ANDREW SHORTALL | staff writer
photo | ANDREW SHORTALL
Kyle Neal collaboratively leads students in Kaleo chapel.


Kyle Neal reaches out to his audience with lyrics he writes from personal experience.

If you attend Kaleo you have probably noticed sophomore Kyle Neal playing guitar for the worship band. However, you may not know that his musical prowess extends much further than chapel.

Outside of Kaleo, Neal is a singer, songwriter and musician. His musical talent has placed him in the limelight before.

“I’ve led worship since I’ve had a guitar… 3 months after I started playing I started playing for worship,” Neal said.

Neal loves playing for Kaleo because it is unlike any other worship band he has ever played with before.

The Kaleo worship band has begun to incorporate several different types of instruments like the trumpet and they have recently begun to use “electronica” arrangements.

Neal says one of his favorite parts about the group is the freedom he and the other artists are allowed. Part of that is revising traditional worship songs.

“We take normal worship songs, that we’ve heard, for God knows how long, and we destroy them, and then rebuild them,” Neal said.

Neal says every song takes a different amount of time and attention to write. He has been known to write a song within five or ten minutes, when caught up in the moment. On the other hand, a song can sometimes take him nearly two months with many revisions.

Neal’s lyrics concentrate on telling a story about his personal life and experiences. He uses his music to communicate with the audience. He believes that his authenticity and honesty separate him from others. He also has no real desire for fame or money. He hopes his music will allow him to make a living (even if it means sound engineering) and a connection with his audience.

“I’m not out there to make millions, or be a huge pop star,” Neal said. “I don’t really care about fame. I just want to get up there and play music that people will connect to… I want other people to listen to my songs and say, ‘I’ve gone through that too.”

Neal identifies his musical influences as Ryan Adams, Jeff Buckley, Wilco, Copeland, Tom Petty, and Sting, an eclectic mix of new and old music. He finds older music inspires him because of its lack of commercialization, making it a purer form of expression.

Shawn Morones, the Kaleo worship leader, said that Kyle’s music is reminiscent of Ryan Adams and Wilco (two of Kyle’s biggest influences). Neal’s best friend since the sixth grade, Ryan Hall agrees with Morones on Neal’s most recent musical sound. However he also places Neal’s sound in the same category as Bob Dylan. Hall and Morones say the most distinguishing factor in Neal’s music is his lyrical prowess.

“His mature lyrical imagery [really] puts him out there,” Morones said.

Neal is considered brave because he chooses to use experiences in his art instead of sticking to the same topics as popular music.

“It is cool for me, since I know him [Kyle] so well, because I see his experiences put into his lyrics,” Hall said.

Morones and Hall said Neal is naturally gifted. Morones said his music is a mixture of natural potential and hard work that, when cultivated, show his true potential.

Neal has played in several coffee shops and locations all over his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif. He can also be found playing in local coffee shops. Neal has started an art venue in his living room which he calls “First Friday at the Crest.” The nights consist of amateur bands that come and play for a small group of listeners.

Neal hopes to gain the monetary funds to actually get into the studio and record his songs with a higher quality sound. He does not know when or how this is going to happen, but his determination and drive will greatly assist him as he strives to achieve success in the music industry.