Here’s why you should be listening to Canadian duo Neon Dreams

Halifax’s Neon Dreams are an alt-pop duo who have won numerous Canadian awards, including Breakthrough Group of the Year at the 2020 Juno Awards and Best New Group or Solo Artist: Dance/Urban/Rhythmic at the 2017 Canadian Radio Music Awards.

The Canadian duo consists of vocalist Frank Kadillac and drummer Adrian Morris. They write and produce their own music and defy the concept of genres. Their music includes elements of pop, rock, EDM, hip-hop, reggae and folk.

Neon Dreams want to spread a message to their fans that focuses largely on kids who are targeted by bullies because they want them to know they can overcome hardships.

“I want to be the soundtrack to the next generation,” Kadillac proclaims. “I’m not writing for a bunch of cool kids. I’m writing for the kid sitting in the hallway eating lunch; the kid that has the perfect family but just doesn’t fit into it; the people who feel out of place.”

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[video_embed id='2246803']BEFORE YOU GO: Neon Dreams talk 'Life Without Fantasies' in South Africa’[/video_embed]

Why are Neon Dreams the next big thing?

Neon Dreams refuses to be boxed in with one single genre. They mix rock with pop sensibilities and, at times, Kadillac rap sings. The vocalist gives a nod to the hip-hop community by referencing other artists' lyrics in his own.

“I like triggering people’s memory when they hear something that’s familiar to them,” he explained. But really, he and Morris write music from their hearts without being concerned with genre and incorporate everything from EDM, reggae and rock in their sound.

Neon Dreams is just finishing their 16-date tour through South Africa, and they told Etalk's Chloe Wilde that it was exciting to get back on stage after not performing live for over a year.

They are the first international music group to tour South Africa since the COVID-19 lockdown. With sold-out tours in most major cities and towns across the nation, fans have been rushing to find tickets to hear the hits performed live.

"It was crazy. It was like a shot of adrenaline hitting you in the chest. I could not hear myself because people were that loud. That's how excited everybody was," Kadalliac said of performing for a crowd again.

This award-winning Canadian duo isn't just about the music. They also have a large focus on giving back and uplifting people.

On May 28, the duo performed live from South Africa for a special online concert and all proceeds were donated to The Justice Desk — a human rights organization in South Africa focusing on gender-based violence, anti-human trafficking, children’s rights and more.

Kadallic told Chloe that The Justice Desk brought them in to show them what they do. He also said he wasn't dealt "the right cards" growing up so he can really relate to the work they do.

"When I had hard times there were people like them to talk to me and they do that for kids in South Africa," he said. "After seeing that, my heart's so big I just wanted to be a part of that. They create a safe place for people like me growing up and I do that with music so it just made sense to come together."

“When I was a kid, I was put into programs to help me eat before I started school and put me around inspiring people to help me see beyond my current struggles. I support [The Justice Desk] because they’re giving back in the way I envisioned myself giving back through music and that’s by starting at the root of life. The youth will change this world," Kadallic explained.

Why should you be listening to them?

If you were a big fan of any of the bands there were popular on Myspace — especially Gym Class Heroes — you'll want to add Neon Dreams to your playlist.

Kadillac likes to describe their sound as “if Adam Levine and Gym Class Heroes made a band that was influenced by early 2000s, late ‘90s inspirational coming of age movie soundtracks.” 

If you're a fan of reality TV, you've probably heard a few of their hits played on shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and The Real World. 

The duo was one of the three emerging artists chosen in 2016 to receive training from the Allan Slaight Juno Master Class, a Canadian artist development program featuring workshops with established musicians and industry experts.

Neon Dream's music is full of good vibes and this duo exudes the energy of a six-piece band with just two people.

Here's where you should start

You should definitely start off the Neon Dream's track, "The Happiness of Tomorrow."

Kadalliac says that the inspiration for the whole The Happiness of Tomorrow album came from coming-of-age movies.

"There were some movies that I just wanted to watch but I didn't have time because I was always touring... I was watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower and that movie, like, hit my heart. It was just like my entire life in a movie and I was like, 'Man, we never told our coming-of-age story.' We wanted to give our fans a piece of our life," he told Chloe.

Adrian said that they really connected with the pop-punk era while they were making the album because the pandemic allowed them to do things they used to love like skateboarding and listening to their old favourite bands.

The next song you should listen to is "Life Without Fantasies" because it's one of the duo's favourite songs they've ever written.

"I love it because it's just like a simple truth about happiness. I wrote it when I was in Denmark. Everyone was just like, 'It's the happiest place in the world.' I went and experienced Denmark and I found out a part of the recipe of happiness is the people of Denmark really love the company of people they love and care about. I thought that was so beautiful and I had to put that into a song," Kadillac explained.

If you like the original track, you'll love the remix featuring South African DJ and producer Max Hurrell. The new rendition gives the track a whole new feel, which is perfect for summer.

If you're a fan of Kardinal Offishal, you'll want to check out his collab with Neon Dreams titled, "Marching Bands." The duo won Best New Group or Solo Artist: Dance/Urban/Rhythmic at the 2017 Canadian Radio Music Awards for this song.

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Neon Dreams joins Etalk for Etalk Open House, the series that features performances and exclusive interviews with incredible talent like The Killers, Jessie Reyez, Shaggy, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes and more. Catch Neon Dreams Etalk Open House on Thursday night as part of Etalk’s regular broadcast at 7 p.m. ET on CTV  and 7:30 p.m. on CTV2.