Music editor and resident talent scout Charlie Kesslering talked with freshman Houston Golden about music, mortality and his new group venture, The Neon Eon. You may have already heard him during a meal or two at The Commons - if not, check out his band on Facebook or MySpace.

Versus Magazine: You began as a musician back in your hometown of Dallas. What got you into music in the first place?
Houston Golden: I have been filling folders with pages of lyrics for verses and choruses since I was 12 years old. I never had much musical training and taught myself how to play guitar by ear. Since the sixth grade, I have started dozens of bands in Dallas. The music scene in D-town was bleak compared to Nashville, but I did my best to be heard by throwing concerts in Deep Ellum and at local high schools.

VM: When you came to school, did you plan on forming a band?
HG: My choice in attending Vanderbilt was largely influenced by my dreams of moving to Music City and forming a band with a brighter future than all of my prior Dallas bands. The formation of my current band - The Neon Eon - occurred during the end of the fall semester, and we have been practicing multiple times a week since the beginning of 2009. Just recently we began to escape the privacy of Gillette's ensemble practice room - gigging hard because we want to be heard.

VM: Tell me about the Neon Eon - who are your fellow members, what do they play?
HG: The Neon Eon is comprised of five Vanderbilt freshmen. Austin Kellogg creates modern atmospheric melodies on his synthesizer as well as producing solid piano sounds. Anthony Albanese uses two wooden sticks to bang on plastic drum heads, building the dramatic dimensions of the song structure. Samus Beck-Johnson bellows bass frequencies from amplifiers and is the undercurrent in the river of sound you hear when we play. Haijing Wu uses tightened horse hair to rub the strings of her violin and adds a beautifully classical element. And I do my best to sing and play rhythm guitar. Also, I write the lyrics and basic chord changes for my music. However, I dare not take more credit than I deserve for more than a dozen of musicians ranging in both age and fame have contributed to instrumentation and sound on the CD that is coming out soon.

VM: Your songs certainly incorporate a lot of sounds. How would you describe your unique style? Who has influenced the evolution of your music?
HG: I am no different from most songwriters when I say that my biggest influence is The Beatles. Yet I never try to imitate other artists and even make sure to do covers with my original style. Describing my "style" is a question that I often evade because each one of my songs has a unique style to consider. Some bands that currently influence my music (include) Death Cab for Cutie, Radiohead, Coldplay, Sufjan Stevens and Ryan Adams.

VM: The Neon Eon has played a few shows at The Commons. Any plans for future gigs?
HG: We had three shows this past week, and so we are giving Vandy's ears a rest until April 2 when we will be playing the first outdoor concert for Music in the Commons. So, come to The Commons around 6 p.m. to hear us and other bands perform. We also have an impressive line-up for future gigs, including deals with Virgin Records for landing the first concert in space. And we will be releasing dates on our Web site for an upcoming underwater concert at the Nashville Aquarium. SCUBA anyone?

VM: The group is currently working on an EP. How's that going?
HG: I have been working for a year on my upcoming EP "Houston Golden and The Neon Eon!" I recorded in a studio in Dallas with members of The Deep Blue Something, but I was not able to acquire funding to publish a finished product that I was satisfied with and delayed the project to start again when I moved to Nashville. In November I began working with a local veteran producer Matt Wilder at his studio WilderSide, and as we worked he grew increasingly confident in my potential for success. Finally we have finished the music for the EP and are finalizing the graphic design. An exact date will be posted on the Web site soon, but for now I can safely say that the EP will be released in less than one month.

VM: When are we going to see the Neon Eon on stage at the Grammys?
HG: Did you not watch the Grammys this year? We took home 10 awards, including "Hot & Toasty," "Blow Your Brains" and "Music Trophies are Made of Sound."