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News

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29th October, 2024
Tour - The Midnight are announced as part of the lineup for the 2025 Tecate Pal Norte music festival in Monterrey, Mexico. The Midnight will perform on April 4, the first day of the festival.
18th October, 2024
Tour - The Chrome Nights North American Tour concludes in Denver.
4th October, 2024
Music - The Midnight's remix of Lost And Found by Chromeo is released. The remix is included on the deluxe edition of Chromeo's album Adult Contemporary.
1st October, 2024
Merch - The Midnight: Shadows graphic novel is released.
6th September, 2024
Music - Chariot is released as a single.
5th September, 2024
Tour - The Chrome Nights North American Tour begins in Vancouver.
15th July, 2024
Music - Days of Thunder was released 10 years ago on this day. Happy 10th anniversary to The Midnight!
18th June, 2024
Tour - A London show has been added to the Summer 2024 EU/UK Tour. The show will be at Electric Ballroom on July 22.

Archived news

Now Playing


Did You Know?

  • ...that planning for The Midnight's graphic novel Shadows began in 2020, four years before its release?
  • ...that Nighthawks and Lonely City were once one combined song?
  • ...that The Midnight have performed more live shows at The Independent in San Francisco than any other venue?
  • ...that The Midnight's first live concert was at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco in July 2017?
  • ...that the PROFF pres. Soultorque Remix of Days of Thunder was on the Fall 2023 North American Tour setlist and was the first time that a remix was performed live?
  • ...that Tim McEwan co-wrote and produced a song for New Kids On The Block?
  • ...that Lost & Found was originally released on the Tyler Lyle album The Native Genius of Desert Plants?
  • ...that Dance With Somebody was once in a different key and had a guitar solo instead of a sax solo?
  • ...that Daytona had a working title of Daytona Beach?
  • ...that The Midnight played 77 shows in 2019, which is the most in one year since they began touring?

From The Floppy Disk

Tyler Lyle

Lyle in 2022
Tyler Lyle
Lyle performing live with The Midnight in 2022
Lyle performing live with The Midnight in 2022
Background information
Birth nameJamison Tyler Lyle
Born (1985-12-01) December 1, 1985 (age 38)
Carrollton, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
  • Folk
  • Americana
  • World
  • Country
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2007–present
Member of
Websitetylerlyle.com

Jamison Tyler Lyle[1] (born December 1, 1985) is an American musician who is the primary guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist for The Midnight.

Born and raised in rural Georgia, Lyle began his career in music as a young adult and became regionally known after winning a songwriting contest in 2010. This led to the self-release of his debut album, gaining him national exposure, and he also began writing for other artists.

Lyle moved to Los Angeles in 2011, and in 2012 his A&R representative arranged for him to meet Danish producer Tim McEwan for a songwriting session. The two had an instant connection and began making music. Lyle and McEwan became a duo known as The Midnight and self-released their first extended play (EP) in 2014 and have continuously released new music since.

Outside of The Midnight, Lyle continues to release solo work and regularly tours around the United States. In 2016, he began a semi-regular podcast titled From The Secret Lair that includes music and self-commentary. He is married and has one child.

Early life

Lyle was born and raised in Carrollton, Georgia, the son of Mark and Deborah Lyle.[2] His father is also a musician and is the house-guitarist for the George Britt Band, who plays at the Lowell Opry House in Carrollton.[3]

Lyle was frequently around music growing up, being exposed to the musical genres of Country, Gospel, Bluegrass, and Classic rock.[4] His dad was the music minister at the family's church, and he grew up singing in the choir.[5] After initially having no interest in a music career as a child, Lyle began playing the guitar in high school, learning tabs from his father and online.[6]

Lyle attended college at Asbury University in Kentucky for one year before transferring to Georgia State University, earning a degree in philosophy in 2008.[7][8][9] After college, he used some money from a student loan to move to Prague and got certified to teach English as a foreign language.[10][11][8] He then relocated to Paris and began attending Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University to satisfy the requirements for his student visa.[12][9] When he wasn't working as a teacher or taking classes, Lyle performed at various bars and pubs around the city and began writing more music.[6] He later returned to Georgia in 2009 to begin a music career.[9] To support himself, he worked a variety of odd jobs including roofing, landscaping, food delivery, and advertising.[13][14][15]

