Neon Indian's Alan Palomo has a lot going on right now. He's gearing up to release his first album under his own name in a few months, and he also just celebrated his 35th birthday. Perhaps because that put him in a reflective mood, the musician took to Instagram last night (July 26) to explain why he's no longer using the moniker he adopted when he started releasing music in the late 2000s.
"For those who found it confusing: Neon Indian is not 'officially retired' so, relax," Palomo reassured fans. "Using a name I donned at 20 is just not where my head is at, atm."
"Inspiration takes many forms," he continued, writing:
I tumbled down a K hole of "I'm Your Man" era Leonard Cohen interviews and became awestruck at how thoroughly he'd reinvented himself at 50. He was funny, slick, and had things to SAY. It's a tried and true '80s male rock cliché to leave your band in your mid-30s to make a "solo" album. Sting, Ferry, Weller; they all did it but Lenny beat them to it the day he picked up a guitar. Suddenly, it felt impish to consider my own name. REFRESHING even? How could I resist this both sincere and silly plea to myself to shed the moniker?!
Is it costing more work to go by my own name rn? Sure. Is there a core gradient of fans who know me by name that spirals out to an outer ring who know "Polish Girl" through a Now-That's-What-I-Call-Indie algorithm? Ditto. But 50-year-old me might thank me for it in the long run!
Palomo's new album, World of Hassle, is out September 15. See his full statement below.
"For those who found it confusing: Neon Indian is not 'officially retired' so, relax," Palomo reassured fans. "Using a name I donned at 20 is just not where my head is at, atm."
"Inspiration takes many forms," he continued, writing:
I tumbled down a K hole of "I'm Your Man" era Leonard Cohen interviews and became awestruck at how thoroughly he'd reinvented himself at 50. He was funny, slick, and had things to SAY. It's a tried and true '80s male rock cliché to leave your band in your mid-30s to make a "solo" album. Sting, Ferry, Weller; they all did it but Lenny beat them to it the day he picked up a guitar. Suddenly, it felt impish to consider my own name. REFRESHING even? How could I resist this both sincere and silly plea to myself to shed the moniker?!
Is it costing more work to go by my own name rn? Sure. Is there a core gradient of fans who know me by name that spirals out to an outer ring who know "Polish Girl" through a Now-That's-What-I-Call-Indie algorithm? Ditto. But 50-year-old me might thank me for it in the long run!
Palomo's new album, World of Hassle, is out September 15. See his full statement below.