By Jim Barber
For the listener, for the audience, music has the power to heal, of this there is no doubt. Empirical scientific evidence, the personal testimony of millions, and the truth of one’s own heart testify to the veracity and validity of the idea. The raw intensity of many performances, both live on a stage or captured during a recording session can penetrate even the stoutest of hearts. Rhythms and melodies, and poignant, powerful lyrics can get us through rough times, can be a way of escape, or a way to captivate, motivate and congregate.
For those who make this music that we love and appreciate so much, those who regularly mine the depths of their soul, tap into the evocative power of their own emotions, who open up their spirit with a vulnerability that few people have the courage to endure – for them music’s power of renewal of self-expression and as a vehicle to process pain, pleasure, self-empowerment, and to be a catharsis that goes beyond making one feel ‘better’ is integral to their existence. The release experienced from the unburdening process, the swelling sense of accomplishment for the shared experience of feeling, of reflecting and of connecting is powerful.
The songs created by these sometimes recklessly honest, boldly authentic, courageously candid and transparent musical artists transports both them and those who listen through journeys that expose the good, bad and ugly truths of their lives, as well as humanity in general. They can take profound personal experiences and turn them into readily identifiable concepts which can provoke change, highlight important social issues, or simply make people feel that they’re not alone. It’s a powerful weapon against loneliness, against isolation, against feeling ‘less than’ to be able to do this.
For the Toronto based alt-rock band Neon Bloom, the themes of perseverance, of turning life-altering encumbrances into life edifying at has become their primary purpose. They do so through songs that embrace the idea of living in the moment, and for curating moments of joy, rapture, pleasure, fun and community. Their songs are unencumbered by any pretense, any hesitation or any second guessing. They are brightly bold, colourful, infused with an also mischievous devil-may-care attitude – one in which challenges are simply to be overcome, obstacles surmounted, and affliction a source of strength, not weakness.
This is embodied in the person of the band’s vocalist/songwriter/frontwoman Jen Simpson, who has been on a harrowing personal journey of staggering hardship, but ultimately one of triumph and healing – in all senses of that term. Her three bandmates, who have been by her side through so much, are bassist Fred Yurichuk, guitarist/keyboardist Simon Chow and drummer/keyboardist Chris Romano. After release a few well-regarded EPs in recent years, Begin Here is the band’s first full-length album, released digitally on Aug. 15.
“Honestly, it’s been a 17-to-20-year journey of figuring out what is wrong with me. So, I started to get very sick. We weren’t sure what was going on. And then a bit later, while I was living in New York City it became obvious that I was having seizures. My entire life fell apart. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t function. My marriage ended very badly and suddenly I had nowhere to go. I came back to Canada with $20 in my pocket with nowhere to live, and having seizures every day. Nobody knew what was going on. It was hard to get care back home because I’d been in the States for a while. So basically, I had to start my life all over again. I had to find somewhere to live, which I eventually did. I went back to university, I went to U of t [University of Toronto] which was crazy because I really had no money. But I said, ‘I’m going to university!’ I signed up, dragged myself through every day there. And I also wanted to have a band again as soon as I was functioning a little bit more. I met Fred the bassist, and the Fred and I found Simon and then Chris. We started this band, which was integral to this journey because it gave me a lot of hope to keep going – to keep going on this journey.
“I then met my current husband. He’s a medical scientist and I would say a genius level guy. He actually found the first device I used after I had a huge seizure. I wasn’t breathing properly and had to call 911. And he basically said, ‘okay, that’s enough.’ He started researching epilepsy and found this device I am using now, called a vagus nerve stimulator. It’s a medical device that controls my seizures. But it took a while. It didn’t happen overnight. It took a while to start reducing them bit by bit. But now there’ under control and I actually got my driver’s licence back. Joe and I are married. I have a stepdaughter now and my health starts to improve, the band’s going well. We’re recording, we’re doing stuff and then I develop a migraine disorder, which I have under control with Botox injections all over my head and neck. And I take a pill when I feel a migraine coming on. But that took years to establish that as a protocol. On top of that I started having all this terrible inflammation where I couldn’t walk properly. So, I was showing up at shows with a cane, sometimes a walker, sometimes leg braces, for years. I was in horrible pain. We didn’t know what this was. What’s this new thing? We finally just figured out that it’s all been an autoimmune condition that was probably also triggering the seizures and the migraines and all the horrible inflammation. I just started on medication for that and it’s been life changing.”
