Utah-based rock band Neon Trees is hitting the road this summer for a tour of intimate venues, including a stop at Philadelphia’s TLA July 21.
The band’s out singer, Tyler Glenn, said the group almost took the summer off after touring steadily following the release of its 2014 album “Pop Psychology.”
“Initially, we weren’t going to tour,” Glenn said. “We were just going to do our own thing. We toured for a year for the last album and the drummer [Elaine Bradley] is pregnant so it didn’t seem like a priority. But the band wanted to tour this summer and I was kind of hesitant. But I thought it would be a good idea to play a lot of clubs and theaters that we haven’t played.”
Glenn said that “Pop Psychology,” the band’s third album, found the group really getting into their own sounds after wearing their influences on their sleeves for the first two albums, 2010’s “Habits” and 2013’s “Picture Show.”
“We used to be highly influenced by The Faint, Bloc Party and The Killers,” he said. “I think that on the last record, we found our sound and dialed it in a bit. We really sound like Neon Trees. Now we’re influenced by our broad interests, like power pop and pop rock from the 1970s and 1980s. It’s a little less specific. We are more influenced by the art and the sound of it.”
“Pop Psychology” was also the album the band was working on when Glenn publicly came out in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Glenn said coming out wasn’t initially on his mind during the creative process for the album.
“I started writing that record while I was going through therapy and my therapist was encouraging me to be more open,” he said, “In no way was the record intended to be my coming-out record. It really was more thematically about finding love in the modern age. There are a lot of songs on the record that deal with apps, social media and sex, and how romance is influenced by technology. Then I came out to my band and my family and then I realized that the other half of the songs were about my identity crisis. I think the response that I got from my band, family and friends made me comfortable enough to come out and talk about my sexuality through the music.”
When asked if coming out had any effect on the band’s career, Glenn said he feels it strengthened the ties between the band and its fans.
“Me being a practicing Mormon brought an interesting element to it. But I feel it created more of a bond over the last year at shows and added a little context to the band.”
Glenn added that if any people think his faith, sexuality and rock-star status are at cross purposes, he doesn’t pay them much attention.
“I disregard what a lot of people think as far as that is concerned, but I’m sure there are people that think that there’s a conflict,” he said. “There is a conflict. It definitely exists, but I haven’t given it much consideration.”
Neon Trees performs 8 p.m. July 21 at TLA, 334 South St. For more information or tickets, call 215-922-1011 or visit www.fameisdead.com.