Neon Owl is a vibrant music collective dedicated to connecting artists and fans in meaningful ways. Through a carefully curated platform, it fosters a sense of belonging while amplifying the voices of emerging talents and established musicians alike. By organizing events, collaborating with charities, and promoting awareness campaigns, Neon Owl not only enriches the musical landscape but also drives positive change in communities around the world, encouraging individuals to unite for a common purpose and celebrate the transformative power of music.
Luckily, we had the opportunity to chat with Elaine Huang, the founder and badass behind it all! Read on to learn more about Elaine, Neon Owl, and how they’re celebrating ten very successful years by beginning their own record label.
Morganne Davis, Electric Hawk: What sparked your love for music?
Elaine: What sparked my love for music was actually my parents. Ever since I was little, they have been really into music. They’re both from China, so it was always Chinese music. That’s how I was introduced, and I pretty much grew up listening to a lot of trendy stuff, including pop and hip hop. It was not electronic music at first. Then my little brother took me to my first EDC! That was my first show and festival. I fell in love and I never looked back. That became my main genre because I loved the culture.
MD: Similarly, what inspired you and your brother, Raymond, to begin Neon Owl?
Elaine: What originally inspired it was that we always went to festivals together. At that time, he was working in tech, and I was working in renewable energy/construction. It was a lucrative job, but it wasn’t very fulfilling. I had always thought that I was meant to do something else, either some sort of activism, nonprofit, or be my own business owner. I thought about merging the two: owning my own thing while being able to support different charities. To top it off, I never thought I could do something I’m passionate about, like music. Personally, I don’t think I’m musically talented. [laughs] I’ve started to dabble now, but I realized there’s more than just being an artist! It was this jumbled idea of how I can go to raves, replicate the culture of raves, which is very embracing and giving, but outside of those festival walls.
So it wasn’t a collective at first; it was more of a blog and media outlet that talked about things that mattered and told stories that were beyond memes. After meeting a few DJs and getting to know them, while they were getting to hear what I’m about, we just kicked off the charity thing. After that, I met even more people who were about what we do, and I thought, Huh, I can also help up-and-coming artists! I’ve always been big into music discovery, and I could leverage some of my more established relationships who are about giving back, to give back to not just charities but the underdogs of the music industry. It became a collective over time, as the community grew, very organic.
MD: Were there any challenges that arose while starting the collective?
Elaine: There were a few. When you’re trying to do something new, on one end, you have people who support it, and then on the other end, you have people who look at you like you’re naive. I feel like you do have to be naive to create something positive. I’ll say in the beginning, a lot of people questioned how this was going to be profitable, which was never my intention. I had to fund my first many, many venues of Open Door Sessions, which are the events we host to bring the community together. It was me funding my own money to do the thing(s) I wanted to do, because although some people believed in it, it was hard to justify this as something that made sense for a collaborator. It took a lot of consistency for people to get with what we’re doing, which was challenging.
Another challenge is… just being a woman. Ten years ago, the industry was not as progressive or inclusive. So, it was just a matter of earning the respect. Ya know? As an Asian woman who’s taught many things, like, don’t take up space, don’t do this. It was almost like, ugh, I have to worry about people’s feelings and command presence. Just all these things. I felt like I had to work so much harder, and I felt almost afraid to ask for support because that would mean I’m incompetent. It’s a lot of inner conversations as well as built-in society norms. It just took a while to find allies!
MD: Tell me more about the Open Door Sessions!
Elaine: Open Door Sessions just crossed seven and a half years! I kicked them off in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. Originally, I wasn’t super intending on them being virtual until the pandemic. Everyone was depressed without a job or income, so I thought, Alright, we can start hosting some mental health talks. It was a way to keep engaging with the community, but it ended up being really good because a lot of A&Rs and labels were free! Suddenly, more people wanted to participate, which put us on the map. We also got to open up the impact to go beyond the cities we were in: Australia, China, and Mexico. That truly propelled the brand and ODS. When the pandemic lifted, we brought ODS to more cities and festivals like Groove Cruise. Now we’re both virtual and all across the states, as well as in Amsterdam.
