The Neon Shadows
One, two, three, four…
Rock and roll is here to stay in Rabun County with “The Neon Shadows,” an all-girls rock group drummed up by 9 and 10-year-olds.
The four-person band, each of whom has her own rocker nickname, is Victoria “Tori” Speed, 10, playing the bass guitar; Kimber “Kimbee” Shurtliff, 10, playing piano and singing vocals; Kate “Pirate” Shurtliff, 9, playing drums; and Izzy “Izzy Pop” Glichowski, 9, playing guitar and singing vocals.
“I think this is a good thing we have going on,” Kimbee said about the band, which formed after the girls hung out and had a jam session with musical instruments that their parents brought out.
And that struck a chord as the girls formed The Neon Shadows and have been together for about one year. Dressed on stage in true rocker attire with leather jackets, denim jeans, shades, and color streaks in their hair, the girls perform in Rabun County and surrounding areas.
They said they were inspired by their parents to play rock music.
Izzy Pop said her father, Stephen Glichowski, who is also the band’s manager, “had formed a taste for old rock and passed that down to us.”
Other musical and pop culture influences that inspire the girls include artists Joan Jett, Fleetwood Mac, Foo Fighters, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Aurora, Lucius, the movie “School of Rock” starring Jack Black, and of course, Pink Floyd.
“How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat?” Izzy Pop said about the serious questions the girls think about when playing music. The expression comes from Pink Floyd’s album “The Wall.”
The Neon Shadows play six original songs titled, “Little Ghost,” “Mixed Up,” “Gravity Falls Down,” “Timmy Vibes,” “Reflect the Moon,” and “Surface of the World.”
The lyrics come from “funny things that happen” in their lives and daily activities. The girls said they also hope to connect with other kids their age through music and write about challenges they face.
“‘Timmy Vibes’ is about a calm, chill, beach-vibe-style thing,” Tori explained. “Timmy is a state of mind.”
The song “Gravity Falls Down” came about when one of the band members fell off of a chair while they were practicing.
“We all have our ideas and pick the best,” Izzy Pop said about song lyrics, noting that the next song could be about anything, like what they are having for lunch.
The messages also include themes of not giving up and not letting challenges get in your way and life advice to not make poor decisions.
“Even though some things might be annoying, they help us come together,” Izzy Pop said. “There are problems in life, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up,” Tori added.
“The seed of the song comes from them,” Glichowski said about how he helps the band manage technical aspects of the music.
As far as the band’s name, The Neon Shadows, Izzy Pop said they “played around with names until The Neon Shadows stuck.”
The Neon Shadows’ setlist also includes six cover songs,“Heroes” by David Bowie; “All Along the Watchtower” made popular by Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix; “Zombie” by The Cranberries; “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes; “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve; and “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes.
The band practices 2-3 times a week for a few hours before a gig and has recently played at several venues including Universal Joint, Currahee Brewing Company and The Spotted Pig in Clayton and Willie’s Tavern (Chattooga River Lodge) in Long Creek, S.C.
“Practice makes progress,” Kimbee said. She said learning a song can be difficult, but you get used to it if you practice often.
“I love having fun. I like playing around on stage because it’s what I do,” Izzy Pop said about why she loves being in the band and playing music. “You can’t describe it. It’s like magic. It’s just a puzzle of the world you can’t figure out. It’s like explaining what a french fry is to someone who has never eaten a french dry,” Izzy Pop added.
Pirate said she loves playing the drums because it is fun and helps in “getting anger issues out.”
“I didn’t know I was a drummer until one day Izzy and I just started messing around and I picked up the drum sticks. Now I love playing and feeling the beat,” Pirate posted on The Neon Shadows social media page.
The girls admitted they love spending time with each other while in the band.
“I get to hang out with my homies,” Kimbee said of her favorite part. “It frees you and lets you be yourself when sometimes you are embarrassed. It gives you another way to express yourself,” she added about what playing music means to her.
Tori said that being in the band is “a cool experience” because “I get to hang out with my friends.”
The community is hooked on The Neon Shadows and just recently the group has three original songs, “Little Ghost,” “Gravity Falls Down,” and “Mixed Up,” available for purchase on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music and Apple Music. They are also available for listening on the Alexa device.
The Neon Shadows “get pumped” before their shows and have their next performance tonight, August 3, at Currahee Brewery from 5-6 p.m.
Upcoming gigs include performing at the Hatch Camp and Art Farm Women’s Folk Fair Saturday, Aug. 6 from 3-5 p.m. on Joe Speed Rd. in Clayton and the Ready to Ride 2023 Bike and Car Show on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 3 p.m. at Amrine Equipment and Rentals, 366 South Main Street, Clayton.
Groupies can follow The Neon Shadows on Instagram and Facebook.
Whether they are jamming, crashing, beating, strumming, drumming, or belting, The Neon Shadows prove that 9 and 10-year-old girls “Rock.”
“Everyone out there who loves music and is dedicated, start a band,” Kimbee said as her advice to others.
The Neon Shadows plan to continue their all-girl rock band and juggle gigs with school work. They are growing in popularity and sell swag such as T-shirts and pins with their logos at each performance. They hope to one day be sponsored by Fender manufacturing company.
“Fender, please sponsor us,” Izzy Pop pleaded.
Girl Power from the 9 and 10-year-olds in The Neon Shadows drums on and as far as advice, Izzy Pop has one thing to say: “Rock On!”