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Neon Dream

by Audrey Spillman

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Photo By: Neilson Hubbard
    Artwork By: Joshua Britt

    With a Pre-Order of the Physical Album, you will get a Neon Dream Vintage Motel inspired key chain.

    (Let me know in a message what color of keychain you would like: green, pink, teal or black)

    Includes unlimited streaming of Neon Dream via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 2 days

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

  • Stay at the Neon Dream with this Vintage Inspired Motel Keychain in celebration of the release of Audrey's Neon Dream Album.

    During the writing and recording of the album, Audrey stayed at the below motels and left inspired by their uniqueness and aesthetic.

    The Austin Motel in Austin, Texas
    The Madonna Inn in California
    Pioneertown near Joshua Tree, California..
    ships out within 2 days

      $5 USD or more 

     

1.
Austin motel 03:27
lyrics
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Austin Motel Written By: Audrey Spillman We watch as the sun go down Over the Austin Motel On the edge Of what I know is bound to break You Turn the shades To black Your hands on my back We fade into this neon dream I know right now could be Exactly what I need I swear as long as I’m breathing Honey I’m never leaving We drive twenty miles from town Wanna see a million stars show out Lay next to you underneath Where there’s nothing But the windows rolled And the high from the stereo Drowning out the world from our reach I look to you And see Something my heart needs I swear as long as I’m breathing Honey I’m never leaving I know right now could be Exactly what I need I swear as long as I’m breathing Honey I’m never leaving
2.
Summertime 03:41
lyrics
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Summertime (Written By: George Gerswhin) Summertime And the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' And the cotton is high Oh, your daddy's rich And your ma is good-lookin' So hush, little baby Don't you cry One of these mornings You're going to rise up singing Then you'll spread your wings And you'll take the sky But 'til that morning There's nothing can harm you With daddy and mammy standing by One of these mornings You're going to rise up singing Then you'll spread your wings And you'll take the sky But 'til that morning There's nothing can harm you With daddy and mammy standing by
3.
Beyond The Blue 02:37
lyrics
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Beyond The Blue (Audrey Spillman + Neilson Hubbard) Where you going What have you found now Beyond the blue of a sky fading out Where no trouble will follow you Where no trouble find you Chorus: Ohhh Ohhh Ohh Ohh Miles and Miles of empty road Wheels turning to the buzz of the radio Does that new horizon call to you Change your world just with a view Chorus Ohh Ohh Ohh Ohh
4.
Never Gonna Give You Up 03:45
lyrics
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Never Gonna Give You Up (Dan Mitchell, Neilson Hubbard, Audrey Spillman) Got this feeling for you baby Burning underneath my skin After years of being empty My heart is full again Never gonna give you Never ever gonna up Never gonna give you up Never ever Gonna give you Up No never gonna give you up No never ever gonna give you up I can’t see into tomorrow Or how the story goes But it’s bigger than the ending So much more than we can know Never gonna give you Never ever gonna up Never gonna give you up Never ever Gonna give you Up No never gonna give you up No never ever gonna give you up Bridge Never gonna give you Never ever gonna up Never gonna give you up Never ever Gonna give you Up No never gonna give you up No never ever gonna give you up
5.
Red Balloon 03:37
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Red Balloon Written By: Audrey Spillman Got this memory Of us down by the shore Ships coming in from sea And you in your faded blue jeans And me Holding a red balloon I’ve been spending my time Trying to let go of that red balloon Trying to let go of you I’ve been spending my life Trying to let go of you Verse 2: This picture held up in a frame Is the only thing That feels true A moment where we held the sun Where there wasn’t anyone to tear it from view Chorus
6.
White River 04:05
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White River (Written By: Audrey Spillman + Neilson Hubbard) Walk along the waters edge Hush now child we’re almost there To that land promised to us Don’t you cry Don’t you fret Or mourn with tears the things we left While they lead us One by one Ooh can you feel it Underneath the devil’s beating sun Ooh can you hear it Sound of the children coming home Hand in hand we’ll meet our fate On this earth and in this place when the fire no longer burns night will come to rest it’s head On the souls left for dead Along the banks Of the White River Ooh can you feel it Underneath the devil’s beating sun Ooh can you hear it Sound of the children coming home Bridge: Ooh can you feel it Underneath the devil’s beating sun Ooh can you hear it Sound of the children coming home
7.
Breakthrough 02:16
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Breakthrough (Written By: Audrey Spillman) There’s a new dawn breakin A new fire I’m chasing A new light coming through There’s a feeling rising Of no denying What I know is true If I just hold on Hold On If I just hold on Hold On If I just Hold On Hold On Then I know I’m bound to breakthrough Can see the horizon It's worth the fighting To keep pushing to A new way of thinking With no hesitation Of what I gotta do If I just hold on Hold On If I just hold on Hold On If I just Hold On Hold On Then I know I’m bound to breakthrough
8.
Little Light Of Mine 03:20
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Little Light Of Mine (Written by: Audrey Spillman) Before I first heard your voice I knew it’d be my favorite sound Before I first held you close I knew I’d never wanna let go Sweet, little love of mine Sweet little light that shines I will hold you tight My sweet little love of mine Now with your heart so pure Lovely and true A strength in you I see Let it be what guides you through Sweet, little love of mine Sweet little light that shines I will hold you tight My sweet little love of mine
9.
Go On And Fly 03:06
lyrics
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Go on and Fly Written By: Audrey Spillman Beautiful, Fragile heart I know you gotta go Gonna cross that river And make your way back home No more pain No more suffering Nothing here to keep you tied So when the clouds open up Go on and fly Peaceful words And loving arms To keep you safe and whole To wash away the burdens of The hurts you’ve had to hold No more pain No more suffering Nothing here to keep you tied So when the clouds open up Go on and fly

about

Audrey Spillman matches the slow burn of a torch song with the blazing feeling of falling in love on Neon Dream. Produced by her husband Neilson Hubbard and recorded in Nashville, the compelling project provides a snapshot of her life over the last five years, from getting married and starting a family, to grappling with grief and saying goodbye. It’s also a melting pot of styles that she’s always loved, as elements of jazz, soul, and pop weave their way through the set.

