Neon Dreams back in SA for Dreaming Out Loud Fest

Hailing from Canada, Neon Dreams comprises singer Frank Kadillac and drummer Adrian Morris. Their journey began in high school and the duo’s early years saw them experimenting with various musical styles, pushing boundaries and eventually finding their own sound.

They will be joined by Billy Raffoul (Canada), Matthew Mole (South Africa), Janie Bay (South Africa) and The Saxby Twins (South Africa).

Neon Dreams are known for their infectious beats and soulful melodies, blending elements of pop, rock, folk, EDM, hip hop and reggae to produce a genre-blurring style. Their full-length album releases include Sweet Dreams till Sunbeams (2019), The Happiness of Tomorrow (2020) and Love Child Baby Dolphin (2023). In 2020, they won a Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year.

Neon Dreams found unexpected success in South Africa when their song ‘Life Without Fantasies’ went platinum in 2021 and led to 16 sold-out shows despite lockdown concerns. During their South African trip, they became Goodwill Ambassadors for Justice Desk Africa, promoting human rights among young people. In

In 2023, Neon Dreams came back for their Sunshine Tour in March and April and performed 18 shows across various locations in South Africa and Namibia.

In a recent interview with the CapeTalk radio’s Lunch with Pippa Hudson, Morris commented about the band’s experiences in South Africa and why they were always happy to return to the country. ”It’s the love from the people,” he said. “The people just keep showing us love and we want to show that love back.”

He also spoke about his friendship with Matthew Mole: “Matt has become a very good friend of mine, actually. We’re always talking even when we’re on other sides of the planet. When we toured with him in December last year, we became very close and we ended up writing a song together that will be coming soon that we’re really, really excited about. We just clicked instantly as friends, as musicians. And me and Frank, after that tour, talked about how that might have been the most fun we’ve had touring with another artist”.

Dreaming Out Loud dates (follow links for tickets):

• 7 September – Sognage, Johannesburg.
• 9 September – Chris Saunders Park, Durban.
• 10 September – Zevenwacht Wine Estate, Cape Town.