Career

Beginnings as a solo musician

Lyle performing at home in 2010

Lyle self-released his first album in 2007 and later released an EP in 2009.[16][9] He would gain larger exposure in June 2010 after winning the Open Mic Shootout at the music club Eddie's Attic in Decatur, Georgia.[3][17][18] Previous winners of the contest include John Mayer, Clay Cook, and Jennifer Nettles.[19] Lyle performed four original songs at the event: Closer to Me, Pretty Lady, Nashville, and The Secret.[20][21][22][23] He used the $1000 cash prize from the contest to fund the creation of the album The Golden Age & The Silver Girl, which released the following year in July.[24] The entire album was recorded in just one day and it was later recognized by NPR World Café as one of the top albums of 2011.[25][26][27]

Right after he finished making his debut album, Lyle moved to California to be closer to a new manager he had started working with,[28] and he later signed a publishing deal with Pulse Recordings.[10][11][29] He lived in an old house in Laurel Canyon that once belonged to Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie before moving to an apartment by the beach in Santa Monica with a roommate from college.[25][11][30] Lyle continued self-releasing music throughout 2012 and 2013, and in 2013 he was the recipient of the Harald Adamson Lyric Award for pop music from the ASCAP Foundation.[31] During this time, he continued making occasional appearances at Eddie's Attic and toured throughout the country with other musicians, additionally playing shows at several music festivals including SXSW, Noise Pop, and MusicfestNW.[25]

Lyle has said that his musical influences include Paul Simon, Garth Brooks, and his father Mark.[32]

The Midnight

Lyle performing live with The Midnight

In 2012, Lyle met Tim McEwan at a songwriter’s workshop in North Hollywood [33] arranged by his A&R representative Katie Donovan.[34] Bonding over a mutual love of 80's rock,[35] they began writing songs together and at McEwan’s suggestion based their sound on 80’s synth. The first song they wrote was WeMoveForward,[34][36] and their first release as a duo under The Midnight moniker came in July 2014 with the extended play Days of Thunder. Lyle serves as the band's primary vocalist and guitarist is credited with writing the majority of the band’s lyrics. He has been the main vocalist in every The Midnight song containing vocals except for Synthetic and Comet, which were sung by McEwan. Many of The Midnight's songs have their roots in songs originally written and released by Lyle on one of his albums or his podcast, From The Secret Lair.

Regarding his approach to writing for The Midnight, Lyle has said:[37][38]

I write The Midnight lyrically (mostly) as the fantasy that I never experienced. I lean a bit utopian sometimes and let the images get grander than I experienced. I was on the debate team. I had a lisp. I was really into Syphon Filter. The fun is in the make believe.


I write everyday. Some of it goes in The Midnight folder. Some of it goes off into far far away places. It works best when Tim has a cool musical skeleton and I have a cool lyrical skeleton we can smush together and build together.

Continued solo work and other ventures

Lyle performing at a solo show

Outside of The Midnight, Lyle continues to record and tour as a solo artist. Most recently, he embarked on a four show tour in the US in 2022 and his latest album, The Transcendentalists Part One, was released in June 2023.[39][40] Not long after his move to Los Angeles, Lyle formed with Andrew Smith and Jack Moore the group Smith, Lyle, and Moore, whose first EP was released in August 2020.[41] In 2012, he co-wrote two songs for Court Yard Hounds that appeared on their album Amelita.[2][42] His songs have been heard on the US television shows Hart of Dixie, Private Practice, and Gossip Girl.[43][44][45]

In January 2016, he began a monthly podcast titled From The Secret Lair.[46] Each episode generally consists of around three to six songs accompanied with commentary by Lyle.[47] The discussions touch on several topics, including his methods as a musician, sources of inspiration, philosophy, literature, and his southern upbringing. The first season featured 23 episodes that were recorded from his apartment in Brooklyn, New York.[48] The second season began in November 2020 and ran for eight episodes, with production moved to his home studio in Atlanta, Georgia.[49] The third season began in April 2023 and had nine episodes.[50]

Personal life

Outside of music, Lyle's interests include books, Tarot card reading, philosophy, and bourbon/whiskey. In September 2014, he married Anna Jimenez.[51][52] Jimenez contributed backing vocals to The Midnight's song Los Angeles.[53] Previously residing in Southern California and New York City, the Lyles now live in Atlanta, Georgia with their son, Beau.