Our pals at Wikipedia explain what the vagus nerve is:
“The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve (CN X), plays a crucial role in the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating involuntary functions within the human body. This nerve carries both sensory and motor fibers and serves as a major pathway that connects the brain to various organs, including the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. As a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, the vagus nerve helps regulate essential involuntary functions like heart rate, breathing, and digestion.” So, yeah, being able to have this rather important part of one’s body working halfway decent is pretty damn important.
Speaking for her bandmates, Chris said they have been so inspired and have so much admiration for Simpson’s courage and inner strength that there’s no question that they have, and will continue to have her back whatever challenges come her way.
“Throughout her battle, Jen’s still rocking out at shows and is always giving in 110 per cent. I remember one of our shows, the second or third one we did together at [former Toronto rock club] Cherry Cola’s where she hit the final note, the crowd was cheering epically and Jen literally collapsed onstage and had a seizure. And I went from absolute epic rock star status to, oh my God, are we calling 911? So there have been a lot of worries, but overriding all that was seeing Jen triumphantly pushing through no matter what. That’s been the biggest and best part of this whole quest for me,” he said of Simpson’s personal journey, but also how that has become melded into the DNA of the band’s quest to squeeze as much out of life as possible; to follow Simpson’s lead by being unafraid, to try new things, and to take advantage of every opportunity for a powerful life experience that comes their way.
“We’ve gone on tour to Taiwan and Japan and the Czech Republic and that’s not easy. What people take for granted as being regularly easy is not. It’s already a lot, and it’s 10 times as much when we all wanted to make everything happen. And when health is such an important thing, people kind of take for granted a lot. And I just wanted to say to Jen, on the record, how awesome and powerful it’s been seeing your journey and seeing her so happy. We just rocked out our release show and it’s probably one of the most epic shows we’ve ever put on with lights, with people rocking out. Jen even crowd surfed for the first time ever, which was the coolest ting to see,” he said, adding that the band is always going to be a little more vigilant and sensitive to Simpson’s health and needs.
“Back in the day, we always had to be on guard. And we always wanted to make sure to check in, not in a way to make Jen feel bad. But it’s different for someone when their battery hits zero and they can get tired but they can kind of keep going. It was a different scenario when a battery hits zero with someone living with a neurological disorder. It’s a different situation and it has to be approached differently and scheduled and all of that. So that’s why this album is so triumphant. We’re so proud and happy for Jen seeing where she’s got to over the last couple of months.”
Simpson reciprocated the love and appreciation.
“As a group, when we started, we were all figuring it out at the same time. And the guys really stepped up. And it showed me that these three healthy young men, who have no idea what it’s like to be disabled, who didn’t know anything about it, had really decided to come with me on this journey. And it wasn’t easy. It was very difficult. There were nights, like in Japan, which wasn’t that long ago, Chris had to leave the after-party and bring me back to the hotel and literally tuck me in bed. He then went to the store, got me something to eat, brought it back to me, got my device, plugged it in, and waited until I was okay and I was safe to be alone. I kind of wrecked his night, honestly. And I still thank Chris for that. These are things that are not, you know, normal expectations when you’re in a band,” she said, adding that her bandmates are also all in on using their platform in Neon Bloom and their music to raise awareness of epilepsy, one of the more complex of neurological disorders.
“With the band, we partnered with Epilepsy Toronto for one of our single releases. And then we’ve done a few Purple Day events, which is the Epilepsy Awareness Day. And we did some shows over COVID online with them. So, yeah, personally for me it’s quite a mission. I almost wanted to start a company making vagus nerve stimulators because it’s such an important tool. And they’re not easily accessible, and I don’t know why. But that’s a whole other topic. So, yeah, I am interested in raising awareness and using whatever voice I can get or have to push it out there. And I’m going back to school for my Master’s degree in the fall for creative and critical writing. I want to write more, and maybe write articles about it. And I add the topic into interviews, so it’s definitely something I want to talk about. Because when you’re really sick, and you’re really down, you just don’t have the energy to advocate for yourself. You just don’t. And now I feel like I’ve come out of that really horrible portion of my life, and I am doing so much better, I have the energy and the ability to do that now.”
It is a compelling narrative – a sublimely talented young artist, stricken with numerous serious, often mysterious ailments, which have at times torn her life asunder and caused her to start over with not much more than hope and a fierce tenacity in her toolkit. But Simpson has emerged from the crucible of the last decade and a half stronger for it, more focused on healing, on advocacy and – let’s not forget this – more focused on music. It is the music that all members of Neon Bloom agree is the true narrative. The story of Simpson’s victorious struggles is the emotional underpinning and source of energy propelling that larger artist endeavor.
