The Neon Trees dropped their third studio album, “Pop Psychology,” on April 22 and lead single “Sleeping with a Friend” has been eating up the airwaves. While their latest album continues to build on their glossy, dance-rock sound, “Pop Psychology” reveals a more adult Neon Trees. With this matured perspective and front man Tyler Glenn coming out in March, the Neon Trees seem to be growing into who they are and having more fun than ever. You can catch them on their nationwide tour at the Spokane Knitting Factory on Tuesday, June 10 at 8 p.m.

Drummer Elaine Bradley took some time from her busy tour schedule to talk to the Gonzaga Bulletin about the origins of the Neon Trees, the inspiration behind the album, and what the Neon Trees are looking forward to in the future.

The Gonzaga Bulletin: When did you first start playing the drums?

Elaine Bradley: It’s kind of a long story, so hold on. When I was little, I played the drums, like pots and pans and things like that. I basically wearied my parents with requests for drum sets for years and years and years until finally they bought me one, which was funny because I never really wanted to be the drummer of a band. I always wanted to be the singer of a band.

When I was in high school my freshman year, I formed this band with my friends and I was the drummer and singer, but only until we could find a drummer. We found a drummer quick, so I switched over and played the guitar for years and years and years.

It wasn’t until after I went on a Church mission, came back and then went to college that I started playing drums in bands for real. I started kind of as a favor to a friend almost, but I realized I had learned a lot from just playing the guitar in a band and watching our drummer who was actually good. So, that’s how I came to play the drums in a roundabout sense.

GB: So you used to sing and front your old band. Do you miss that or do you prefer playing the drums now?

EB: It’s hard to say what I’d prefer, but definitely there’s a part of me that wishes. Being the front person is a lot different from being the drummer, but I also really love to play the drums. I always tell Tyler [Glenn], our singer, that I wouldn’t play behind anyone else, because he’s great. I definitely wouldn’t want to front this band over Tyler. He earns his spot more than I do.

GB: Who are some artists or bands that have influenced you and your style?

EB: Early on, I think the two biggest influences on me as a child were Led Zeppelin and Depeche Mode. I have six older siblings, so they passed down a lot of music to me, and those are the two that I really latched on to.

Later on, I got more into the rock world as well as the pop world. I used to love Boys II Men, New Kids On The Block and Another Bad Creation, but I also loved Sunny Day Real Estate. So I don’t know, I guess I’ve always liked things that make me feel something and that I can sing along to.

GB: So when the Neon Trees formed in Provo were you all in college or did you just all happen to be in the city at the same time?

EB: We all just happened to be in Provo for different reasons. Branden [Campbell] had been to college, but he had ended up settling down there with his wife, so he was working and playing in a bunch of bands. I came out for college, Chris [Allen] came out for massage school and then Tyler just followed Chris. We all met just in the music scene there, but I think I was the only one going to university at the time.

GB: So there was a pretty big college band scene there. What is some advice you would give to college bands that have aspirations of making it?

EB: Right, one of the hard things about being in the music scene we were in, a lot of college kids in a kind of a two-year university town, was that we were in a mix with a lot of kids that were going to play while they’re in college, but they’re going to move on to other things. You’re kind of stuck sifting through hobbies, so one of the main things is to find people who are on your same level of commitment.

I think that’s one of things that brought Branden and Chris and Tyler and I together was that we were all willing to sacrifice. We wanted to make it a career and we were willing to do what we had to do in order to make that happen. Most people in college scenes probably aren’t willing to do that, because they’re going to school to be an accountant or whatever it is they’re going to school for, and that’s kind of what they’re going to do.

So I think finding people who are similarly minded is one of the main things, and then just working hard.

GB: What were you getting your degree in while you at BYU?

EB: I was getting my degree in public health and minoring in German. I had no intentions to use my degree ever. In class they would go around and ask, ”What do you want to use your public health degree for?” and I would say, “Nothing. No, really, I want to be a musician. I want to be a rock star.” I only went to college really to tell my children that they have no excuse not to.

GB: How does “Pop Psychology” differ from your other albums? What sound were you guys going for on this one?

EB: I think on this one it was a little different because in the beginning we set out to make the album and the songs the way we wanted to make them. We purposefully chose to not at all think about the live show, because we didn’t want the thought of our live show to affect the way we recorded. I think that helped us make the album that we really wanted to make. We treated the songs each individually and made them the best that we could.

I basically recorded the album three times with three different drum set ups just to have options. It was really fun to be able to do that and not worry about how to translate it live. Luckily, it translates really well live.

GB: Where do you see the Neon Trees going in the future?

EB: Upwards and onwards. I definitely think that we’re the type of band who is very grateful for the successes that we’ve had. We’re not ignorant to those, but we’re also very self-deprecating and self-motivating. We always want more and to go farther. I see more albums, and getting better and playing bigger shows.

GB: How has your faith played into your music?

EB: We were all raised Mormon or converted to Mormonism, but we’re actually not all practicing Mormons now. But I definitely think that you can’t separate how you were raised or what you believe from what you do in a clean fashion. At the same time, it’s been very important to us from the beginning not to use Neon Trees as a platform for religion. It affects us as individuals, but at the end of the day, it’s kind of a business and we’re four different people in very different places with different beliefs and priorities. So Neon Trees is probably not Mormon, but there are some Mormons in Neon Trees.

GB: What is your spirit animal and why?

EB: Well if I use Neon Trees as a guide to that, I would be a housecat, because that’s what I was on the “Animal Remix” cover. But I don’t think that would by animal. I don’t know, probably something super active. Maybe like a cheetah or a monkey, something that just moves constantly. Or maybe a hummingbird, yeah that would be mine. I’m a hummingbird.