References

  1. ↑ "Jamison Tyler Lyle of The Midnight performs during the 2019... News Photo - Getty Images". Getty Images. July 12, 2019. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "winter is for Kierkegaard and mapping out these shining stars | Fuel/Friends Music Blog". Fuel/Friends Music Blog. March 7, 2012. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Music + Dance: Tyler Lyle, "Moon Dust" - ARTS ATL". Arts ATL. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Midnight "rock and roll with synthesizers" on Deep Blue | Student Magazine - Student Pages". Student Pages. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; May 15, 2021 suggested (help)
  5. ↑ "We are The Midnight and we're playing Electric Forest for the first time. Ask us Anything! : ElectricForest". Reddit. May 21, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Interview: Storyteller and Songwriter – Tyler Lyle |". Music for Lunch. July 1, 2015. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Tyler Lyle on Twitter". Twitter. November 5, 2020. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Singled Out: Tyler Lyle's Winter Is For Kierkegaard | Tyler Lyle News | antiMusic.com". Anti Music. May 28, 2015. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Notes From The Parade | Tyler Lyle". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Tyler Lyle Charms with Flannel and Smooth Music - The Student Life". The Student Life. February 8, 2013. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Thoughts | Tyler Lyle". Tumblr. August 1, 2010. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Tyler Lyle - Quora". Quora. April 3, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ "We are The Midnight and we're playing Electric Forest for the first time. Ask us Anything! : ElectricForest". Reddit. May 21, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ "The Midnight Live Stream Video, April 10/2017 - YouTube". YouTube. April 10, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ↑ "Tyler Lyle BTS interview - YouTube". YouTube. October 24, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ↑ "Tyler Lyle on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Retrowave Sessions Ep 2: The Midnight - YouTube". YouTube. May 30, 2019. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 24, 2022 suggested (help)
  18. ↑ "Eddie's Attic | Details & Rules - Eddie's Attic". Eddie's Attic. April 1, 2022. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Eddie's Attic | Open Mic - Eddie's Attic". Eddie's Attic. April 1, 2022. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Closer to Me, Tyler Lyle at Eddie's Attic Open Mic Shootout - YouTube". YouTube. October 27, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ↑ "Pretty Lady, Tyler Lyle at Eddie's Attic Open Mic Shootout - YouTube". YouTube. October 27, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ↑ "Nashville, Tyler Lyle at Eddie's Attic Open Mic Shootout - YouTube". YouTube. October 27, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ↑ "The Secret, Tyler Lyle at Eddie's Attic Open Mic Shootout - YouTube". YouTube. October 27, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ↑ "The Golden Age & The Silver Girl | Tyler Lyle". Bandcamp. July 16, 2011. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 "Tyler Lyle Shows on San Diego LGBT Pride Community Calendar". San Diego LGBT Pride Community. April 1, 2022. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  26. ↑ "World Cafe: Looking Ahead To 2012 : World Cafe : NPR". NPR. December 30, 2011. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Tyler Lyle on Twitter". Twitter. December 30, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Retrowave Sessions Ep 2: The Midnight - YouTube". YouTube. May 30, 2019. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 24, 2022 suggested (help)
  29. ↑ "Retrowave Sessions Ep 2: The Midnight - YouTube". YouTube. May 30, 2019. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 24, 2022 suggested (help)
  30. ↑ "Sometimes, for love to come, love has to go | Sounds For The Soul". Sounds For The Soul. November 7, 2011. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  31. ↑ "The ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Lyric Awards". The ASCAP Foundation. January 1, 2013. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  32. ↑ "We are The Midnight. Ask us anything. : outrun". Reddit. April 4, 2018. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  33. ↑ "THE MIDNIGHT: Tim McEwan And Tyler Lyle On Bringing 'Monsters' To Life!". Icon Vision. July 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Who Are The Midnight?: An Interview with the Masters of Modern Nostalgia". Vehlinggo. November 12, 2017. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  35. ↑ "The Midnight Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic". AllMusic. January 1, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Retrowave Sessions Ep 2: The Midnight - YouTube". YouTube. May 30, 2019. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 24, 2022 suggested (help)
  37. ↑ "Tyler Lyle on Twitter". Twitter. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Tyler Lyle on Twitter". Twitter. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Tyler Lyle on Twitter". Twitter. June 3, 2022. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  40. ↑ "The Transcendentalists | Tyler Lyle". Bandcamp. June 30, 2023. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; August 22, 2023 suggested (help)
  41. ↑ "Smith, Lyle & Moore Unravel the Makings of Debut 'EP1,' Release "Werewolf" - American Songwriter". American Songwriter. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Amelita - Court Yard Hounds | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. July 16, 2013. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  43. ↑ "My song "Anyhow" is going to be featured on the CW... | Tyler Lyle". Tumblr. May 7, 2013. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Hey! What'dya know? "I Will Follow Love All The... | Tyler Lyle". Tumblr. May 6, 2013. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  45. ↑ "tyler lyle | Cause A Scene Music". Cause A Scene Music. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  46. ↑ "Tyler Lyle- From The Secret Lair (podcast) - Tyler Lyle | Listen Notes". Listen Notes. July 20, 2017.
  47. ↑ "Music | Tyler Lyle". Bandcamp. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  48. ↑ "23. My Ideal Bookshelf | Tyler Lyle". Bandcamp. November 15, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  49. ↑ "Tyler Lyle on Twitter". Twitter. October 31, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  50. ↑ "Episode 1: The Grail King | Tyler Lyle". Bandcamp. April 2, 2023. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Tyler Lyle marries Anna Jimenez under the Golden Gate Bridge in the Golden State with Sharon Jimenez and Bob... - Bring Hollywood Home Foundation fighting for California's Creative economy | Facebook". Facebook. September 20, 2014. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  52. ↑ "Tyler Lyle on Twitter". Twitter. September 5, 2020. Archived from the original on September 5, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  53. ↑ "We are The Midnight and we're playing Electric Forest for the first time. Ask us Anything! : ElectricForest". Reddit. May 21, 2019. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
‎

