INTERVIEW: Rising Country Duo Neon Union Discuss Debut Album "Good Years"
- All Country News
- Feb 10
- 12 min read
This interview is from the All Country News Podcast on February 10, 2025.
All Country News host Bobbi Dixon sits down with Andrew Millsaps and Leo Brooks of Neon Union to discuss their debut album "Good Years."
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
0:09
So 2025, debut album at the beginning of the year. Why did you want to kick off the year with a debut album? I think, like, that's a really big statement!
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
0:19
Because it's gonna be a good year!
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
0:22
That's right! You took the words out of my mouth!
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
0:25
I set you guys up. That was an alley-oop. I set you guys up for that one. But yeah, in all honesty, chat with me a little bit why you thought just, you know, January was the perfect time for this album.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
0:36
Yeah, really. I mean, we were working on finishing up, you know, some of the songs we had written and kind of getting everything produced. We co-produced half the record with J. DeMarcus who obviously, whoever doesn't know, is one of the members of Rascal Flatts and started our label, so, you know 2025 we feel like it's gonna be an awesome year for getting out and playing shows for us. We're super excited about how much we're gonna be on the road this year.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
1:03
Hey! 2025 we're all the way live! Just saying that!
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
1:06
Yeah, that's right, we're coming! So we figured why not start the year off with the music, and then just follow it up by playing a bunch of shows.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
1:14
I love it. Working with Jay DeMarcus? I think I would wet myself. I found a very old picture of me with all of my Rascal Flats fan club gear from 2013. So I've been swapping that back and forth with his, with their team. So hopefully that gets to him, because it's quite embarrassing.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
1:39
Well, yeah, I mean, working with Jay is amazing.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
1:41
He's a character too.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
1:42
Sometimes you gotta, sometimes you gotta pinch yourself a little bit and be like, wow, like, you know, we listen, we listened to those guys growing up. So getting to work with somebody like that on a regular basis is pretty amazing. And he's such a talented musician and producer and knows all about the business now too. So it's a great person to be working with.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
1:58
I love it. So 12 songs. Thank you for 12 songs. I think that is a very manageable album to digest, so I thank you for that, but I have a feeling It took some whittling down to get to 12. So how did we end up with these 12?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
2:19
Yeah well some of them had already been out. Let's see, How You Don't was on our first EP — and that was kind of like — we loved that song and that EP was like a really like I wouldn't call it rough It was more like a live recording like we did all five songs in one day, and so that's don't that's bringing the energy up and make it more rocking. Stuff like that. When you do the full lenght project, you want to take all of your best work up to that point and put it all together.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
2:55
Sometimes you write another song that you want to replace it, but it's too late. You're going to save it for the next one.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
3:01
Exactly honestly, we will pull our hair out trying to pick 12 songs. So just, yeah, you know, it's part of the business. We get it, but hey, we'll put out as many as we're allowed to.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
3:10
Right.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
3:11
I love it. It's like picking your favorite children. You're gonna come this time, you have to wait, something like that...
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
3:16
Yes, exactly.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
3:18
But, I feel like there's a really good mix of songs that you guys have written in outside cuts — so I'm interested to know how you guys approach an outside cut and how? That gets the official okay from you guys to get recorded Like what does that song need to have in order to land on your project?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
3:39
It's definitely like a teamwork thing you would call it with the label. I mean there's you know some heavy influence on hey we really like this song we think you guys sound would sound great on it and then sometimes it's like cut a demo vocal on it see how we like it and you know once in a while it's kind of like a give-and-take thing it's like all right like y'all think this is gonna be a big chance for a big song. And we like this one. And we're like, all right, let's, you know, let's try on both and see what happens.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
4:05
It has to give us the feeling too, you know, you just don't want to jump on anything.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
4:10
And we pick based off of our energy on stage and like what we're going to do live. And if it feels right and it's good. We love it. We're gonna do it. You know, that's pretty much it.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
4:21
As natural as possible.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
4:23
I love it. It's got to fit the vibe. If it doesn't fit the vibe, you're out! — No, I'm joking!
