Template:Home/FloppyDisk

2016 The Midnight album

From The Floppy Disk

Interview with Lelia Broussard

Lelia perfoming with The Midnight

The Midnight Wiki had the honor of interviewing Lelia Broussard of Jupiter Winter in January 2021. Lelia joined The Midnight as a touring member for the Fall 2019 Tour and also co-wrote and sang guest vocals on the song Monsters. She talks to us about beginning her music career at a young age, the pros and cons of being independent versus being signed to a label, appearing on TV on Jimmy Fallon and The Voice, her work with The Midnight, and her plans for Jupiter Winter in 2021.

What have you been up to lately?

I’ve just been making a lot of music! It’s been kind of nice to have all of this uninterrupted time to write. Royce and I are working on a Jupiter Winter album which is very exciting for me. Other than writing and working on music, I’m really into cooking. I go on a lot of hikes, I do a lot of workouts in my yard. Ha! Just trying to stay sane and not get or give anyone covid.

Let's go back to the beginning. When do you realize you wanted to pursue a career in music? How did you get your start in the music business?

I developed a big interest in music very early on. I sang incessantly as a kid and I started playing guitar around 12 or 13. I was writing songs as soon as I could string a few chords together and it’s been a lifelong love and pursuit ever since.

As far as my start in the business, when I was a teenager I would religiously seek out every open mic I could find to practice performing in front of an audience. I started playing shows around the Philadelphia area, made some recordings of my songs and started selling them at my shows. 88.5 WXPN - the public radio station in Philadelphia generously gave me some early support and helped to grow my audience in the beginning. When I was 17 I skipped going to college and moved to New York instead where I began collaborating with other writers and producers and doing a little bit of touring. That eventually led to my first publishing deal.

I was able to learn a lot about you that I didn't know when I created your article on the wiki. You released a few albums independently starting at a very young age. What was that experience like?

It was amazing! I don’t know if I deserved to record in a studio with the incredible musicians I got to work with just yet. I was a baby who had no idea who I was as an artist and I definitely wasn’t writing very good songs yet but it was a great learning experience and a huge privilege to be exposed to that world so early on.

I read that you had inked a publishing deal and lived in Los Angeles for a time. What other artists and writers do you work with? Did you/do you enjoy writing and making music for other people?

I did! The first publishing deal I signed was more focused on my own artist development, so I wasn’t really writing for others at that point. I started writing for other artists and projects a few years later, and yes! I love making music for other people. It can be kind of freeing to work on something for someone else because there can be a lot of overthinking and preciousness that goes on when making your own music. I love to help other artists realize their artistic vision and to help them say something that feels honest and true. With the right fit it can be very fulfilling.

You've dipped your toes in many facets of the music industry - you've crowdfunded an album, have done solo work, was in a band (Secret Someones) and signed to a label, toured extensively on stages big and small - what would you say is the biggest thing you've learned? Do you think an artist should try to stay independent as long as they can?

Don’t compare your path to anyone else’s. I’m still learning that one. Study the greats and always find and celebrate the joy in making music, especially when it becomes your job. Write a LOT and don’t be too precious with your ideas. That’s a lot easier to do when you’re prolific. Routines and staying connected to yourself, whatever that means for you really help with creativity. It can be good to stay independent as long as you can, but I think it just depends on the circumstance. There’s so much you can do now as an independent artist and getting as far as you can on your own obviously means more leverage for a better deal. My band Secret Someones got signed pretty much right away, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for us. Labels can provide a lot of support but they also suck in a lot of ways. I think it just depends on your circumstances.

You've been on TV several times - Jimmy Fallon, The Voice - am I missing anything? What was it like being on television?

Nerve wracking! The Voice is fucking terrifying. It’s a lot of pressure and they make sure you’re well aware of that. Jimmy Fallon was a blast. He was very nice and exactly the person you would hope he is. My band and I got to write a parody song about an audience member and it was the best. Questlove liked my song and that made my life.

How was it competing on singing competitions?

Honestly, it was a wild experience. I met some wonderful people that I love dearly, but reality tv is a strange beast. If you don’t fit into the mold that the producers have invented for you, you won’t last on the show. It was definitely an interesting experience, but I can’t say that I would ever do it again.

Your current project is Jupiter Winter. How did you meet Royce, and when did you guys decide to team up and start making music together?