External links

Click the heading above to read more!

Heroes (song)

Heroes - Album.jpg
This template is about the song. For the album, see Heroes.
"Heroes"
Song by The Midnight
from the album Heroes
ReleasedSeptember 9, 2022 (2022-09-09)
Length5:13
LabelCounter Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tim McEwan
Heroes track listing

Heroes

  1. "Golden Gate"
  2. "Brooklyn. Friday. Love."
  3. "Heartbeat"
  4. "A Place of Her Own"
  5. "Heroes"
  6. "Heart Worth Breaking"
  7. "Loved By You"
  8. "Aerostar"
  9. "Change Your Heart or Die"
  10. "Avalanche"
  11. "Souvenir"
  12. "Photograph"
  13. "Energy Never Dies, It Just Transforms"

Heroes is a song by The Midnight. It is the fifth track from their album Heroes.[1]

The song was written by band members Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan alongside Lelia Broussard and Royce Whittaker. It was produced by McEwan. It has a running time of five minutes and 13 seconds and is in the key of G minor.

A live version of Heroes was released as a single on August 15, 2023, which appears on the expanded edition of Red, White and Bruised: The Midnight Live.

Lyrics

One year closer to my death
I still haven't found what I'm looking for yet
It's not big blue eyes, long blonde hair
It's not a million dollars or a secret prayer

Another year asleep under the spell
Sometimes it's hard to remember
'cause you wear it so well
Made my home in the underground
'Cause nothing grows in the wasteland now

Are we just too easily pleased
Here with the pundits and sages
Witty and pretty and shitty and high
Almost getting by
Almost getting by

I'm ready to live my life again
Like there's a chance worth taking
Ready to love you like I can
Like my heart's not breaking
Wherever you are, wherever you are
Red, white, and bruised
I'll keep waiting
The missing hero is you

Broke down on the 101
Just bad luck believers
Blinded by the sun
Yeah, we chased our dreams
like you taught us how
But nothing grows in the wasteland now

