GRASSROOTS DISCOVERY #3 - LIFE IN NEON |

INTERVIEW | LIFE IN NEON | 30TH OCT 2025 | Rachel Brown

With support slots growing bigger, headline shows under their belts, and a new single out in the world, Life In Neon are beginning to attract serious attention. But despite the momentum, Never Was actually comes from an earlier chapter of their story.

I caught up with the band to talk about the single’s long journey to release, the Lancaster music scene, changing musical directions and what comes next.

Your new single Never Was arrives at a time when the band seems to be building real momentum. Does the song reflect where Life In Neon is right now, or does it come from a different chapter entirely?

“This song comes entirely from a different chapter. It was built around a dreamier pop sound, revisiting some of our older familiarities. We’re currently in the process of shifting our overall sound towards something heavier and grittier, with more of a nu-metal influence.”

You’ve cited influences ranging from The Cure to Beabadoobee and The 1975. How do those influences manifest in Never Was without overshadowing your own identity?

“We combined elements of the rhythms and melodies of our different influences. We all have different tastes that wouldn’t typically cross over, so we took those individual influences and added our own flair to create something unique to us.”

The band’s willingness to draw from very different musical corners seems to be one of their strengths. Rather than sounding like a direct product of any one influence, they’re interested in finding their own space between them.

What was the starting point for Never Was: a lyric, a melody, a feeling, or something else entirely?

“It all started with the primary guitar riff, which our lead singer wrote almost ten years ago in high school and left untouched until the band revisited it. At the time, it was called Purple Hair and was written about our bassist’s ex-girlfriend. Years later, we revisited it and turned it into Never Was, a song about how life can feel better when you’re asleep, chasing dreams that beat reality.”

Supporting Massive Wagons and securing headline shows are significant milestones. What have those experiences taught you about yourselves as a live band?

“These headline shows and larger support slots have taught us that there’s always something we can improve, whether that’s stage presence, showmanship or crowd control. They’ve also shown us how exciting it is to play in front of a large crowd and given us a better understanding of all the work and attention to detail that goes on behind the scenes.”

Lancaster has a rich and evolving grassroots music scene. How has coming from the city shaped your sound and ambitions?

“Coming from a small city like Lancaster, with such a thriving live music scene, there’s a strong sense of both healthy competition and companionship between bands. It drives us to constantly improve while helping our friends reach the same level. The town has given us so much support, and that’s helped us build towards what we’re doing now.”

BBC Introducing and the Greene King Untapped regional finals have helped raise your profile. Has external recognition changed the way you approach writing and releasing music?

“The wider recognition hasn’t had a huge impact on how we write or perform, but our approach to releasing music has become far more intentional, with a much stronger emphasis on promotion before and after a release. In terms of the band itself, though, it’s still the same process and enjoyment we had when we were younger.”

Indie-pop is a broad church at the moment. Where do you see Life In Neon fitting within the current landscape of UK guitar music?

“With the upcoming change in our sound, we see Life In Neon taking a stronger position in the heavier music scene while still keeping that accessible pop sensibility. We want to explore a grittier, heavier sound without losing the melodies and hooks that make our music what it is.”

That shift toward a grittier, heavier sound appears to be one of the most interesting aspects of where the band are heading next.

What was the biggest challenge in bringing Never Was from its earliest idea to the finished recording?

“The biggest challenge was spending the better part of a decade disagreeing on the direction we wanted to take the song, all based around that original riff. It went through a lot of different ideas before we finally landed on the version of Never Was that you hear today.”

Knowing the history behind it makes the song’s release feel even more significant. Few tracks survive ten years of debate before finally finding their place.

Looking back at your earliest releases, what do you think has developed most in your songwriting and musicianship?

“Our songwriting and musical style have matured considerably over time. We’re now much more confident and deliberate in the choices we make throughout the songwriting process, and we have a clearer idea of what we want to achieve with a song.”

For listeners hearing Life In Neon for the first time through Never Was, what do you hope their lasting impression will be?

“We really hope they love the music and want to come and see us at our best, playing live. We’d also love for people to use that as an opportunity to discover and support other upcoming bands they might not have heard of or who aren’t as well known yet.”

As an independent band, what has been the most difficult aspect of building momentum in today’s music industry?

“The most difficult aspect has been keeping up with the demands of social media promotion and content creation. It requires constant time and effort, which can be tiring, but it can also be incredibly useful and satisfying when done right. Especially when we’re all working full-time jobs, balancing promotion with performing, practising and writing can be a real challenge.”

With a headline show and new music on the horizon, what does success for Life In Neon look like over the next twelve months?

“For us, success over the next twelve months would mean continuing the growth we’ve seen throughout 2026, playing larger venues and building a bigger following on social media. We’d also love to secure a support slot on a UK tour as we look towards releasing our new EP.”

For a band currently balancing day jobs, growing crowds and an evolving sound, those ambitions feel both realistic and exciting.

While Never Was may come from an earlier chapter in Life In Neon’s story, the band’s gaze is firmly fixed on the future. Between a heavier new direction, bigger live opportunities and an EP on the horizon, this feels less like a destination and more like the beginning of something larger. If the momentum they’ve built throughout the last year continues, Life In Neon could be heading into their most exciting period yet.