Yes! Royce and I met on tour in 2015 at The Wonder Ballroom in Portland (which was coincidentally my first gig with The Midnight years later!) I was playing with my band, Secret Someones and we were opening for our Canadian label mates, Marianas Trench. Royce was working with Marianas and we became friends over the tour and after that we started dating. Shortly after we started dating my band broke up and I was trying to find my own creative voice again, and we just started making stuff. It’s taken a long time to evolve into what it is now, but it’s been the best growing and learning experience!

What are each of your roles in this project? What type of sound are you going for?

Royce is more focused on production and I’m more focused on the songwriting, although both of us contribute to both aspects. Lately I’ve been writing and fully producing out a demo, then I’ll take it to Royce and he’ll add in new elements and help to polish and finish it. Sometimes Royce will write and produce a track on his own and I’ll write a topline (lyric + melody) over it. We love a mix of organic and electronic elements. We want to make smart pop music that makes you feel things. I guess that’s indie pop? Tyler says we’re pop wave. I hadn’t heard of it before but I think that feels like an accurate genre for us.

Let's get into your involvement with The Midnight. I've read that you got the touring role through an audition. Can you tell me a bit more about that process and experience?

A wonderful artist manager friend of mine recommended me to their team. We chatted on the phone and they asked to see a few videos of me playing their songs. Tyler and I had been in the same singer/songwriter community for many years, although I don’t think we had ever formally met. He was familiar with me as an artist and songwriter and I had a lot of other mutual friends with the guys. After sending a few videos of me playing, singing and doing my thing over their recordings they asked me to join them for their upcoming tours and after that I had I think two weeks to learn about 25 songs. It was intense but so much fun!

Prior to joining The Midnight on tour, did you have any prior experience or exposure to the synthwave genre?

No, I didn’t!

The synthwave genre and style is quite different from the music you've made for most of your career. Did you find it difficult to learn and get in tune with the songs?

I didn’t find it to be extraordinarily different than learning any other genre or style of music. Most of their songs have a very classic pop structure but their palette is very specific. Recreating all the sounds is one of my favorite parts of doing this gig.

OK - let's talk Monsters, the song. I remember when I saw The Midnight in Fall 2019 Tour, Tyler originally sang all parts of the song. When was it decided that you would sing on the album version? (you sound great by the way!)

Thank you! Yes! While we were on tour in 2019 we were playing a few new songs they were working on, Monsters being one of them. They had the idea to make it into a duet and they gave me the opportunity to take a stab at rewriting and singing the second verse which was so very cool of them. I did it on one of our days off in a hotel room somewhere in the US and thankfully they liked what I did. I’ve played with a lot of artists and it’s not very often that you’re welcomed into their creative process, so it’s been a real honor to get to collaborate with the guys in that way.

Let's talk about the amazing The Midnight Online concert you guys did last fall. When did you first hear that the band was interested in doing a livestream concert? Was it odd to play in a big outdoor venue with no fans?

They let us know a few months before so we thankfully had plenty of time to prepare. Oh my gosh it was so incredible to play music with my favorite people again. All of us had missed it so much. It was very weird and a little sad with no fans, but it was such a huge joy to be able to come together to do that.

What is your favorite The Midnight song to perform and/or your favorite The Midnight song in general? (other than Monsters!)

That’s so hard! I really have so much fun playing the whole show. I love playing America 2, Lost & Found, Los Angeles, I have a blast playing the solo in Gloria. From the new record, Last Train is VERY FUN for me. Neon Medusa is crazy. Royce shreds and that riff is so fun to play.

What are your plans as a musician for 2021? Do you think you and Royce will release an EP or album sometime this year?

Yes, we’re working on an album for Jupiter Winter and I’m so excited to have a whole body of work to finally be able to share. Hopefully we’ll have it wrapped up later this year. I just want to continue growing as a person and an artist and writing, more collaborating with my friends and making things that feel honest and true.

Anything you'd like to say to all the Kids and Monsters out there in The Midnight universe?

Just that I have so much love for all of you! Thank you for being so sweet and welcoming to me. Best fans in the world.

Be sure to follow Lelia and Jupiter Winter on Instagram!

Click the heading above to read more!

Saturday Mornings (Interlude)

Kids - album.jpg
"Saturday Mornings (Interlude)"
Song by The Midnight
from the album Kids
Released
  • September 21, 2018 (2018-09-21)
Length0:57
Label
  • The Midnight Music
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tim McEwan
Kids track listing

Saturday Mornings (Interlude)[1] is a song by The Midnight. It is the fifth track from their album Kids.