“We don’t want to detract from the music and the efforts we put in there to make this music. But it is a story that is very real for us, and I think there is an appeal that it has to certain people who like seeing stories of overcoming. There’s a lot of other stuff that we write about and bring to the table too. It’s not just my story. But I do think it did kind of help us get our foot in the door with a few interviews to begin with. And do you know what? I’ll take it. I’ve been through hell,” Simpson said, adding that the music has those overarching messages of overcoming odds, staying strong through tough times, but the songs are also about building community and connection, and the importance of maintaining your joyful abandon and zest for life.
“The hope is that the songs are kind of universally vague enough. And that’s the trick of it: making it vague enough that people can put their own story into it, their own emotions. I mean, everyone goes through hard times. It doesn’t have to be a health crisis. It can be a breakup, it can be the loss of a family member. It can be losing your job or your home – anything. We all go through those moments. And I also want people to understand the theme of going for your dreams even when it seems impossible. I can testify to the importance of that, and I know from my own experience that it’s important to grab hold of life and try, and that it’s okay to fail. Like, fail, fail, fail. Keep failing. People give up too easily and you can’t give up. You just have to keep going. Listen, I’ve tried everything I want to do. And I continue to try everything I want to do. If I want something, I go out and try to get it or do it, and I have no problem failing. I have no problem getting bad feedback.”
The title for Neon Bloom’s debut album, Begin Here, is emblematic of Simpson’s, and indeed the band’s philosophy of life, and the foundational ethos of their mission.
Through her various health crises, and other challenges, Simpson had to, often literally, pick herself up, dust herself off and “stand again.” Her journey of healing, learning and adapting has become a journey of self-exposition and reorientation that has led to beautiful epiphanies, inspiring successes and, ultimately, a thriving, expansive and exceptionally badass outlook on life and music.
Begin Here is, indeed, a title of great meaning. It’s the answer to every setback. It’s the first line of the next chapter of one’s life. It’s the anchor of strength and solidity in the midst of storms of uncertainty and strife.
“I was kind of riffing on the [famous 1970s yogi] Ram Dass book Be Here Now. It’s so very meditative to be here in the moment, to be fully present. And for us, after all we’ve been through, it really was about ‘begin here.’ You want to begin here because I think a lot of younger people are very nervous about the future and feel like they don’t have enough. I think we’re in this very consumeristic cycle and people are always thinking, ‘oh I can’t stop what I am doing, I have to keep going, I have to work, work, work, go, go, go all the time.’ There’s this push to be very competitive, hyper-competitive and it makes people feel like they don’t have enough and even that they’re not enough unless they have more. That’s really hard,” Simpson said.
“It’s hard to step back and find a moment for yourself to be spiritual or to relax or anything. So Begin Here is about being okay with where you are, or even being okay with starting from scratch, being happy about being where you are with what you have and being realistic about it. But it’s also about confidently going forward from that point. Which is, on a personal level, I went through a lot of that myself and had to start from nothing and start my life over, basically. So, to me, it’s meant to be encouraging. Like, you could be in a terrible place and just decide to start from there and build a little bit every day.”
The conversation with Simpson and Romano then transitioned to the importance of music and the role it and art and general play in people’s lives, in building community, in reflecting back on society or propelling society forward. Neon Bloom, at its core, wants to make music that makes people feel good, makes them want to move, to dance, to ‘get sexy,’ have fun, drop a few inhibitions and take you mind of the troubling times we’re in.
“Music is building a community. It’s a replacement for some of the traditional things that we’ve lost. It’s the place to come together. It’s the place to feel together. There’s something so magical about live shows. It’s magic to actually be present in the same room together. There is this energetic exchange that you can’t really recreate anywhere. It’s its own thing. And going to a concert, it’s like the audience and the performers kind of mesh together and feed off each other. And it’s this really positive thing that I don’t really know where else you can get it. Having these moments, they’re like emotional touchstones. It’s like having these spaces to go and to connect with other people. You might have a terrible family life, you might be in a bad relationship, but in that moment, in that space, you’re safe. And you can connect with people. When we were in the Czech Republic or in Japan, people did not know what the lyrics were to the songs, except maybe one word, like ‘Take’ [a song from the new album]. I remember people singing that one word and we couldn’t really communicate very well after the show. We had to use Google translate,” Simpson explained.
