Meet Race to Neptune in Fort Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Race to Neptune.

We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Brian Maier and Zach Berger had been in Race To Neptune prior to both Matt’s joining the band. They had released their first album, Oh Contraire, in 2016 and after an unexpected lineup change, almost thought Race To Neptune was said and done with. At some point after a brief hiatus, Brian started looking for a new drummer and bassist which is when Matt Petersen and Matt McNear both responded to Craigslist ads. Matt Petersen started drumming with Race in the fall of 2017 and Matt McNear was quick to follow, coming on as bassist in early 2018. With Brian on guitar/vocals and Zach on guitar, we were excited to write and record our first release which ended up being the Abandon Fashion EP.

We were able to work so well together so quick which was really exciting. We ended up in the studio by April and released it in May. We were really happy with how people received Abandon Fashion, hearing great things from not just local and national magazines or outlets but the UK as well. That fall we started playing local shows in Fort Collins which included gigs with local artists and a couple of touring bands.

We continued to play out around Fort Collins and started making our way to Denver whenever possible which just made us want to write more music so we decided to finish a bunch of songs we had been working on which turned into the Share My Frequency EP. That was recorded at Stout Studios, where we also did Abandon Fashion, in early 2019 and then released it that fall. We played a lot of great shows with those songs and are currently taking advantage of this mediocre winter weather to stay inside and write our next and first full-length album together.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Yes, we are extremely happy to say it has been a super smooth road. When both Matt’s joined the band it was a turning point for Race To Neptune. The four of us get along so well and our writing process is so collaborative. It’s hard to believe how easy going it all was from the start but we just try not to question it and keep going best as we can.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Race to Neptune story. Tell us more about your band.
We like to describe ourselves as strange indie rock with a heavy hint of gunge and psychedelia. That being said, we’re not really a band that’s trying to go for a specific style or sound. We try to let our collective musicianship and creativity drive the songwriting process and because we all have influences that are extremely different or completely overlapping songs can be just that. The result really just ends up being pretty eclectic yet it all works together.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
CRAIGSLIST. Holy shit. Matt Petersen was first to respond to an ad and he ended up living right around the corner from Brian. What was crazier is their phone numbers had the same first six digits and they actually grew up 15 minutes away from each other back in the Chicago suburbs where they are both from. Three months in, enter Matt McNear, the final piece, who was able to work with Brian, Zach, and Matt to be in the studio for Abandon Fashion not three months after responding to his Craigslist ad. Craigslist – where dreams come true.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.racetoneptune.com/
• Email: racetoneptuneband@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racetoneptune/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaceToNeptune/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaceToNeptune

Image Credit:
Emma Holt of Interstellar Illuminations

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