When Neon Trees takes the stage Saturday night at Utah Valley University, it will be a homecoming for bass guitarist Branden Campbell. Not only did the Las Vegas product attend UVU, but he lives in Provo with wife Emilie and children Katie and Connor.
“It’s cool that we get to do this,” Campbell said. “There are so many bands out there and so many options for people to go see, and they come and see us! I love it.”
Music is Campbell’s livelihood, but family is his life. He started dating Emilie during their junior years of high school. Emilie brought him home to meet her parents. He was a boy that wasn’t of her faith and played in a band.
“Not awesome,” is how Emilie described the initial introductions. “His hair was long. He was different. I got some stern warnings from my dad.”
Eventually, Campbell converted to the LDS Church, married Emilie and shortly after the arrival of their second child, he decided to quit his computer job and take a chance with Neon Trees in 2006.