#weareneonsociety
International. Inspired. Intense
Neon Society blends talent from Singapore, Germany, Portugal, the UK, and from Eastern and Western Canada to create face paced, inspiring music that you can dance and/or mosh to.
Formed during the tailings of the COVID pandemic, Neon Society started out as a "write what you love" genre-free band composed of Lead Singer, James Acton, and Lead Guitarist, Sean Tan. The revolving door of members and influences slammed open, with many different talents from Brazil, Mexico, Canada, America and more pouring in. Among those to join Neon Society in its early days was the British rocker, Alexanda Maryan, on drums and the Philippino Composer, Dave Dagta, on keyboards.
Neon Society played a number of shows during those days but they still needed a bassist, when a previous bandmate of James and retired lawyer, Ted Purdy, stepped up to the mantle. Things looked to be falling into place as a solid line-up began to form but soon Dave unfortunately had to step down leaving a position open on keyboards. That was when Tee stepped up and Neon Society finally formed it's current multinational lineup.
James Acton
Born in British Columbia, James is our lead singer and lyricist. James is the only member of the band originating from BC, from a small rural town of Lumby. As such, James took an alternate path to learning music. His ethos has was always been song first, theory second and so, he has always had a story to tell, a song to sing, or a smile to share.
James has an irresistible urge to perform. His talent for songwriting stems from his love of poetry and his enthusiasm in learning every instrument he sets his sights on. James has carved a musical career as a live sound engineer for the past 10 years and has continually performed professionally throughout that time.
There isn’t a catchy song out there that James probably hasn’t sung at some point in his career. James blends his love for writing and his passion for music to write the catchy hooks and anthem lyrics that weave throughout Neon Society's music. His love and passion for performing is what endears audiences every time Neon Society hit the stage.
Sean Tan
Navigating a symphony of diverse influences, Sean's musical odyssey began in an environment steeped in the legendary sounds of Queen, Michael Jackson, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, courtesy of his musician and audiophile parents. This rich auditory backdrop, combined with an early affection for video games, ignited Sean's passion for video game scores, particularly the haunting melodies of Nobuo Uematsu. His childhood was a prelude to a lifelong dedication to music, seamlessly intertwining with his professional aspirations.
Sean's musical palate is eclectic yet discerning, with a particular admiration for "melodic shredders" like Tim Henson, Plini, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, and Van Halen. He is drawn to their ability to combine dizzying technical runs with unforgettable melodies and emotionally charged bends and vibrato. It's this blend of virtuosity and expressiveness that Sean seeks to embody in his music.
Alexanda Maryan
Working at the Vancouver Aquarium as a jack-of-all trades, Alex wears many has: designer, engineer, carpenter, and project manager. When he isn't putting in hours at the aquarium Alexanda is hard at work running Maryan woodworks a Bespoke fabrication contractor, and holding down the heartbeat of Neon Society. With a love for endurance and extreme sports including Snowboarding, rock climbing, marathon running, surfing, scuba diving, kite surfing and sailing, Alex brings that passion to his music.
Ted Purdy
Ted had music in his blood from a young age. After studying piano at the Royal Conservatory as a kid, Ted turned professional at 17 and played bass in bands spanning several genres, including big band music, jazz, pop, blues and R&B. At 19 Ted joined the legendary Canadian blues band McKenna Mendelson Mainline and played many large venues including the Pacific National Coliseum, the Calgary Stampede, Exhibition Stadium, Ottawa Civic Centre and universities and concert venues across the country.
Ted went on to play in a band with Rick James and recorded a record with Rick that led to his signing with Motown. Ted has played on and produced several major label record albums, including four albums with Mainline and three with Mendelson Joe. After taking a long break to practise law, Ted has gone back to his music roots in a big way, playing keyboards in R&B bands, the pipe organ in churches, and bass with The Fullertons, Neon Society and others. Now the dad to three young band members, Ted continues to arrange, record and produce progressive rock, pop, country and worship music.
Tee
Tee, short for TeeTaan, is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and producer. In his 15+ years active as a musician he has gathered experience in playing live concerts in bands and solo, as well as writing and recording his own songs in the studio. Trained on the piano, drums and in singing, he also raps and plays the electric bass and guitar. One Tee's major passions are video games, for which he passionately creates soundtracks.
With a background in design, which he studied at a vocational school in Germany, and many years of pencil sketching, Tee is well versed when it comes to expressing, exploring and depicting his ideas visually too. Character designs, digital illustrations, 3D models, photography, you name it. In recent years Tee travelled Japan and learned Japanese, and also reached into his interest in mental health and psychology which has become a significant passion for him however, nothing could beat his natural excitement for making music.