The track is a short interlude that serves as an intro to the following track, Explorers. It has a running time of 57 seconds. It contains audio samples from several 1980s television adverts. The samples heard in the track are (in order):[2]

A fan-made music video for Saturday Mornings (Interlude) and Explorers was created by Richard Franklin, showing these adverts in their original form.[2]

References

  1. "Saturday Mornings (Interlude)". Bandcamp. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "The Midnight - Explorers - YouTube". YouTube. September 29, 2018. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.

Click the heading above to read more!

Endless Summer

Endless summer - album.jpg

Endless Summer is the first album by The Midnight. It was released independently by the band on August 5, 2016.[1] Sunset and Vampires were issued as singles prior to the album's release.[2][3]

On June 24, 2021, a 5 Year Anniversary Edition of Endless Summer was released that contains two additional songs: Comet and Bend.[4]

Background and composition

Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan working on Endless Summer in February 2015

Endless Summer is the first full-length album from The Midnight, arriving two years after the band's debut EP Days of Thunder. The band announced on social media in January 2015 that new material was being worked on, and a clip of what would become the song Endless Summer was posted.[5] Previews of new songs continued to be shared over the remainder of the year. In February, Tim McEwan posted a photo of himself and Tyler Lyle in the studio,[6] and an early snippet of Vampires was shared on the same day.[7] In March, early clips of Sunset and Daytona (then titled Daytona Beach) were shared.[8][9] In May, several new clips were posted, including another one of Endless Summer, another one for Sunset, and one for Nighthawks.[10][11][12] Also in May, a snippet of a new song presumably called She Was Dreamin' of Boys (featuring vocals by McEwan) was posted, but the song did not make the final album.[13] A small snip of the album artwork (done by Taylor Allen) was revealed in July, and at that time the release was referred to as an EP.[14] It was announced in August that the release of the EP/album was still several months away, with McEwan citing a desire to "push the envelope on the synthwave genre."[15] In September, now removed teasers of the album were uploaded to Soundcloud and Youtube.[16][17] In October, a small clip of an unknown song that did not make the album was shared.[18] In November, a clip of The Equaliser (Not Alone) was posted and the song was slated to be released in December, but it was not actually released until March 2016, when it was featured on the Drive Radio compilation Selection Volume 1.[19][20][21]

Tracklist reveal image

Throughout the first half of 2016, more information about the forthcoming album continued to be shared by the band. A snippet of Crockett's Revenge was posted on social media in March,[22] and it was announced that Thomas Edinger, who played saxophone on Days of Thunder, would be playing saxophone on three songs on the new album.[23] Tim McEwan also said around this time that he expected the album/EP to have around eight to ten tracks, with a few instrumentals and one or two songs with him on vocals.[24] An early clip of Memories was shared in April,[25] and McEwan stated in a Facebook comment that writing for the album was complete and the production of tracks was in progress.[26] He additionally mentioned in a separate post that the album would have a more "noir" feel compared to Days of Thunder.[27] At the beginning of May, Sunset was announced as the first official single from Endless Summer.[28] The single was officially released on May 13.[29] Later that month, McEwan said that the album was likely to be released in June, noting that the production of Sunset took longer than expected and stated further that more singles would be released in the meantime.[30] In early June, a second single Vampires was announced and was officially released on June 10.[31][32] More clips continued to be shared after the release of the two singles. A longer clip of Crockett's Revenge was shared in June,[33] and in July a snippet of The Comeback Kid was posted.[34] On July 25, the album was officially announced and given a release date of August 5.[35] The album artwork was also revealed. On August 1, the tracklist was revealed.[36] Endless Summer officially released on August 5, receiving positive reviews from critics.[37][38][39]

Poster for 1966 surf documentary The Endless Summer, the inspiration for the album name

In 2017, electronic music label Silk Music issued two singles from Endless Summer containing remixes: Sunset, which was released on August 7,[40] and Synthetic, which released on December 18.[41] These singles lead to the eventual release of the band's first remix album, The Midnight Remixed.