“One girl was crying after the show because something in the music, in that one place that night struck her emotionally. And we hugged and even though we couldn’t say that much to each other we hung out for the night. And that was it. And I’ll never see her again, but it was very beautiful. It was one of those really rich moments you get, these sorts of experiences that really make it worth all the work – all the work and all the expense that goes into being in a band. It’s so worth it. But on a bigger scale, like for us as consumers of art, it really gives you something to grasp onto, it solidifies your identity, and sometimes your morals and your ideals. It’s motivating. And I think especially when things are so dark with wars and politics and gross behaviour everywhere, it’s really important to have something like music that can uplift you out of that.”
The aforementioned ‘Take’ is the epitome of so much of what has been talked about in this article. It is a tour de force in emotional realism, it is blisteringly powerful in it’s performances, particularly the Simpson’s elemental cries and howls as well as the soaring majesty of her voice. The accompanying video, which ratches up the dramatic intensity to something that truly visceral and inescapably harrowing, is cinematic in it’s realism and veracity.
“It’s weird because the shoot for that video involved such an intense emotional output, but felt really good after. It’s almost like going to a really good therapy session and a workout at the gym at the same time. So it was like, yeah, you’re exhausted, but you’re also invigorated. It’s like you’ve let out the demons – they’re gone. And you know, even for practices – we practice every Monday night usually and even if I’m already exhausted, I have to drive a long way and I’m tired and I just want to go home, but afterwards, I feel better. I always still feel better, even if it’s an exhausting or an uneventful practice,” she said, before explaining the genesis behind ‘Take.’
“That one was written very long ago, like 15 years or so. But it was written with my ex-husband. Which is interesting. I was having one of my early doctor’s appointments, trying to figure out what was going on. We just had no idea at that point. It was my stomach that was upset. It was so bad I couldn’t eat properly. I was losing a lot of weight. I went to the doctor and had some potentially bad news. They were going to do some exploration and see what was going on. So we were scared. He’d been playing this bass line just sitting on the couch the day before, and came home from my appointment, very upset. I was crying. And I told him to start playing that bass line over and over, just keep playing it. I sat down and I just wrote the words and started singing them, and it just came out – the whole song happened just like that. And it stuck. We used to play it together in a band that we were in. And even though it’s kind of awkward because it went so badly in the end, we wrote it together. It’s a beautiful song,” Simpson said.
“I did play it a lot with my old band, but we didn’t do a proper recording of it. And it was never officially released. And then Neon Bloom started up, and we had a bunch of songs. We put out our first EP and that’s when I brought the song to them, which they all really responded to. So, we started playing it and we played it live and there was a good response. And it’s hard to find a more emotional song to do or a slower song to do live at our type of show, or rock shows in general, because people just want to have fun. But that one works pretty well, even though it’s quite mellow in places, because it has a lot of power behind it in the chorus. We play it in almost all of our sets. It tends to go over well. And, again, that’s one that people internationally picked up on because it has that simple lyric, ‘take,’ in the chorus.”
‘Like A Lover’ may be equal to ‘Take’ in terms of emotional potency, but one which comes from, let’s say, a more unrestrained place – a place of Bacchanalian abandon and a ravenous desire for pleasure. To use a Marvel reference, it’s shedding your normal human form and letting a super sexy Incredible Hulk or She-Hulk come out to play.
“That one’s pure libido. Pure Id, it’s all Id. That one I think started with Simon’s guitar line or Fred’s bass line, and then Chris threw in the wicked Nirvana-like drums. And it was just so exciting. I loved that one immediately. I love that idea of being all out there, and having this other side, because we all have different facets to ourselves. So, for me, I definitely have an alter ego that comes out on stage. I am a very calm person, usually, very nice. But on stage, this other version comes out. I prowl the stage and it feels so good,” she said.
“It’s from the female perspective and it’s kind of archetypal in a way. It’s tapping into this archetype of what a powerful woman is to me. And that’s what I enjoy being. But I obviously can’t do that all day, every day. It’d be very alienating. But it comes out when I need it. And I think we all need that, especially women. We need to let that sense of power out once in a while to really feel alive, to feel complete.”
There is a retro-1980s vibe to the song ‘Through Fate,’ another track from Begin Here that started life a while back, but thanks to the talented musical prestidigitations of the rest of Neon Bloom, turned into a song that is both poignant and joyful. It is one of the true anchor tracks on the album, one that is representative of so much of what makes Neon Bloom a unique act, a musical conglomeration with something to say, a group of terrifically talented artists who can evoke a wide swath of emotion, but who can also make you think, dance, and escape from the workaday world.
“That started very much with Simon’s synth lines. And he sent us this recording of them, that we’d listen to off and on. But it never really went anywhere at first. And then, over COVID, it started to go somewhere once I came up with some lyrics for it. But then we sort of set it aside a gain. We didn’t pay it much attention, and before long we started working on other stuff which became our Still Life EP. We finally got back to it more recently and decided, ‘hey, let’s listen to that again,’” said Simpson.