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
4:28
And it has to say something that we want it to say, too.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
4:31
That's so important because there's thousands, if not millions of songs out there. So but one of the outside cuts I want to chat with you about is Bout Damn Time. The writer list on that is a pretty heavy hitting. For those who don't know, that's Tyler Hubbard, Hardy, Hunter Phelps, and Bobby Pinson. Wow, that was a mouthful of heavy hitters. So talk to me about how that song ended up in your lap.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
4:56
Well, the label had found that song, I guess, Kelly King at the label, and they were super excited about it being our first radio single. We kind of wanted to come at radio a little bit rowdy, which that song was, and you know, who knows, maybe they liked it, maybe they didn't, but that's what we did. And yeah, the list of writers, obviously so, so talented.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
5:19
Awesome. Talk to me about being in the studio. I can just tell by talking with you guys that there's this brotherhood, there's this camaraderie between you two, but I feel like once you get in the studio, I bet it's like dialed up to 10. So talk to me about your relationship when it comes to recording music in the studio.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
5:39
Yeah, usually when we get in, like, you know, we start hanging at first a little bit, but then some of us, either one of us will come with an idea. We just start throwing, we throw ideas back and forth, back and forth until something sticks out, and then you get that feeling like, okay, let's go. And for some odd reason, we, I don't know, we connect and things just start happening. You don't know how we get there, but we get there.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
6:02
Yeah, it's also cool to see when you're actually recording the songs, the musicians that come in and play on the record, which Leo plays bass on the records, which is cool, and the other musicians that play on the records are such talented guys in town. And they play on so many records. And so it's cool to see them come in and hear what we've created and go, OK, we we definitely want to keep this part, but we want to add to this. And what do you think about this? This lick or this this drum fill or this? And you just get to piece it all together with their imagination as well.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
6:37
That's actually one of my favorite parts. When we get the band in, it just takes it to another level. I love it, I love it.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
6:44
Yeah, It's definitely a hangout, though, when you're in there making music. Always. It has to be a hangout.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
6:48
Yeah.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
6:49
Yeah, I feel like it can't be too serious. Nobody can have a stick up their butt. Like, I feel like you got to kind of just roll with it. I learned a new word last year from talking to artists like yourselves, that there's demo-itis, that you fall in love with a demo and you have a really hard time changing it. What song did that happen to on this project?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
7:19
Oh, I think Yeah, you don't that's why we kind of took it up a notch but then good years, too, because honestly even just to the fact of like how it was written and how we sang it it was like we had to build the whole actual song around it I mean, we couldn't really change we didn't want to change anything of the way it sounded. Hell of a High is like that too. Hell of a high is pretty much the exact spinning image of what the demo was like.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
7:49
Really? See, I love when that happens. I love when the demo, you're like, done, check, point for me, move on with the day. But, I want to talk about being a duo. I grew up loving duos. Obviously we still have some of the best. As you know, we have Kicks and Ronnie. Some of the best harmonies ever. But talk with me about how you guys decide who's gonna go high, who's gonna go low. Kind of talk to me about a little bit more of the technical when it comes to a song. Is it one of those things that you guys, again, it's just a vibe, you feel it out, or are you guys really intentional about it?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
8:26
You know, it just happens naturally. He'll go on somewhere and I'll go somewhere else just naturally, for some reason it works out all the time.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
8:33
We never really had to super practice that. I mean, I had to learn harmonies a little more than he did because I kind of like just growing up didn't do it as much but uh yeah I guess too like when we're writing a song like a lot of times we'll just like look at each other like yeah that's gonna be my verse and like that's gonna be and we pretty much agree on everything all the time on that it's weird and maybe we subconsciously while we're writing it kind of like just know we're kind of like, alright this verse sounds like you or this verse sounds like me, but It's cool that we also trade off all the time like it's not one voice, so...
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
9:07
And like we we kind of follow a little pattern a little bit like we have we have Saps starting the song And then I'll come in, you know, kind of like catch the people with you know, he has the voice and straight, you know country. My voice is a little different. So you got I got it. You got to take easy to introduce the people.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS (TO LEO BROOKS)
9:30
You go first on like what? One or two?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
9:32
Yeah. Yeah. A couple of them.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
9:35
That's why I love you guys — and I think that's why this album is so impactful — its because I can hear both of you! I mean, why have a duo if I can only hear one voice? I've said that for years.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
9:48
It's called a duo, right?