Endless Summer contains the song Synthetic, which until the 2021 5 Year Anniversary Edition reissue was the only released The Midnight song with vocals written and sung by band member Tim McEwan. The album also features the band's first collaboration with Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Nikki Flores on the track Jason. The band would later collaborate with Flores again on the songs Light Years and Because The Night, and she has also toured with the band several times. McEwan said that the album's title was derived from a 1966 surf documentary film he watched titled The Endless Summer, stating that it gave him "this yearning for summer never to end."[42] He suggested this name to Tyler Lyle and encouraged him to use it as a basis for lyrics for a track idea he had, which resulted in the song Endless Summer and the album being given the title as well.

On June 24, 2021, a 5 Year Anniversary Edition reissue of Endless Summer was released, containing two additional songs: Comet and Bend.[4] Bend was originally released as a bonus track for pre-ordering the first pressing of the Endless Summer vinyl release. Comet is a song that was teased on the band's Facebook page back in 2016 but had been otherwise unreleased.[43] It is the second song to release by The Midnight with vocals from Tim McEwan, following Synthetic.

Official description

The image of the perfect place - sun soaked and shining - the colors forever suspended in full bloom. This perfect place may not exist, but the longing for it does. In Brazil the word saudade means meta-nostalgia. Longing for a longing. The Endless Summer is the promise that it can stay this good forever. Maybe if we hold on tight enough the autumn won't come, love won't wither, we won't fade away. This album was written in Los Angeles and New York City with inspiration from Coney Island and Venice Beach and the Nighthawks in The East Village and the runaways headed for Hollywood and the Vampires haunting Midtown Manhattan. We see with fogged lenses. We remember through dirty glass, but we feel that impression of the sunset like an anchor on our heart - the colors over the Pacific as sharp as ever - even if we've never been to the ocean. Life has to change and continue on to the next season. Music can linger a bit.

[44]

Singles

Sunset
May 13, 2016
Vampires
June 10, 2016

Early song clips

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tim McEwan and Tyler Lyle except where noted.

Endless Summer
No.TitleLength
1."Endless Summer"6:45
2."Sunset"5:26
3."Daytona"4:52
4."Jason (feat. Nikki Flores)" (McEwan, Lyle, Nikki Flores)5:31
5."Synthetic"3:19
6."The Equaliser (Not Alone)"3:49
7."The Comeback Kid"5:21
8."Vampires"5:17
9."Crockett's Revenge"5:22
10."Nighthawks" (McEwan, Lyle, Oliver McEwan)3:48
11."Lonely City"5:14
12."Memories"6:19
Total length:61:03


5 Year Anniversary Edition
No.TitleLength
13."Comet"5:17
14."Bend"4:53
Total length:71:13

Credits
Additional instrumentation was provided by Thomas Edinger (saxophone), Johannes Jørgensen (guitar on Sunset), Mads Storm (synth solo on Daytona), and Nikki Flores (vocals on Jason). All tracks mixed by Tim McEwan. All tracks mastered by Anders Schumann at Studio C4 in Copenhagen except for Bend and Comet which were mastered by Tim McEwan.

Release history and variants

Digital release history for Endless Summer
Date Edition
August 5, 2016 Standard
Endless summer - album.jpg
-
August 13, 2016 Instrumentals
Endless summer the instrumentals - album.jpg
Only The Midnight instrumentals release to have unique artwork. Only includes songs that had vocals on the original release, except for Lonely City. Released just eight days after the vocal version, the shortest period of time between vocal and instrumental releases until Horror Show, whose vocal and instrumental versions were both available on release day by preordering a physical copy of the EP.
May 7, 2021 Stems
Endless summer - album.jpg
Contains the 12 songs from the album denoted with BPMs plus 148 stem parts comprising all songs. The stems are not royalty free but projects and remixes made with them are allowed to be used on non-monetized platforms.
June 24, 2021 5 Year Anniversary Edition
Endless summer - album.jpg
Released to commemorate the five-year anniversary of Endless Summer. Tracklist includes all 12 songs from the original release plus two new bonus tracks, Comet and Bend.
Physical release history for Endless Summer
Year Format Color/Design
2017 LP Black
EndlessSummerQrates.png
First pressing on vinyl. Endless Summer was the first release by The Midnight to get pressed on vinyl and the first to have a physical release in any format. Announced shortly after the digital release of the album, the project was funded through Qrates and was marketed as Endless Summer (Vocal Edition); none of the instrumental tracks were included in order to fit the record on one vinyl. 619 copies were funded, surpassing the target goal of 500. Records were shipped in May 2017. People who preordered the record received a download code for Bend, a song that was not made available again until the 2021 5 Year Anniversary Edtion reissue. Only The Midnight vinyl release to be pressed in the standard black color.
2018 Cassette White
EndlessSummerWhiteCassette.webp
First tape variant. Was first offered for sale at the Spring 2018 shows with the remaining stock being sold online.
2018 Cassette Neon Pink
Gradient-Mocks Casette-Endless-Summer Pink large.png
Second tape variant.
2018 LP Clear
Endless Summer LP large.png
Second vinyl variant and first variant to include the entire album. The album was remastered for this release. Preorders began in June 2018 and were shipped in September.
2021 CD -
TM Webstore 2021 Endless-Summer CD F.webp
Contains the 5 Year Anniversary Edition of the album.
2021 LP Pink/Blue Swirl
TM Web Music Endless-Summer LP Pink.webp
Third vinyl variant.
2024 LP Pink/Purple Swirl
TM Web Music Endless-Summer LP.webp
Fourth vinyl variant.

