Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Old Neon take their musical cues from pop-punk, emo, and indie bands from 2000s and 2010s. This results in an immediately favourable brand of equally passionate and melodic sound, led by driving guitars and urgent hooks. 2024 has seen the quintet deliver a trio of singles, showcasing their dynamism.
The latest is ‘Whatever Helps You Sleep At Night’, a vibrant slice of emotional pop-punk. With punching percussion, and Drew Sipos’s favourable melodies, the track thrives with youthful energy and is reminiscent of early Taking Back Sunday. It follows ‘Empty Frames’ and ‘Keep Your Misery’. The former hones in on Old Neon‘s harmonious pop-punk side. While the latter is a high-octane, pumping offering of driving emo-rock. Together, they showcase solid and assured growth from the Pittsburgh collective, continuing the momentum from last year’s debut album, ‘Can’t Fucking Wait’.
As a band on the rise, Old Neon recently played alongside The All-American Rejects, Something Corporate, and more as part of the Four Chord Music Festival in their hometown, fitting right into the impressive bill.
To learn more about Old Neon, we asked them to talk music by the numbers; the songs they wish they’d written, the bands they’d like to play with, those all-important tour essentials, and more.
One artist/band I couldn’t live without:
Drew Sipos (Vocals): Fall Out Boy. They are the bedrock of my music taste. Even ‘Mania ‘slaps.
Two people I know that have shaped my passion for music:
Sean Michael (bass): My uncle, Rich, he died really young and I inherited his guitars. That’s when I began to play.
Mike McInnes (guitar): My High School band director, Erich Lascek.
Three songs I wish we’d written:
Blink 182 – Dammit
Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down
Between You & Me – Change
Four bands everyone should hear:
Mallory Run
Pool Kids
Pink Floyd
Heading North
Five songs we love:
The Band Camino – ‘Same Page’
The Midnight – ‘Sunset’
The Wonder Years – ‘Low Tide’
Chappell Roan – ‘Pink Pony Club’
Four Year Strong – ‘Learn to Love the Lie’
Six bands we’re keen to play with:
Action/Adventure
Another One Down!
Good Hangs
Something Corporate
Equipment
Four Year Strong
Seven places we’re love to play:
Red Rocks
Mahalls (Lakewood, OH)
Slam Dunk Fest
Riot Fest
The Troubadour
Whiskey A Go Go
Lollapalooza
Eight essential tour items:
Cliff Bars & snacks
Caffeine
Our own microphones (germs)
Extra cables (instrument & XLR)
In-ear monitors/belt packs
Phone chargers
GoPro
For the bass player; one of those play gyms for babies
Nine words to describe our band:
Energetic
Fun
Kinetic
Friendly
Loud
Awesome
Bussin’
Welcoming
Exciting
Ten favourite albums of all time:
The Wonder Years – ‘The Greatest Generation’
Stand Atlantic – ‘Pink Elephant’
Blink-182 – ‘Enema of The State’
Boygenius – ‘The Record’
Microwave – ‘Much Love’
Pedro the Lion – ‘Control’
The Wonder Years – ‘The Hum Goes On Forever’
Story of the Year – ‘Page Avenue’
Jon Bellion – ‘The Human Condition’
Four Year Strong – ‘Rise or Die Trying’
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