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Tyler Glenn releases new song from upcoming solo album, ‘Excommunication’

By Derrick Clements daily Herald - | Aug 12, 2016

Neon Trees lead singer Tyler Glenn released a new song Friday, “Shameless,” which will be on his first solo album, the forthcoming “Excommunication,” set to drop on Oct. 21.

The song is the second to be released from the album, after “Trash,” which debuted as a music video in April. The video and song sparked controversy in its criticism of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Glenn came out as a gay man in 2014 and has been critical of LDS policies made public in November 2015 that restrict the children of gay parents from being blessed or baptized and automatically trigger church discipline for individuals who marry someone of the same sex.

“This album is a break-up record,” Glenn said in a press release. “It’s been liberating to find a greater sense of purpose, but it’s not been without its sadness. I wanted this album to feel the way it feels to have a crisis of faith. The highs, the lows, the dark and the light — with the end result being a paradigm shift. I feel liberated and more creative than ever. I thank God for that, whoever she is.”

“Excommunication” will feature songs that continue the thematic thread of “Trash,” including the latest release of “Shameless” as well as other titles from a track list of the album also released Friday. Other titles on the album include “First Vision,” “Gods + Monsters” and “John, Give ‘Em Hell,” which may be a reference to Mormon podcaster John Dehlin, who was excommunicated in 2015. Glenn has not been excommunicated by the church.

The “Trash” video showed Glenn with distorted images of Mormon founder Joseph Smith and included depictions of ceremonial Mormon temple rites. Singing lyrics, “If you wanted me to stay / I’d repent my days away,” Glenn writes an “X” on his own face with marker in the video. 

The release of “Shameless” was preceded by a week of seconds-long promotional videos that used Mormon imagery in a similar way as “Trash” and a longer Facebook Live video where Glenn described losing his Mormon faith. The videos and the new song are available on Glenn’s Facebook page.

“I’ve been fighting off a hurricane inside me,” Glenn sings in “Shameless.” “It’s the darkest time of the night/God and vodka might save my life/you judge but I don’t give a damn … I live a life so shameless.” 

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