MD: Congrats on the tenth anniversary of Neon Owl! How big has the collective grown, i.e., team members or artists?
Elaine: If we’re talking core team, we’re way smaller than the world thinks we are! [laughs] We have a small team of about three to four core people. Luckily, there’s been a big community buy-in; people are like Oh, come to Chicago or come to Seattle! There are people who like what we do and help us out because of what we bring to the community. We have a lot of ambassadors because many people who come through our events end up getting a lot of results- like collaborations, shows booked, and whatnot. They end up being our biggest word-of-mouth ambassadors; those who have gotten results want to come back and speak. Ends up being this helpful community, so it seems big.
MD: Out of all these years, what’s been your favorite memory so far?
Elaine: I discovered these two brothers, BEAUZ. I found them on Soundcloud, and at the time, they hadn’t had any releases yet, but I loved their remixes. We gave them a feature on Neon Owl, and they thought they had made it! [laughs] We became close friends, and I continued to help them, almost as a mentor. We booked them for their first show and then their first festival. It was so beautiful to see their growth. Last year, as we were queuing up for the anniversary, we did a tour run with them. They hadn’t headlined LA yet, so we booked out Catch One, threw their first headline show, and they sold it out! It was such a surreal moment to know that these are the people who were present early in my journey, as I was for theirs, and now they’re international superstars! We sold out that tour, Atlanta as well. Also, we did Miami Music Week! The Clevelander told us that it was the best show of MMW at their venue. It’s really cool that we can do these full-circle moments together.
MD: Aside from the debut release from Hidden Axis and WISNER, what’s next for Neon Owl Records?
Elaine: The first one is with Hidden Axis and WISNER; they both have been a part of the Neon Owl community. Julie (Hidden Axis) founded ODS, actually! She came in, hadn’t made any music yet, and didn’t know how to DJ. We helped her facilitate her first many signings on other labels and shows. This one’s a really special first record for Neon Owl. After that, we have one with Medii, who is another artist that’s been with Neon Owl since year one or two. We’re not just signing artists who are a part of the community; it just so happens that we have mentored them or they’ve been our allies and friends in the industry. Plus, we really love their music! That’s why we chose these first few songs. But we’re open to artists who are new to the community or who want a record label that cares and works transparently with the artists.
“I’m super proud and excited to have Julie and Blake be the first release on the label because both are such insanely talented artists. From the very first moment I met Julie at her first Open Door Sessions VIRTUAL, I knew she was something special. I remember introducing her as the artist that will “headline EDC one day,” which is not something I’ve said before… Paired with Blake, who has one of the most versatile voices that cuts you to the core, I think that ‘Fallen Angel’ is a song that will make people feel something. It still gets me, despite having heard it a million times.”
MD: Are there any upcoming events or projects you can hint at?
Elaine: The dates are unconfirmed yet, but we’ll have at least two record label launch release parties! One in San Francisco, one in LA. Only because I think that’s where a majority of our community is at. But on top of that, we also have a few shows coming up!
MD: As a woman of color, any advice for other ladies trying to make it in the industry?
Elaine: Since we’re considered the minorities in the industry, it’s about not being afraid to claim your place. I think that’s one of the biggest things that I wish someone had told me earlier. If you’re about it and you work hard, people will respect you. So yes, you have to put in all the effort, but don’t be bashful, don’t be ashamed. Claim what’s also yours. You have to work for it, but don’t always take the backseat. And I would say don’t be afraid to ask for support. I definitely wish I had sought mentors because even if you don’t know what you don’t know, which is often when you’re starting, that passion and your why really carry you through. If you have that, good people will gravitate towards you and your cause. You’ll naturally build your community that way.
Check out “Fallen Angel,” the first release on Neon Owl Records!
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