Give us a brief about your band. Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Stephen Edmunds and Neo Dimes is my “Neo Industrial” solo project. I’ve been a musician most of my life, grew up playing guitar in hardcore/metal type bands and later found myself playing more experimental Shoegaze music. I always wanted to make something darker and more electronics driven and this project is the culmination of years of work to that end. Beyond that I’m a husband, father and prolifically disappointed leftist from Denver Colorado.
When did you first launch the project and how has it come along since?
The first song I released was in late 2025 but this is something I’ve been working at for the better part of 7 years. It was a painstakingly slow process due to me spending most of that time figuring out what doesn’t work over and over again while also trying to learn the production side of things. In hindsight it was incredibly beneficial to take that time as it allowed me to grow as a musician and producer and to organically find the sonic identity of Neo Dimes.
What bands and artists influenced you the most and why?
Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode and Deftones are my top three and I’m happy to wear those influences on my sleeve. In the background there’s also the fingerprints of groups like The Cure, Joy Division, Brian Jonestown Massacre, MBV, and The Prodigy. They’re all sonically unique but share a desire to push the boundaries of production and songwriting. To me, the hallmark of a great band is being able to immerse yourself in the music, where you can find something new in a song or even in yourself no matter how many times you listen. All of these bands have that amazing quality.
If you could pick a single song from your discography to explain your music, which song would you pick and why?
The song Beasts packs a lot into four and a half minutes. It’s got heavy guitars, breakbeats, ominous synths and lyrics about how the death of the American dream has radicalized young men. It was also a fun experiment for me on how to write a chorus that is musically different each time it happens in the song.
What is your most recent release and what is it about?
The latest single is called Don’t Think and unfortunately, it’s a timely critique of manipulation, manufactured consent and control. I wrote the lyrics years ago and remember thinking at the time that a chorus repeating “Don’t Think” would be too tongue in cheek. Fast forward to today and we are right on the Orwellian precipice and being asked to “reject the evidence of your eyes and ears”. The subtlety is gone, the propaganda is just lazy and it feels like the only thing we can do is watch it burn.
Take us through your creative process. How do you compose a song from start to finish? Where do the ideas come from?
Almost every song starts with a simple guitar melody and some chords. After that I would spend an inordinate amount of time trying to layer in the other elements. There’s always mountains of synths and most everything is done with VST’s though I did get my hands on a mini moog and some other analog gear that I utilized for a couple songs. I love to mess around with sound design and I try to bring cinematic elements into each song whether through some weird looping, FX or going wild with automation to create background atmosphere. Programming drums is usually one of the last touches and I mostly use samples from places like Splice. Finally, writing lyrics and recording vocals is the most difficult piece of the puzzle for me. I’m incredibly proud of the lyrics on the upcoming record but I second guessed myself constantly through this process which led to a ton of rewrites and editing. Ultimately it made for something more honest and hopefully relatable but that’s not for me to decide.
What’s your current favorite song, band, or album within your scene? And vice versa, what do you enjoy the most that’s completely opposite of what you make?
I love the new HEALTH record Conflict DLC. It’s got so many ridiculously heavy parts, fun riffs and production that is miles ahead of anyone else. For something different ish, I probably listened to the FKA Twigs album Eusexua more then any other album in last year. I love her vocals and the “midnight cigarettes in the city” vibe of that record. Also, I’ve been revisiting some of my childhood favorites lately and listening to A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders on repeat, absolute classic!
What is on the horizon for your project? Upcoming gigs, tours, merch, videos, etc. Name it, link it, show it off.
My latest single and music video for Don’t Think are out now. I’m doing something a little different for the release of my debut album Alone as it will be available on Vinyl, Cassette and Bandcamp in early Spring 2026 a few months before it hits Spotify and such. Support human music. Fuck the streamers!