Are we just too easily pleased
Here with the pundits and sages
Witty and pretty and shitty and high
Almost getting by
Almost getting by

I'm ready to live my life again
Like there's a chance worth taking
Ready to love you like I can
Like my heart's not breaking
Wherever you are, wherever you are
Red, white, and bruised
I'll keep waiting
But the missing hero is you

Official versions and other media

Heroes

from Heroes

Heroes - Instrumental

from Heroes (& Instrumentals)

Heroes (Live)

from Red, White and Bruised: The Midnight Live

'Heroes (Live)' (Official Music Video)

References

  1. ↑ "Heroes | The Midnight". Bandcamp. September 9, 2022. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
‎

Click the heading above to read more!

Monsters

This template is about the album. For the song, see Monsters (song).
Monsters - album.jpg
Monsters
Album by
The Midnight
ReleasedJuly 10, 2020
Genre
  • Synthwave
  • Electronic
  • World
  • Lo-fi
  • Vaporwave
Length57:56
LabelCounter Records
ProducerTim McEwan
The Midnight chronology
Remixed 02 - album.jpg
The Midnight Remixed 02
(2019) 		Monsters - album.jpg
Monsters
(2020) 		Horror show - ep.jpg
Horror Show
(2020)
Singles from Monsters
  1. "America Online"
    Released: May 3, 2019
  2. "Deep Blue"
    Released: May 6, 2020
  3. "Dance With Somebody"
    Released: June 10, 2020
  4. "Prom Night"
    Released: June 24, 2020

Monsters is the fourth album by The Midnight. It was released through the label Counter Records on July 10, 2020.[1]

Monsters was preceded by the release of four singles: America Online, Deep Blue, Dance With Somebody, and Prom Night.

Background and composition

The Midnight's previous album Kids was originally planned to be a larger release with more songs compared to the final product. It was later stated that its production was scaled back so Tyler Lyle would have more time to spend with his newborn child.[2] With the band having a lot of leftover ideas from the making of Kids, they decided to expand upon its themes and began work on a follow-up album as part of a planned trilogy.[3][2][4]

Some of the prizes given during the Fall 2020 ARG have revealed details about the development of Monsters. It had a working title of Kids 2 and several early demos of songs that appeared on Monsters were also shared. A snippet of America Online was shared on the band's social media in April 2018, predating the release of Kids.[5] An early instrumental snippet of the song Monsters included in the ARG prizes is named "Monsters (early instrumental demo for KIDS)", indicating that it was also initially planned to be included on Kids.

In February 2019, it was mentioned on the band's social media that new songs were being recorded in Atlanta (the home of Lyle).[6] On March 20, a no-captioned photo of an America Online startup screen was posted, the first official mention of the song since the April 2018 snippet.[7] On March 25, a new clip of America Online containing vocals was shared.[8] On April 5, a photo showing an America Online branded floppy disk with a caption of "New single dropping soon" was posted.[9] A tiny portion of the single artwork was shared on April 18,[10] followed by another small portion on April 29, with a release date of May 3 being announced.[11] The next day, the single was officially confirmed to be America Online.[12] The full single artwork was revealed on May 2.[13] The artwork showed a computer with an AIM-esque chat interface, along with a desktop showing a file called "Monsters.zip", which would later turn out to be the name of the album. On May 6, the band's Twitter account posted the single artwork and stated that the font used in it was the name of a track from the upcoming album.[14] A June 4 post showed an old System 7 interface with a text editor open and the font Helvetica selected, confirming the aforementioned song's name.[15]

Further sharing of information about the next album was infrequent for the remainder of 2019, largely due to the band's ongoing tour. During the tour, a few songs confirmed by the band to be on the pending album were performed, including Seventeen, Monsters, and Brooklyn. The band shared in October that the next album would have a song "that feels like the spiritual successor to Lost Boy"[16], and also stated in December that the album has "taken a lot of inspiration from world music."[17]

In January 2020, the band said that "there may or may not be an homage to Ecco the Dolphin on our upcoming album."[18] It was mentioned in February that the new album would have pan flute and saxophone,[19] and it was also confirmed for a 2020 release.[20] On April 24, a new snippet of the next single cover was posted on social media. On April 27, the single was confirmed to be Deep Blue with a release date of May 6. A short instrumental clip of the song was included in the post. The full single artwork was revealed on May 3.[21] On May 6, the release of Deep Blue was accompanied by the announcing of Monsters as the next The Midnight album, with a planned release date of July 10.[22] The artwork and tracklist were also revealed.

