Neon Nightmare’s debut album, Faded Dream, is a raw and emotional blend of heavy metal, goth, and psychedelic sounds. Drawing inspiration from the industrial grit of Birmingham and the dark energy of Brooklyn, it explores themes of nostalgia, loss, and life’s highs and lows. Here, we talk with Nate Garrett about the music, the process, and what’s next.
Your music feels tied to heavy metal’s working-class roots. How did those industrial and war-scarred influences shape your sound on Faded Dream?
That’s a good phrase from the press release, the label needs to come up with interesting phrases to get people to listen to the record. But there is some truth there. All the best music comes from working-class or disenfranchised people. The riff came from poor folks in the American South, and it got turned into metal by poor folks in post-World War II Birmingham, England.
Birmingham and Brooklyn are mentioned as key inspirations. What do those places mean to you musically or culturally?
Metal was created and perfected in Birmingham, by Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. There’s obvious Type O Negative and Danzig vibes, so that’s Brooklyn and New Jersey. Goth-rock era Ramones is another influence so there’s Brooklyn again.
Faded Dream feels nostalgic and emotional. What inspired that title, and how does it connect to the album’s themes?
Good ear. If I had to pick one theme, it’s nostalgia. Nostalgia is a defense mechanism. It’s a lie. There never was a “good old days.” Nostalgia takes us away from the horrors of the current world. But we are longing for a time that never existed. All our dreams eventually fade and we have to figure out how to deal with that. We watch people die, we suffer from addiction or other problems, and the dream can become a nightmare.
You’ve talked about the album having “emotional peaks and valleys.” Were there specific moments in your life that influenced these shifts?
Life is peaks and valleys. Good times, bad times. Life is dynamic, interesting, and vivid. So is the best music. It can be painful or joyful, but we have to figure out how to make it interesting.
The album is full of psychedelic and fantasy-inspired details. Where did those ideas come from, and how did you bring them to life?
Psychedelic drugs are a great way to figure out how to make psychedelic music. I used to try to over-explain my music, but once I’m finished with the album it no longer belongs to me. It belongs to you. So the music means whatever you feel it means.
The video for “They Look Like Shadows” is stunning andmarks your first on-screen appearance. How did working with Emmanuelle Zachariou bring your vision to life?
That was a really fun experience. I had the basic idea of “sexy karaoke vampires,” and we collaborated to turn that into something even crazier and more ridiculous. Em and I are both fans of old school MTV music videos. It’s a specific art form itself. So we channeled all our favorites from the ’90s headbangers ball days.
How do visuals – like your music video and album artwork – expand on the themes of Faded Dream?
This is the first project I’ve ever done where I put just as much thought and attention into the visuals as I did the music, from day one. Perhaps it’s because I wanted to carry the torch of Type O Negative, and they were a very cohesive band both visually and sonically.
You’ve said, “I made an album. Listen to it. Or don’t.” Is that just humor, or does it reflect how you feel about the industry?
I mentioned earlier that I used to try and explain my own music. But people don’t experience music by reading an interview or a press release. They experience music by listening to the music. So if you want to feel and understand my music, listen to it.
With Faded Dream being your debut, what’s next for Neon Nightmare?
Right now I’m working on the next Spirit Adrift album, but when I finish that I’ll write another Neon Nightmare record. I have some riffs already.
How will you translate the album’s layered and rich production into a live performance?
No plans to play live right now. I need to find a keyboard genius who looks like Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. And we would have to get a really, really good offer. Danzig, Smashing Pumpkins, Queens of the Stone Age, The Cure, or something like that.
Is there anything about Neon Nightmare or Faded Dream that you wish people would ask about more often?
Nobody ever brings up Josh Silver…
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