Neon Trees’ Glenn comes out as gay
Neon Trees frontman and Utah resident Tyler Glenn came out as gay in a new Rolling Stone feature story, online today and in the magazine’s April 10th issue.
In the Rolling Stone piece, titled “Neon Trees’ Tyler Glenn: Gay, Mormon and Finally Out,” Glenn speaks candidly about his evolving relationship with his sexuality and the Mormon faith. Reconciling them led to much of the material on the band’s new album, “Pop Pyschology,” being released April 22. Glenn’s big reveal puts these new songs in proper context — one he acknowledged might polarize the band’s LDS fans.
“I hope they don’t feel like we’re pulling the rug out from under them,” Glenn said in the Rolling Stone piece.
The article also mentions Provo, where writer Caryn Ganz spent time with Glenn for the story. Local venues Velour Live Music Gallery and Muse Music Café even get a shout out. Glenn has always been outspoken about his affinity for Provo’s music scene. He recently spoke to the Daily Herald on how Velour, Muse and the rest of the Provo community helped launch Neon Trees’ career.
Glenn also posted a personal essay of sorts on his Facebook last night, addressing people’s reactions to his coming out. In it, he calls out those who said they already knew he was gay because of the way he dressed or carried himself. One of the biggest reasons for his openness, he said in the post, was because of the music.
“Music indeed was my first love. Not a boy,” he said in the post. “It was music that I had always had a torrid love affair with. I felt I owed him, the music, or her, the song. I had to be honest with that relationship.”