On May 29, Dance With Somebody was announced as the third single from Monsters alongside a short snippet of the song and a release date of June 3.[23] However, The Midnight announced on June 1 that the single's release would be delayed a week to June 10, with the postponement being done in solidarity with racial justice protests happening at the time in the US.[24] Prom Night was revealed to be the album's fourth and final single on June 18, with a short snippet and a release date of June 24 being shared.[25]

Monsters promotional poster

Monsters was officially released on July 10, 2020. Receiving mostly positive reviews, critics noted that the album moved the band's sound in a different direction and expanded its horizons, breaking the traditional mold of the synthwave genre.[26][27][28][29][30] The album was also the biggest commercial success to date for The Midnight, charting at number 134 on the Billboard 200,[31] number 12 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart,[32][33] and number 18 on the Independent Albums chart.[34]

According to Tyler Lyle, a few that songs were written or sketched during the creation of Kids were held over for Monsters.[35] He also noted that the production of Monsters took longer than previous releases due to the band's tour schedule.[2][36][37] Monsters was released with fifteen tracks, the largest number to date on a The Midnight release. The title track is a collaboration with Jupiter Winter, a music duo consisting of Lelia Broussard and Royce Whittaker. Broussard co-wrote the track and sings vocals on the second verse. She had previously joined the band as a guitarist and backup vocalist during the Fall 2019 Tour. Broussard and Whittaker would both join The Midnight for the concert special The Midnight Online. Brooklyn, the album's eleventh track, was originally a solo song by Lyle from his album The Floating Years.[38]

A continuation of Kids,[39][40] the album explores the trials and tribulations of growing up as a teenager and young adult. McEwan noted that the songs on Monsters "range from calm to sad to aggressive, and reflect[s] some of the internal struggles of adolescence."[41] When asked about the significance of 1991, McEwan opined: "The KIDS have grown up. They're teens now. And 1991 was the year the internet went live. Hence the modem sound and opening the album with America Online."[42] Lyle has described Monsters as "an examination of the half in darkness, half in lightness war of individualization through adolescence."[43] During an interview with Icon Vs. Icon, he said about the album:[44]

We wanted MONSTERS to be about adolescence, where the adult world starts knocking on your door and you have to face questions about intimacy, closeness and alienation. It’s a continuation of KIDS in a lot of ways. We wrote a lot of songs for it and hopefully we have a lot of songs for the next record as well to complete the arc. This collection we really felt spoke to the theme of connection.

Monsters has been noted for having a new and different overall sound compared to previous releases by The Midnight. Tim McEwan said a goal with Monsters was to "broaden the palette a bit and sonically evolve the sound of not just us but what is allowed in synthwave and question what is synthwave" and also to not be "encumbered by rules of a genre."[44][45] McEwan elaborated further stating "I think there's a tendency with all genres to be bubbled into this chamber of one specific genre, and I felt it was important for us to move forward and to have the ability to move freely."[46] Tyler Lyle said with regards to Monsters that McEwan "is evolving the sound a little bit more" and that "We’re opening the palette a little bit more — in some ways becoming a little bit more acoustic and in other ways becoming more dance-focused in different areas.”[47] During a fan question-and-answer session on Twitter prior to the release of Monsters, he mentioned that he "wrote about 250 songs between 2016-2019" and "20 something of those songs got properly demoed/ realistically considered for Monsters."[48]

McEwan stated that he took inspiration from various genres including soft rock, lo-fi, hip-hop, and trance. Influences of vaporwave can also be heard on tracks like America Online and City Dreams (interlude).[49] The song Dream Away is mentioned by McEwan as being a "homage to the 90s wave of world influenced electronic music like Deep Forest and Engima."[50] Lyle said that his work on Monsters was inspired by a string of Bruce Springsteen albums from the late 1970s to early 1980s, with the song Prom Night regarded as "an openhearted nod to Springsteen's gift as a dark and complicated writer who could also write a full throated pop song without those two words seeming to contradict."[51] Lyle's vocals are supplemented with vocoder effects on the songs Monsters, Fire In The Sky, America Online, Deep Blue, and Night Skies, with the effect heard on Fire In The Sky actually being McEwan's voice.[52]

