NeoSeoul500 doesn’t just write songs — the members of the band assemble them.
Like a collage, the band’s sound pulls from every which way; airy vocals, gritty basslines and smooth sax riffs result in something impossible to describe with a singular label.
The members pull inspiration from musical icons across many genres, including The Beatles, Childish Gambino, Bob Marley and Young Thug.
“We’re molding these styles together,” vocalist and producer Sam Ellis said. “People aren’t used to that — it just hasn’t been done before.”
NeoSeoul500 sees its music beyond labels. They describe the sound as feeling like mixed media, a type of visual art that acts as a composition of several mediums.
“Cut, paste, scan it back in, print it out, cut it up again,” guitarist and producer Jack Xavier said.
Now, this mix-and-match approach to genre and sound is a core part of NeoSeoul500’s brand.
“It’s an enlightened, emotional experience — something new, something never heard before,” vocalist and songwriter Tahjier Helaire said.
This isn’t how NeoSeoul500 started, though.
In 2022, Ellis and Xavier formed the band as a duo, later launching a creative collective called Future X Youth.
“[Future X Youth] ended up doing a film festival with 30 filmmakers and a panel. We’ve done fashion shows, we’ve done art galleries,” Ellis said. “We just tried to bridge the gap between these different mediums and connect all these different artists who do different things.”
Future X Youth was once hosted at Yes We Cannibal, but since the venue’s close, the coalition has been put on pause. With less distractions, this has only made NeoSeoul500 stronger.
Photo courtesy of Aidan Derby.
It would be easy to get lost in the chaos of a band with such strong goals. Though NeoSeoul500 occasionally runs into issues with clashing visions, members rely on consistent communication to solve any problems.
“It’s something we struggle with at times, because we all love what we do, and we all love doing it all the time,” Ellis said. “That just comes down to rehearsal and really understanding each other.”
Outside of performances, though, they don’t compete with differing creative visions; they simply see this as fuel.
“We let ourselves influence each other,” Helaire said. “It’s very real and off the cuff.”
NeoSeoul500’s sophomore album, Auxblood, is projected to release during the early summer.
“Auxblood has been just the embodiment of setting aside your own ego and trusting other people with your ideas and building something new off of that,” Ellis said.
The band views this as its most communal work, both within its own members and with outside producers.
“There’s something beautiful about the collaborative effort,” Ellis said. “I think it just grew our artistry by allowing us to really experiment more and allow not just a new type of music, but also new people into [the process].”
While figures like NBA Youngboy and Boosie Badazz are regarded as local royalty, the music scene in Baton Rouge hasn’t had the most support, even internally.
“It was definitely like crabs in a bucket,” Ellis said. “Now it’s like, ‘I’m gonna reach my hand down and pull you up with me.’ People are starting to kind of grow up and realize that there’s a lot more benefit of just being friendly.”
That shift has made space for a more collaborative and experimental scene.
“I feel like there’s a genuine ecosystem now,” Helaire said.
He believes that the city has the potential of being nationally recognized as a musical mecca.
“I hope that honestly grows into [Baton Rouge] being the capital of creativity, because it’s already the capital of Louisiana,” Helaire said. “But the only place that people outside of Louisiana think of is New Orleans. There’s a subculture here that’s very untapped, very original and very sponge-like: we like to soak up different influences that ultimately created the scene that you see right now.”
Photo courtesy of Aidan Derby.
Tiger TV’s Battle of the Bands is one such showcase of local talent, where NeoSeoul500 beat out groups like Foam Finger and Highland Band.
“I didn’t expect to [win] because it was in Fred’s,” Helaire said. “People that are in the LSU scene don’t necessarily know about the artistic scene.”
Before performing, group members became nervous; while the competition largely played covers, most of NeoSeoul500’s set was original songs. They believe that their sole cover of “Ghost Town” by Kanye West, which they put their own creative spin on, was ultimately what clinched their first place win.
“I think we just won the crowd over by expressing ourselves, expressing our own art,” Helaire said.
For most sets, the band leads with authenticity over palatability.
“I can tell these people are engaged, but they don’t know the songs and they’re not going to sing along,” Ellis said. “We just came at it from a point of putting on a performance and giving an experience, rather than just a listening session.”
This emphasis on crafting an experience will be best displayed at their upcoming show.
With headliners Kee Nola, DJ Trebble, JoshSimmons and, of course, NeoSeoul500, The Varsity Theatre is the place to be on Thursday, March 26.
“Everyone compliments each other in a weird way,” Ellis said. “It’s just kind of a perfect storm for this event.”
With The Varsity temporarily closing for renovations, this will be one of the last live performances for at least the next few months.
For NeoSeoul500, it’s another opportunity to do what they love the most — create a night that sticks with the audience long after it is over.
“I’m excited to see people jump and dance and be mesmerized by every artist that comes out,” Xavier said.
Pre-sale tickets are currently available online at $10 a piece. Tickets will also be available to purchase at the door for $15.