members of your band and how did you meet?
Roger Wilson and Jade Vanity. We met in 2009 at Elysium Nightclub on their popular Sunday 80s night.
2) How long have you been in Austin and how long have you played music?
Roger has lived in Austin since 1985 and been a club DJ in Austin starting that year. Roger started making electronic music in 1996 in several different band projects up to the present time. Jade moved to Austin in 1982 from Sunnyvale, California and only briefly made music in 1999 with friends… but no official bands. We were dating in 2009 and started New Neon together. We were then married in 2010. We did both move to NYC and lived in Brooklyn in 2013 / 2014 where we released music as New Neon and Roger was a DJ at several different venues.
3) Has the city of Austin had any influence in the style or direction of your music?
Yes, to a certain degree due to Roger’s club DJ experience here in Austin as well as Jade’s nightclub experiences as well. We both love the diversity of dance music that was so prevalent in the 80s / 90s / 2000’s.
4) Do you perform live shows in Austin, and if so, what are your favorite venues?
No we don’t perform live shows yet so we don’t have a favorite performance venue but Roger does many DJ events at great clu b/ bar venues like Ethics Nightclub, Volstead, Hotel Vegas, Elysium, Vulcan Gas Company, and many others.
5) Are there other bands in Austin you’d recommend to your fans?
Hamerzya for sure! They Rock 😉. Also Lost Cat Magnet
6) What musicians have most influenced you?
For Roger it’s always been Brian Eno at the top of the list & for Jade…Debbie Harry is her inspiration / influence.
7) What’s the best thing that has happened to your band?
Definitely working with legendary musician / producer Clive Pierce of Hard Corps on several projects.
8) Any cringe-worthy moments the band has endured that you’re willing to divulge?
Yes, having the infamous Stevo Pearce of Some Bizzare Records offer us a record contract and after we told everyone about it and started our first album, he ran into legal issues with the label and we were left out in the cold. Sad but true.
9) Is there anything you’d care to share or anything else you’d like to let us know about?
Our song The Program was recently released as a part of the movie Fashionista, which was filmed entirely in Austin and featured all Austin music.
10) Give us one fun fact.
Jade has been an exotic dancer here in Austin back in the 90s / 2000s
