Lindsey Neal

My name is Lindsey Neal. I am part of a music scene here in Tulsa, Oklahoma that I love dearly and I have lots to share with you. I am excited to use my new blog to acquaint you with my music and what it’s about. A lot of people play their music at bars, including myself, in fact, I played live at The Deli in Norman just last night in the band Cecada and opened for The Panda Resistance.

When I play at a bar, lots of times if feels like the band is just a part of the background noise. Of course, it depends on the bar, but generally speaking, people aren’t soaking up the lyrics, song meanings, melodies, harmonies, or other musical nuances. They are mostly socializing. The thing that excites me about a blog is that people can get to know me and the music before they see the music live – and it will be much more meaningful!

Recording The Physical Holdup: Issues of the Human Condition

It’s difficult to put your own music into a genre, but I get asked this question a lot: “What kind of music do you play?”

I had a breakthrough on the answer to this question last September when I was at Amoeba Records in Hollywood. I was in the “Electronica” section, and most everything I listen to was there in that section (besides Michael Jackson, who was next door in “Soul.”)

So – I describe my music as Indie – Pop – Electronica.

Indie – I’m independent. Pop? I’m pretty sensible as a songwriter… and electronica? It’s all synths, arranging and programming.

The album is vintage synthesizers layered with violins and electric guitars. Mark has put his distinct touch throughout the record, engineering and playing electric guitars and synths, as well as Andrew Bones on drums and Bo Hallford on bass. We tracked violins, drums and bass at Church Studio for the album – the rest has been recorded at our home studio.

What is “The Physical Holdup?”

The album is a thought process describing the phenomenon of the human condition when they realize the predicament they are in: a physical holdup.

In other words? It’s the process of remembering that you are more than your physical body. It’s easy to forget in a world like this one.

It begins with “I have a feeling,” which describes becoming restless at the endless supply of thoughts streaming through our minds every day. It moves to “Am I a Madman?” It’s a song that wonders if anyone else is noticing synchronicity. The title track says, “If it weren’t for this body, I’d sleep in the snow, but as it is now I can’t take the cold.” It wonders if our social systems just keep bodies alive, but not souls.

“Production Consumption” says: “Take and you take and you give it away.” This is all we do with energy. We’ve constructed systems to produce and consume – but what about the part of us that exists not just to eat, sleep and reproduce? “The Retaining Wall” addresses the rules in the systems that keeps people separated from each other, judging each other, and killing each other.

It says:

“A holy roller stole the day. Took our joy to show the right way. Made new rules to show our wrongs. Disallowed the singing of songs. You’ll find me once again – I say, ‘rebel’ but some call it ‘sin.’ Rock by rock the wall comes down that’s been retaining us.”

“I Write So Thunderous

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