Editors Note: Our Artist-Of-The-Week feature is on, a hopefully brief, hiatus. We plan to return to action by mid-October with a very special two part feature. Until then, we’re going to take a page from our television brethern and repeat a couple of our most popular installments. Enjoy.

Introducing Neon Hymns, our fourth official Artist of the Week. A friend gave me their recent self-titled EP, and I’ve been listening to it on repeat for the last week. Their was a sparse amount of personal information on the band on their social media sites, so I wasn’t quite sure of what to expect from the LA-based Aussie quartet. They arrived at my house yesterday with their manager, and it was clear from the get go that they all went way back. The banter was snarky but well-intentioned, and I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed the company of gentlemen who giggled so much at one another’s jokes. We shared a few beers over the course of a few hours, and the band just seemed to get funnier as time wore on. There were the standard jokes made at drummer Rob Ellmore’s expense (which he took in stride and dished back readily), but we also veered into some hilarious territory that doesn’t always come up in the standard interview. After they performed “Whatever Happened“, the first track off of their self-titled EP- they gave me the real scoop on the band immediately following the song. They didn’t hold back on the dirt or take themselves too seriously, which was refreshing considering how talented they are. They happily explained how they had nabbed their guitarist James Bowen from another band, their odious past band names, and of course, how they came up with their current moniker. Don’t miss lead singer Josef Cruickshank and bassist Simon French’s back and forth regarding all of the things they think of when hearing Neon Hymns: the term “a rave in a cathetdral” stands out, and oh yes, there’s a little house-inspired beat boxing.

Neon Hymns- photo by Benjamin Magrdichian

Neon Hymns will be performing at The Hotel Cafe on August 5th. The show is 21+, and the cost is $10. The Hotel Cafe is located at 1623 1/2 North Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood. Their self-titled EP (pictured below) is now available for purchase on iTunes. For more information on Neon Hymns‘ upcoming tour dates and releases, please visit their website or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.