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OREM — 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.
“He came to me and said, I really feel like if I don’t join this band I’m gonna miss something special. Two years from now we are going to be lying in bed watching late-night television and I swear we are going to see them on Leno and I will have missed the boat.”
After prayer and deep consideration, they decided to go for it and since that night, Neon Trees has performed on the Tonight Show five times.
He came to me and said, I really feel like if I don't join this band I'm gonna miss something special. Two years from now we are going to be lying in bed watching late-night television and I swear we are going to see them on Leno and I will have missed the boat.
–Emilie Campbell
On stage, Campbell is living the dream, but off of it is another story. Their son Connor is 8 years old and suffers from intractable epilepsy, which has been an exhausting, loving and learning experience for the rest of the family.
“You realize how special these kids are when the magic of their personalities come through because you realize no matter how severe these kids are, there is a person in there,” he said. “There is a personality in there. I love being his dad.”
Connor’s condition is severe. Since turning 6, he’s dealt with hundreds of seizures every day, including highly violent grand mal seizures. But Connor’s condition took a dramatic turn last year when Utah law allowed the Campbells to try hemp oil, a chemical extract from marijuana.
“He is now three months without a grand mal seizure,” Emilie said. “He’s had three months of sleeping very well and he hadn’t slept for years. We were up every 45 minutes all night long with hard seizures for 2½ years.”
Connor takes a daily dose of hemp oil. The Campbell’s mix it with a coconut oil paste and serve it to him on a cracker. It's simple but effective.
“This is the first time we’ve told anyone this because, knock on wood, we don’t want it to change,” Campbell said. “It’s important to recognize that we’ve tried everything. We put in the work and the faith to see a change in him.”
KSL-TV
The Campbells hope to see a change in Utah as well. Gov. Gary Herbert has agreed to take another look at broader medical marijuana legislation that was defeated in the Senate last year by one vote.
“Anything that brings more knowledge to cannabis and hemp oil, I’m all for it,” said Emilie. “I think a lot of people need access. I’d love to see everybody who needs it for whatever disorder has access."
The Campbells believe the hemp oil is a miracle for Connor.
There are all kinds of ironies in the Campbells' lives — most notably, Branden Campbell’s successful career as a communicator on stage and the non-stop effort at home to communicate with Connor who may never speak a word.
“He’s getting better with sign language and showing us stuff,” Campbell said. “Sometimes it might just be an emotion that he’s having where there isn’t a word for it anyway. He’s good at showing it. The best thing too is showing when he wants to cuddle or give us some love and affection. It’s priceless.”
Courtesy Branden Campbell
Saturday night, under the bright lights at UVU where Campbell attended school, it will be all about the music and entertaining the strong following of the band.
“During that moment, if it’s one song or two hours of songs for a concert, when you know you are making that connection (with the fans), and everyone is giving 100 percent on stage — it’s magical,” he said.
Those quiet times at home, away from the rock-star life, are magical too.
“He’s a good dad, a helper dad,” Emilie said. “I tell people he was a rock star before he was ever in the band. Totally.”
To see the full interview, watch the video above.
