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LA-via-Portland based electro-pop outfit City of Neon (Jake London) has been gearing up for his forthcoming Ruminator EP, featured on the project is the 80s synth-loving track “Electric Love.” GroundSounds recently caught up with Jake to talk about his latest single, new project and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering CITY OF NEON, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started with music?
Nice to meet you. I grew up in Portland, OR and was exposed to great music and musicians at very early age. I am the product of a Hendrix loving, Beatles crazed mother, while Dad taught me Springsteen. I was inspired to pursue music full time after the death of my older brother. It was one of those punch in the face, wake up calls where I finally understood, in the thick of a tragic fog, just how short life can be. Shortly after the loss, I dropped out of college, moved to Hollywood and taught myself how to play the guitar. It became my friend during the dark times and served as a “fill” in the void. Songwriting became a way for me to rebuild. I’ve made a living playing music ever since and see no end in sight.
What made you decide on the moniker CITY OF NEON?
I started getting restless after several years of playing acoustic based shows. I was searching for any way to delineate myself from that vibe, not that I didn’t still enjoy it, but I wanted a distinct change of sonic scenery. Starting a band isn’t the easiest thing when you are no longer 15 and in a garage. A lot of other players have their regularly scheduled gigs, families, etc… which can leave little desire for them to pack up and tour. With all that in mind, I decided to use a moniker. CITY OF NEON was certainly NOT the first moniker or band name I had in mind. In fact, I still have the list of TERRIBLE “what was I thinking” ideas.
Can you tell us about the writing and creative process involved with your latest single “Electric Love?”
I have a small home studio and wrote all the demos for the EP at home. I often started with one or all of the following: a drum loop, a synthesizer and an electric guitar. At the time of writing “Electric Love” I was been inspired by listening to a lot of Eurythmics and Stevie Nicks among others. “Stand Back” by Stevie Nicks has these big, lush synth sounds created from an Oberheim OB-Xa and a Roland Jupiter 8, both which are legendary synthesizers. I also loved Annie Lennox’s ad libbing on “Here Comes The Rain” so I asked a friend, Ashely Haney, to sing some female vocals and ab lib throughout the song. Ashley was my first and only thought to do the job. She has insane vocal abilities, has toured with Rhianna and Selena Gomez among others as a backup singer and also has her own musical project called “Sometimes We Sing Together” which is great and I highly suggest checking out.
What do you enjoy most about Los Angeles?
It’s 73 degrees and sunny in December. In & Out Burger. Everything is just a short road trip away: The Beach, The Mountains, Palm Springs, Vegas etc… The people here are great: There are dreamers, schemers, former nobodies, former somebodies, people just trying to get by and those who are shooting for the stars. LA is like the 120 count box of crayons with the sharpener on the back, diverse and beautiful.
Can you tell us about working on and bringing your forthcoming Ruminator EP to fruition?
Well, I was very fortunate to have had the support of fans, friends and family with regard to bringing “Ruminator” to life. The entire EP was funded by a PledgeMusic© campaign. What really blew me away was that people had NO idea what to expect with the new musical direction I was taking, yet they still invested in the project. Blind faith is awesome. I brought all my home demos to a very trusted and talented group of musician friends who have a production team known as The Hitstorm. We recorded at Hybrid Studios in Orange County, CA, which has world class equipment for recording gear nerds like me. With all of the initial parts created together playing live, It was a very organic experience. My friend, Phil Allen, who is included in the aforementioned Hitstorm team, also produced the album with me. Phil is a Grammy Award-winning engineer and has worked with the likes of Adele, Aerosmith, Leona Lewis, and Pink to name a few. Working together was a blast and he certainly helped bring all my creative visions to life.
What inspired the EP title Ruminator?
The word Ruminator stems from Ruminate (v.) – Verb – To think deeply about something / synonyms: contemplate, consider, meditate on, muse on, mull over, ponder on/over, deliberate about/on, chew on, puzzle over; For me the title is very much auto biographical. Those that know me know I tend to overthink things. I’m often overly philosophical. I’ve made friends with my anxieties. I am a Ruminator.
What musicians/bands are you currently listening to?
Currently Digging: CHVRCHES, Brandon Flowers, The 1975, Chris Stapleton, COIN, Florence + The Machine, Twenty One Pilots, Gary Clark Jr and I can always be found listening to older stuff like Phil Collins or Tom Petty.
What is it about synth-pop that attracts you to this sound?
For me the synth-pop sound evokes a distinct sense of nostalgia. I think there are endless possibiltles within the realm of synth based music and while the genre has received flak for alleged lack of emotion and musicianship, I beg to differ. From bands like Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys, to more current artists like WALK THE MOON or BLEACHERS, the synthesizer continues to be an important element in many musical genres.
What are you currently working on, what can fans look forward to?
Fans can look forward to “Ruminator” coming out 1/19/2016 on iTunes and all other digital outlets! A release show in Jan and other 2016 tour dates are being planned as well.