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
9:50
Yeah, why be in a duo if I can only hear one of you? So I love that you guys are clearly intentional and like you said, kind of subconsciously you already know, but what was your favorite memory, the two of you together? Was there a moment that you looked at each other in the studio or even just while writing these songs, and you're like, that's the shit, like, this is awesome. Was there a moment like that?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
10:15
Yeah, actually the very first time, like, it's a crazy, I mean, so we got introduced, you know, through actually Jimmy Allen and at the time and Jay was getting ready to start this countryside the label and me and Leo met in person the first time and then like went to dinner that night and the next morning we were in the studio cutting five song that they had kind of said like, we want to put y'all on these songs and see how you sound. And we got to do a scratch vocal. We had to do like one microphone, like a scratch vocal. And me and Leo both are like sharing a microphone and start singing. They were both like, dude, this is gonna be awesome.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
10:56
Rock and roll. That's it.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
10:58
Oh my gosh. That's so much fun! And there's just so much energy between you two. I think that's just so fun. But like you mentioned at the beginning of the interview, when you were thinking of these tracks, you're also kind of looking towards the future and looking at your live shows. So what can we expect from you out of the live show, and what songs are you excited to bring to the fans?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
11:22
Live shows are always high energy.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
11:25
Yeah, high energy like we try to keep it as high music quality as possible
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
11:32
But a lot of musicianship for sure — like Leo is a killer bass player I actually the best best player I've ever met sorry to anybody else I've ever played played with that played bass, but Leo's the best bass player. I know and Our lead guitarist Max Struthers is incredible. Our drummer Chadwick Bonanza is absolutely killer.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
11:52
Yeah, we're about to add another guy!
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
11:54
Yeah, we're getting ready to add a steel guitar player, so that's why we're excited this year— we're picking it up a notch! But lots of jam sessions with us.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
12:02
Yeah, I love it. There's a joke in my family... I love pedal steel so much that my parents want me to get a pedal steel tattoo. Like, right. And I've thought about it, like I've genuinely thought about it. But I love that you guys have real instruments. I feel like that makes such a difference. And I think one of my favorite songs on the record that kind of shows that is Made in Mexico. I think it's so fun. Talk to me a little bit about that song. And it's like smack dab in the middle. I think it's a fun little wake up. So talk to me a little bit about that one.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
12:35
Yeah, that one we did like with the legend, Dan Huff.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
12:40
Yeah, Dan killed it. He was like, you know, we want to make it just beachy and vacationy enough But still keep it like y'all's twangy country style. So yeah, that was funny we also we wrote that one with Bobby Pinson as well and it's a funny story that I like to tell we came in the room and I had the idea Hey, let's write a song called made in Mexico. And Bobby's like, "I can't write that. I wrote Made in America for Toby Keith." And I was like, well, "what if you had to hit off both of them?" He's like, "all right, let's write it." So it turned out to be an awesome song. It's just a funny song. It's fun. Drinking in Mexico, it's pretty much all it's about.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
13:19
I know, I love it. I feel like both of your personalities really come through and you're not taking yourself too seriously, but it's still this wonderful song. So I'm really hoping that one makes the set list because I think that's just a good time to bring you guys up some tequila shots to the stage and really get the party going, right?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
13:38
It's definitely on the set list. We will have already been having a couple of shots before we go. Probably.
HOST - BOBBI DIXON
13:48
I love it. Well, to wrap things up here, your debut album is really an opportunity to kind of leave an impact. So how do you guys want to leave an impact with this first full-length project?
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
14:01
Man, I think we really just want like, I want the fans to come out and hear us play live. You know, the records are so fun to like, capture what you want to say and put it out and let people hear it. And then hopefully they hear it enough to want to come see a show and experience it with us.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
14:18
We're going to give you that feel good music, you know, bring everybody together. That's what we're all about, just having a good time and bringing everybody together. Enjoy like an hour, hour and a half with us to forget whatever you've been going through and just, we'll just take you to a good time.
ARTIST - NEON UNION - ANDREW MILLSAPS
14:35
And we're talking about the album's "Good Years." So we're like, here's to the good years. I mean, the ones that have already passed and the ones to come. We're just, you know, let's all have good years to come!
ARTIST - NEON UNION - LEO BROOKS
14:45
Yeah, yeah!
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