“Chris and I then recorded vocals at Chris’s place and we captured vocals that we liked and sent them to Fred and Simon, and even though I sent it on a crappy phone recording, they heard what we were getting at and really liked how it was coming together. It was during COVID so of course we were all kind of isolated. Fred and Simon kept meeting up at Simon’s house and doing a lot of the tweaking and mixing. And Chris and I were doing other vocals and sending them and drums as well. It was kinda neat how it all came together. We established this sort of flow during the COVID lockdown where we were recording separately and sending things to each other.”
“So, Simon did a lot of the mixing and arrangement alongside Fred for the album, which was awesome, kind of putting the infrastructure in place. And then Fred had some more ideas, and we ended up doing a hybrid scenario where I actually recorded my real drums in my little studio and he overlaid them with a bunch of his cool, almost like live samples, to just add some beef a little bit and make it feel a little more, you know, warm and natural. So it was a really cool kind of self-produced thing coming together for that one. It felt good kind of doing it all ourselves,” said Chris.
“This process allowed us to do some different stuff, out of necessity, which ended up being kind of cool. And not only did we get the little EP Still Life out of it – and we called it that because time was literally kind of standing still in the world. It allowed us to evolve a bit as we needed to. Because it wasn’t easy. It’s not easy when you don’t get to do your shows and your rehearsals and you still want to do stuff. Tensions can get high as well because of all of the frustration and uncertainty. So we were trying to figure out some way of making an outlet.”
The song actually contains the words ‘begin here’ and was last song released as a single before the album came out.
“It’s very celebratory. Which is another key aspect of our music. Yeah, we deal with a lot of heavy stuff, but we all need to celebrate life, be thankful and be together. It’s a song that’s more about triumph. And it’s so super catchy when that chorus comes in and then we just drop in the snare and it kind of builds back up again. It’s always felt, to us, nostalgic, but triumphantly nostalgic. I think it has to do with Simon’s 1980s chords and sound. It’s always the emotion, triumph, that I get around that one. It kind of makes me feel young again,” said Simpson.
“Ultimately, it’s meant to be extremely encouraging and hopeful, but hopeful in an activated way where you’re like through fate. So the lyrics are ‘through fate, dreams have altered stone.’ It’s saying your dreams are powerful. Getting back to the them or not being afraid to fail. If you really want something and you really worked towards it, you can change your life. I did it. And I’m trying to put that out there by saying, ‘begin here, though it seems like you’re all alone.’
“A lot of the time, you might literally be alone and feel very alone. But there’s more to it than that. And, really, through all of my troubles, I am not religious, but I found this feeling of connection to people and to something energetic in the world. There’s more to it than just our little dramas. I feel like the world just seems much more open and beautiful to me now and I am more connected to it, than I was before. I was so insular and stick and I want to capture the power of that feeling and send it out.”
While Neon Bloom has chosen to release Begin Here digitally at preset, they are still firm believers in the concept of creating an album as a collection of work.
“I’m always about the story and it’s like telling a story and I want it to be all together. To me, as a band or an artist, you put the story of the last five years together, or whatever length of time, you put it out, then you move on to the next. I like to have a bookend. I think a lot of musicians, they grow up listening to albums and maybe being connected to the actual full album in a way that the casual listener or someone on the business side of things, maybe they weren’t so connected in that way. I remember staring at album artwork and trying to draw the artwork. I would handwrite out the lyrics to really get to know every single song on every album I have, and listen to it over and over from start to finish, not skipping around. There is something special to that because that is how the artist wanted it to be heard,” Simpson said, with Romano like the concept of the deep dive that an album allows for.
“I think it instills more of a connection to the artist when you listen to a full album in order. The artist has really put themselves out there, showing many sides of their personality and creativity. And I think if you’re not listening to it that way, you’re not getting what I would say is the big picture of the art. There’s a groove, and an overall feeling you get from a deep dive. And if those sorts of albums don’t exist and you just get the pop singles, there’s not as much to it. I feel like if people really want to engage, you as the artist have opened up a door to go do that with an album. And I think that should always be available. So, it’s a funny thing, because, as you said, people keep saying the album is dead, yet every artist wants to release one.”
Neon Bloom is taking a strategic approach to playing live, waiting to see how Begin Here lands. There are no immediate plans for the remainder of 2025, but they are in discussions for some big sojourns, including throughout Ontario, for 2026.
For more information, visit https://neonbloom.band.
