Keyboardist Neara Russell combines creative musicality with diverse technical skills. A native Wisconsinite, Neara graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a full-ride Presidential Scholarship before relocating to Los Angeles as a full-time performing musician and writer/producer.
Along with her role as music director for Skylar Grey, Bonnie McKee, and Rachel Crow, Neara specializes in backing vocals, keyboards, and audio playback. She has toured with Hayley Kiyoko, Brynn Elliott, and Bridgit Mendler, and recently accompanied Shirley Manson on piano in LA’s Walt Disney Hall. As a songwriter/producer, she contributed to the title track for Monogem's "100%" EP, as heard in the “Traffik” film trailer and episodes of the CW’s “Black Lightning.” As a solo artist, Neara has released three albums of original music |
In the first two years since coming to Los Angeles, Simón Wilson scored music for an Emmy-nominated television show (Why We Fight), won back-to-back awards for Best Musical Score in the Los Angeles 48 Hour Film Project (Time Bender, I Am Seed), and contributed to Bear McCreary's team (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Proven Innocent). Recently, he has accepted the full-time position of Assistant to Theodore Shapiro (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, I Love You Man). One of the things that ties all of these opportunities together is Simón’s profound attention to detail, his gift of precision and his relentless work ethic. He can watch a clip of a show and within minutes his brain has already honed in on the exact type of music that needs to be created.
Speaking of creating, it’s not hard for a guy who plays upwards of 5 instruments proficiently, including his classically trained voice (BA in Vocal Performance from UC Santa Cruz). That, coupled with his deft use of an in home studio allows for comprehensive music creation. Simón is a performer, having composed, acted in, and musically directed the original Native American musical Something Inside Is Broken that toured California and the Southwest. All you need to do is listen when Simón speaks about music to fully grasp his deep love for all things musical and his honest and real desire to learn and work hard in this industry. |
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