Singles

America Online
May 13, 2019
Deep Blue
May 6, 2020
Dance With Somebody
June 10, 2020
Prom Night
June 24, 2020

Track listing

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

Monsters
No.TitleLength
1."1991 (intro)"0:27
2."America Online"5:49
3."Dance With Somebody"4:17
4."Seventeen"4:02
5."Dream Away"3:39
6."The Search for Ecco"4:04
7."Prom Night"5:02
8."Fire In The Sky" (Lyle, McEwan and Collin McLoughlin)4:09
9."Monsters (feat. Jupiter Winter)" (Lyle, McEwan and Leila Broussard)3:17
10."Helvetica"5:16
11."Brooklyn"4:14
12."Deep Blue"3:57
13."Night Skies"3:04
14."City Dreams (interlude)"2:17
15."Last Train"4:22
Total length:57:56

Additional instrumentation was provided by Thomas Edinger (saxophone on Dance With Somebody), Oliver McEwan (synth bass on Dance With Somebody, Bass & fretless bass on Brooklyn), Daniel Heløy Davidsen (Lead guitar solo on Seventeen), Izzy Fontaine (additional guitar and guitar solo on Brooklyn, guitar on Prom Night & Last Train), and Jesse Molloy (saxophone on Deep Blue). The album was mixed by Tim McEwan and mastered by Emily Lazar and Chris Allgood at The Lodge in New York, NY. Songs were recorded in Los Angeles, CA, Atlanta, GA, and the back of a tour bus all over the world.

Artwork and layout by Aaron Campbell.

Release history and variants

Digital release history for Monsters
Date Edition
July 10, 2020 Standard
Monsters - album.jpg
-
October 8, 2020[53] Instrumentals
Monsters - album.jpg
Unlike previous instrumental releases, songs that were already instrumental on the original album are included as well.[54]
April 2, 2021 Stems
Monsters - album.jpg
Contains the 15 songs from the album denoted with BPMs plus 278 stem parts comprising all songs except for 1991 (intro) and Helvetica. The stems are not royalty free but projects and remixes made with them are allowed to be used on non-monetized platforms. First The Midnight EP/album to get a full stems release, which was done for The Midnight Remix Radio Vol. 2 remix contest.
Physical release history for Monsters
Year Format Color/Design
2020 Cassette Translucent Purple
TM Web Music Monsters Casette.webp
First tape variant.
2020 CD -
TM Web Music Monsters CD.webp
-
2020 LP Purple Swirl
TM Web Music Monsters LP Main.webp
First vinyl variant. First pressing was plagued with issues, with some listeners experiencing warbly playback, skipping, and various other problems, which misaligned holes on the vinyl might have caused.[55] Those who ordered the first pressing were sent an email offering a no-cost replacement. This variant received another pressing in August 2024 in the US.
2021 Cassette Transparent Purple/Transparent Orange
COUNTCAS198X-1mup.webp
Second tape variant. First double cassette release of a The Midnight EP/album, with the second tape containing the instrumentals.
2021 LP Purple Splatter
COUNT198-Purple-Front-Mockup-EDIT1-SQ.webp
Second vinyl variant. This variant received another pressing in August 2024 in the UK.

