The Utah-founded pop-rock band Neon Trees has teamed up with the LGBTQ+ youth group Encircle to spread some cheer — and a new song — for the holidays.
The band Thursday released a video for their new single, “Holiday Rock” — which was filmed last month at Encircle’s home in Salt Lake City.
The song is an original, uptempo celebration of the holiday spirit, written by Tyler Glenn, Neon Trees’ lead singer, and Dan Book, who produced the track.
The video depicts Glenn and his bandmates — guitarist Chris Allen, bassist Branden Campbell and drummer Elaine Bradley — at a crowded and festive holiday house party.
In one scene in the video, Glenn, who is gay and is a former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, holds up a sprig of mistletoe. Bradley, who is straight, married and a devout Latter-day Saint, seems about to go in for a kiss. They stop short, comically shake their heads, and laugh.
The video aims to bring awareness to Encircle, a nonprofit that offers support to LGBTQ+ youth and their families, following the motto “No Sides, Only Love.”
The band has aided Encircle before, as one of the early acts performing at the LoveLoud Music Festival, founded by Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds to show solidarity with Utah’s LGBTQ+ youths. Encircle has been among the recipients of LoveLoud’s support.
