It can be a short journey from home studio to industry festival in today's music market. Just three singles into their career, Finding Neo has already been well-received. Now the young duo is coming out with an EP and embarking on a tour of Norway.
/ 23/11/2018 / Kristian DugstadText: Kristian Dugstad. Photo above: Kristofer Ryde
"Don't be nice," Andrea Ådland sings insistently on the group's latest release. A plea that the audience at both Vill Vill Vest and Sørveiv chose to ignore. There was a slightly ecstatic atmosphere when the young duo, with a band, made their mark on an industry-heavy audience at these two festivals earlier this fall.
Finding Neo consists of Andrea and Mathias Keilegavlen. Two young, promising musicians who have, in a short time, made the leap from Mathias' boyhood room to the radar of the Norwegian music industry.
– We met at Kongshaug Music High School. We did some cover gigs together, and eventually found that we had enough common interests to quickly become good friends, says Mathias.
They also shared a dream of making a living from music. In the summer of 2017, they began writing songs together.
Three singles on Spotify. That's all they have to show for now. But it doesn't take much more, because Finding Neo has been noticed. The third single "Don't Be Nice" was released at the end of August, and earned them invitations to, among other things, the two aforementioned festivals.
– The songwriting started once we were at Mathias' house, and began with a sketch for what became our first single "Stuck". The sketch was ready in one day. That's when we realized that we had to make more music together, says Andrea.
She says the two have been surprised by how much they are able to do on their own. They have mostly recorded, mixed and mastered in Mathias' bedroom.
– I learned to produce, mix and master recordings myself through trial and error.
Finding Neo is marked by the thorough musical training the two have undergone. Mathias believes this has been a great advantage for them.
– When we write songs, I notice that I have benefited greatly from my music education. When I started playing guitar, I learned chords and rules, and these become more and more throughout my education. Eventually, you get to the point where you know enough to start breaking the rules.
Another important aspect of schooling is the friendships you make. Both teachers and fellow students have been important supporters in the start-up of the band.
– Throughout my schooling, I have met people who have given us a lot of input. It has also ensured that we have met the right musicians and thus made it possible to put together a band.
The band is currently spending a lot of time in the studio, finishing an EP they've been working on for much of 2018.
– In the spring we said it would come this summer, and in the summer we said it would come this fall. But now we are getting closer, and the songs will be mastered on December 18th, says Mathias.
Mastering will take place in Oslo, and the finished product is scheduled to be ready for release in February 2019. In this regard, they are planning a Norwegian tour, with concerts in all the major cities.
– We've also received Frifond money from BandOrg to reprint the release on vinyl. It's going to be really cool.
In the spring of 2018, Andrea and Mathias received a Young Talents grant from TONO to further develop Finding Neo. According to Andrea, this has meant a lot to the young duo, who bring a band of six with them when they play concerts.
Read more about TONO's scholarships