References

  1. ↑ https://themidnight.bandcamp.com/album/monsters
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "THE MIDNIGHT: Tim McEwan And Tyler Lyle On Bringing 'Monsters' To Life!". Icon Vision. July 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  3. ↑ https://celebmix.com/exclusive-the-midnight-chat-about-new-album/
  4. ↑ https://edm.com/interviews/the-midnight-interview
  5. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BhKJu2enKnN/?hl=en
  6. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BthA52Jgqlk/
  7. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BvN9q1Fgn-Z/
  8. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BvaxeXUAdMe/
  9. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv4kcp4AmJb/
  10. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BwY8ZOkg0B7/
  11. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw3Gy8wAplG/
  12. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5OMM_gJTg/
  13. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw94A6fJ_uF/
  14. ↑ https://twitter.com/TheMidnightLA/status/1125597102208208896
  15. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/ByTwgNQAe1C/
  16. ↑ https://twitter.com/TheMidnightLA/status/1185424671946108929
  17. ↑ https://twitter.com/TheMidnightLA/status/1211337621164584965
  18. ↑ https://twitter.com/TheMidnightLA/status/1219150931675058176
  19. ↑ https://twitter.com/TheMidnightLA/status/1233130503571529728
  20. ↑ https://twitter.com/TheMidnightLA/status/1233133817126256640
  21. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ugmqlp8QY/
  22. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B_2jzxcpQ22/
  23. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxgf9TA7PM/
  24. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CA56j6sJ-2y/
  25. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CBlUTPTpFew/
  26. ↑ https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1307979/the-midnight-monsters-album-review-new-album-band-tyler-lyle-tim-mcewan-outrun-synthwave
  27. ↑ https://vehlinggo.com/2020/07/10/midnight-monsters-review/
  28. ↑ https://edm.com/music-releases/the-midnight-monsters
  29. ↑ https://exclaim.ca/music/article/the_midnight_monsters_album_review
  30. ↑ https://www.fuzzymag.co.uk/post/the-midnight-monsters-review
  31. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/The-Midnight/chart-history/TLP
  32. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/The-Midnight/chart-history/ELP
  33. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9423495/the-midnight-sofi-tukker-gorgon-city-dance-electronic-charts
  34. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/The-Midnight/chart-history/IND
  35. ↑ https://celebmix.com/exclusive-the-midnight-chat-about-new-album/
  36. ↑ https://americansongwriter.com/dance-with-somebody-by-the-midnight-song-premiere/
  37. ↑ https://twitter.com/tylerlyle/status/1278433049483632641
  38. ↑ https://tylerlyle.bandcamp.com/album/the-floating-years-2
  39. ↑ https://youtu.be/X9VPeEZKxlY?t=451
  40. ↑ https://americansongwriter.com/dance-with-somebody-by-the-midnight-song-premiere/
  41. ↑ https://edm.com/interviews/the-midnight-interview
  42. ↑ "We are The Midnight. Our new album Monsters is out today and we just announced our 2021 Europe and U.K. headline tour. Ask us anything! : electronicmusic". Reddit. July 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  43. ↑ "We are The Midnight. Our new album Monsters is out today and we just announced our 2021 Europe and U.K. headline tour. Ask us anything! : electronicmusic". Reddit. July 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "THE MIDNIGHT: Tim McEwan And Tyler Lyle On Bringing 'Monsters' To Life!". Icon Vision. July 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  45. ↑ "We are The Midnight. Our new album Monsters is out today and we just announced our 2021 Europe and U.K. headline tour. Ask us anything! : electronicmusic". Reddit. July 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  46. ↑ https://headlinermagazine.net/headliners/the-midnight-future-nostalgia.html
  47. ↑ https://americansongwriter.com/dance-with-somebody-by-the-midnight-song-premiere/
  48. ↑ https://twitter.com/tylerlyle/status/1278430811939835910
  49. ↑ "We are The Midnight. Our new album Monsters is out today and we just announced our 2021 Europe and U.K. headline tour. Ask us anything! : electronicmusic". Reddit. July 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  50. ↑ "We are The Midnight. Our new album Monsters is out today and we just announced our 2021 Europe and U.K. headline tour. Ask us anything! : electronicmusic". Reddit. July 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  51. ↑ https://celebmix.com/exclusive-the-midnight-chat-about-new-album/
  52. ↑ "We are The Midnight. Our new album Monsters is out today and we just announced our 2021 Europe and U.K. headline tour. Ask us anything! : electronicmusic". Reddit. July 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  53. ↑ https://themidnight.bandcamp.com/album/monsters-the-instrumentals
  54. ↑ https://themidnight.bandcamp.com/album/monsters-the-instrumentals
  55. ↑ "The Midnight – Monsters (2020, Purple w/ Pink Marbled Swirl , Vinyl) - Discogs". Discogs. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
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