“The sound I was going for was something that represented the music I’ve always loved and been drawn to,” she says. “I love music where the voice is the main focus, where it’s brought to the forefront and everything surrounds it.”

The title of Neon Dream is lifted from a lyric in the album’s lead single, “Austin Motel.” With its simmering tempo and seductive vocal, the track is a testament to a love that continues to deepen. Spillman wrote the song after she and Hubbard road-tripped from Nashville to Texas when they first started dating to pick up a repaired piece of studio gear; they spent a few nights in the Austin Motel on South Congress before heading back. “I had never been to Austin and we had an amazing time,” she says. “That was one of the trips where we really got to know more about each other.”

The album then eases into “Summertime,” the classic torch song from Porgy & Bess. Spillman says she’s felt a connection to it from the first time she heard it on an Ella Fitzgerald compilation album in high school. Tapping into a dark and swampy vibe in the studio, she effortlessly delivers a commanding rendition. Upon hearing her version, BBC presenter Bob Harris commented, “This is amazing. Considering how many times this song has been recorded, to bring something new and powerful to it is a true achievement.”

Spillman notes, “The reason I'm so drawn to that song is that it creates a visceral reaction within me. As an artist, I try to create that emotion as well to the best of my ability. I want to create an intimacy with the listener by creating an emotive space. That is the theme that runs through this album for me.”

An artistic path has been part of Spillman’s life from the start. Spending her early childhood in St. Simons Island, Georgia, she would often tag along to the beach with her mother, who would paint the wildlife, and her father, a photographer. She and Hubbard are now photographers as well. “My childhood was a magical experience and I think that spirit has always stayed within me,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons that place is so special to me. It makes me feel like a kid, and I try to live that way. I try not to lose that.”

Moving to the Nashville area as a freshman in high school, she received a guitar as a Christmas gift from her father when she was 16, with encouragement to bring together her talent for singing and poetry. She taught herself to play by writing songs on it. After graduation, she remained in Nashville and earned a business degree from Belmont University.

In the 2010s, she befriended a number of like-minded singer-songwriters who were honing their skills, too. Before long, she became a regular on local lineups and placed the song “Overnight” on Amy Grant’s Somewhere Down the Road album in 2010; she co-wrote it with Grant, Natalie Hemby, and Luke Laird. During this time, Spillman also released two EPs: Fade in 2008 and Part of Me in 2011.

Then she landed a role in the independent film, Wheeler, alongside Stephen Dorff and Kris Kristofferson. During filming, she asked Kristofferson’s wife if he might consider singing a duet for her next project. He agreed and recorded “I’ve Got to Have You” with Spillman on her 2016 project, Thornbird.

Since that time, her songwriting has taken a more personal turn. She describes Neon Dream as “a more intimate view” into the story of her life. The poignant ballad “Red Balloon” stems from the relationship between a father and daughter, as well as the journey of becoming your own person. Perhaps the album’s most tender moment, “Little Light of Mine” is a sweet ode to her young son, Cole. The spiritual final track, “Go On and Fly,” which features a guest harmony by Garrison Starr, was written as her stepmother was dying of lung cancer. At the request of her stepmother, Spillman sang it at her funeral.

Yet, there’s also power in a song like “Breakthrough,” where she is defiant to shake off everything that’s ever held her back – with the rock attitude and arrangement to make you believe it. Showcasing her enticing voice and impressive range, the bright pop melodies of “Beyond the Blue” and “Never Gonna Give You Up” show confidence in a new relationship. Meanwhile, “White River” is a dark narrative about the plight of Cherokee Indians, hinting that she’s got more sonic textures ready to surface in the albums to come.

But for now, Neon Dream captures a pivotal season in her life, with the vivid imagery in every song still transporting her to the moment that inspired it. By working with friends and her husband in a home studio, she felt relaxed enough – and brave enough – to share her heart.

“When I listen to the album now, I feel proud of it,” she concludes. “I feel like I said exactly what I wanted to say, in the way that I wanted to say it.”

credits

released September 24, 2021

Artist: Audrey Spillman
Producer: Neilson Hubbard
Engineer: Dylan Alldredge at Skinny Elephant Studios
Mixed By: Neilson Hubbard
Mastering By: Jim DeMain at YES Master
Recorded at: Skinny Elephants Studios
Acoustic/Electric Guitar + Bass: Will Kimbrough
Key Bass + Piano+ Organ +Horn: Dan Mitchell
Drums + Acoustic Guitar: Neilson Hubbard
Harmonies: Maddie Alldredge on "Beyond The Blue", Neilson Hubbard on "Austin Motel", "White River", Dan Mitchell "Never Gonna Give You Up" and Garrison Starr on "Go On and Fly"

All Songs written by Audrey Spillman with exception for:
"Austin Motel" written with Neilson Hubbard
"Summertime" written by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward
"Beyond The Blue" written with Neilson Hubbard
"Never Gonna Give You Up" written with Neilson Hubbard and Dan Mitchell
"White River" written with Neilson Hubbard

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Audrey Spillman Nashville, Tennessee

Audrey Spillman matches the slow burn of a torch song with the blazing feeling of falling in love on Neon Dream. Produced by her husband Neilson Hubbard and recorded in Nashville, the compelling project provides a snapshot of her life over the last five years, from getting married and starting a family, to grappling with grief and saying goodbye. ... more

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