“Bringing back the feeling you lost!”
I’ll never forget the first time I heard the album “What’s the Story morning glory?” by Oasis. It shaped my childhood, it reminded me of the good times, and far more than giving me something to tap my foot along with, I felt like the band understood the world in a way that was powerfully captured in their lyrics. When I listened to their music, I felt as if they were advocating not only for me, but for the entire world, describing the human plight in all of its pain and glory. It felt like they had returned me to an understanding and a power that I previously had and lost. Their lyrics were descriptive and complex, yet sometimes simple, ambiguous and mysterious, and their melodies were out of this world, quite unlike anything I had ever heard before. It wasn’t long before I discovered THEIR OWN influences, namely the Beatles.
When I used to drive up to Maine with my family every summer, we would always listen to the same album on the way up, over and over again, because it was THAT good. The Beatles produced the type of music that you could never get tired of, music that you could listen to in any situation, regardless of your mood, energy level, activity, or whether it was day or night. They were quite literally UNIVERSALLY good. In addition to enjoying their music on repeat, I always wondered how it was possible for a band to be so good, and more importantly, HOW they could write music of such quality. I didn’t know it at the time, but I would eventually embark on my journey as an artist. I picked up drum sticks at age 15, a guitar at age 19, and the rest is history.
I would not be the musician, nor even the person that I am today, if it weren’t for my influences, and so I had to pay them homage for setting me free and on my musical way. Of course, I have more influences: Nirvana, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Third Eye Blind, Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, and Sublime to name a few more.
My name is James Neil, and I am the main songwriter for Voquel Kemistry. Our mission is to bring back the influence of psychedelic rock to the mainstream, and keep it there. We combine elements of folk, rock, country, blues, gospel, reggae, and some pieces that are simply undefined. If you want to know what we sound like, take a listen! I hope that you enjoy and vibe out, whatever that means for you! As I felt it with my influences, my music is designed to weave into the fabric of life, to go along with it, and to be played in the background along with whatever it is that you do. So sit back, relax, or get up and go, whatever it is that you need to do to be free, and enjoy the waves!
Peace and love,
James Neil from VK
James Neil Music 