References

  1. "Endless Summer | The Midnight". Bandcamp. August 5, 2016. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  2. "Sunset | The Midnight". Bandcamp. May 13, 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  3. "Vampires | The Midnight". Bandcamp. June 10, 2016. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Endless Summer (5 Year Anniversary Edition) | The Midnight". Bandcamp. June 24, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  5. "Facebook". Facebook. January 16, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  6. "Facebook". Facebook. February 18, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  7. "Facebook". Facebook. February 18, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  8. "Facebook". Facebook. March 3, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  9. "Facebook". Facebook. March 10, 2015. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  10. "Facebook". Facebook. May 20, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  11. "Facebook". Facebook. May 27, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  12. "Facebook". Facebook. May 22, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  13. "Facebook". Facebook. May 22, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  14. "Facebook". Facebook. July 28, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  15. "The Midnight - To everybody asking when the new album/EP... | Facebook". Facebook. August 17, 2015. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  16. "The Midnight - It's still work in progress but I wanted to share... | Facebook". Facebook. September 5, 2015. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  17. "The Midnight - Video teaser for the title track from our upcoming... | Facebook". Facebook. September 7, 2015. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  18. "Facebook". Facebook. October 31, 2015. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  19. "Facebook". Facebook. November 16, 2015. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  20. "The Midnight - Our track "The Equalizer (Not Alone)" is now out on... | Facebook". Facebook. March 23, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  21. "Selection Volume 1 | Drive Radio | Lazerdiscs Records". Bandcamp. March 24, 2016. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  22. "Facebook". Facebook. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  23. "The Midnight - For anyone who liked the sax on our song Days of... | Facebook". Facebook. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  24. "The Midnight AMA for Saturday 12th of March 2016 @ 2pm PST! : r/outrun". Reddit. March 12, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  25. "Facebook". Facebook. April 14, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  26. "Facebook". Facebook. April 23, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  27. "The Midnight - The new album will have a bit more of a noir feel.... | Facebook". Facebook. April 21, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  28. "Facebook". Facebook. May 9, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  29. "Sunset | The Midnight". Bandcamp. May 13, 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  30. "The Midnight - Endless Summer will more likely be out early June.... | Facebook". Facebook. May 15, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  31. "Facebook". Facebook. June 1, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  32. "Vampires | The Midnight". Bandcamp. June 10, 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  33. "Facebook". Facebook. June 18, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  34. "Facebook". Facebook. July 20, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  35. "Facebook". Facebook. July 25, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  36. "Facebook". Facebook. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  37. "The Midnight's Endless Summer is 2016's Greatest '80s Soundtrack (Review) - Opus". Opus. August 25, 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  38. "In The Spotlight: The Midnight - "Endless Summer" - New Fury Media". New Fury Media. January 12, 2017. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  39. Zistler, Andrew (August 29, 2016). "The Midnight - Endless Summer - NewRetroWave - Stay Retro! | Live The 80's Dream!". NewRetroWave. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  40. "Sunset (incl. Michael Cassette Remix) | The Midnight". Twitter. August 7, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  41. "Synthetic (Mango, We Are All Astronauts, Lost Empire Remixes) | The Midnight". Bandcamp. December 18, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  42. "The Midnight AMA for Saturday 12th of March 2016 @ 2pm PST! : r/outrun". Reddit. March 12, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  43. "The Midnight on Facebook". Facebook. December 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  44. Endless Summer CD/Vinyl insert

Click the heading above to read more!