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2014 EP by The Midnight

From The Floppy Disk

Jesse Molloy

Jesse Molloy
Molloy performing live with The Midnight in 2021
Molloy performing live with The Midnight in 2021
Background information
Birth nameJesse Carey Molloy
Born (1975-04-29) April 29, 1975 (age 50)
OriginAshland, Oregon, U.S.
Genres
  • Pop
  • Jazz
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Saxophone
Years active2001–present
Member ofCrush Effect

Jesse Carey Molloy (born April 29, 1975)[1][2][3] is an American saxophone player and music producer originating from Ashland, Oregon. He is currently based in Los Angeles.

At the age of nine, Molloy was at a local church with his family and saw a man playing Amazing Grace on the saxophone. This inspired him to also want to play the instrument, and his parents got him an alto saxophone the following Christmas.[4] Molloy received private lessons and also played in his high school's band.

Molloy graduated from Southern Oregon University in 2001[1] and after college joined a soul-jazz group based in San Diego, California. The group toured frequently and averaged about 150 shows a year. He later relocated to San Diego full time and began playing with several local bands and touring groups before moving to Los Angeles. Molloy did some shows with T-Boz from the group TLC as well as Mike Posner.[4] He was a long time touring member of the group The Pink Floyd Experience. Since 2009, he has been a member of the production duo Crush Effect with David Veith.[5][6][7][8] Molloy began touring with Panic! at the Disco in 2017.[9]

In 2017, Molloy was recruited by The Midnight to play the saxophone at the band's first-ever live show in San Francisco.[10][11] He continued to played saxophone for most of the band's live shows up until the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 Tour. Molloy played the saxophone on the song Deep Blue from The Midnight's 2020 album Monsters. This was his first time playing saxophone for the band on a studio release. Later in 2020, he contributed to the band's EP Horror Show, co-writing the song Good in Red and playing the saxophone on Because The Night. In 2022, Molloy played saxophone on the track Brooklyn. Friday. Love. from the album Heroes.[12]

Contributions to songs by The Midnight

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Jesse Molloy | LinkedIn". LinkedIn. January 1, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Jesse Molloy on Twiiter: "Today is my Birthday and I am so grateful. Thankful for another year around the sun and all of you that have been a part of it. 🖤 This is my wife and I pre-Corona quarantine in palm springs. I love this pic bc it…" / Twitter". Twitter. April 29, 2020. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Today is my Birthday and I am so grateful. Thankful for another year around the sun and all of you that have been a part of it. 🖤 This is… | Instagram". Instagram. April 29, 2020. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Meet Jesse Molloy - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". Voyage LA Magazine. June 17, 2020. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Crush Effect". Crush Effect. January 1, 2020. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Crush Effect on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Jesse Molloy – Claude Lakey Woodwinds". Claude Lakey Woodwinds. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  8. ↑ Horne, Jackie Moon (March 21, 2014). "Crush Effect - Until The Next [Pay What You Want]". Sensible Reason. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Saxophone sensation: On Tour with Panic! At the Disco - SOU News". Southern Oregon University. September 18, 2017. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Thanks San Fran! Last Friday! @themidnightofficial 📷 @turbodrivesf #saxophone #themidnight | Instagram". Instagram. July 21, 2017. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Beyond Synth 170 - Soundcloud". Soundcloud. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Jesse Molloy on X: "BTS snap from recording sax for Brooklyn.Friday Love @TheMidnightLA @tylerlyle on FaceTime right side laptop 🎉🎵@TheMidnightLA big love & thanks Tim & Tyler! What a song! #themidnight #saxophone #LA #brooklyn #friday #love" / X". Twitter. August 3, 2022. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.

External links

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Dance With Somebody

Dance with somebody - single.jpg
"Dance With Somebody"
Dance with somebody - single.jpg
Single by The Midnight
from the album Monsters
ReleasedJune 10, 2020 (2020-06-10)
Length4:17
LabelCounter Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tim McEwan
Monsters track listing

Monsters

  1. "1991 (intro)"
  2. "America Online"
  3. "Dance With Somebody"
  4. "Seventeen"
  5. "Dream Away"
  6. "The Search for Ecco"
  7. "Prom Night"
  8. "Fire In The Sky"
  9. "Monsters"
  10. "Helvetica"
  11. "Brooklyn"
  12. "Deep Blue"
  13. "Night Skies"
  14. "City Dreams (interlude)"
  15. "Last Train"
The Midnight singles chronology
Deep blue - single.jpg
Deep Blue
(2020) 		Dance with somebody - single.jpg
Dance With Somebody
(2020) 		Prom night - single.jpg
Prom Night
(2020)

Dance With Somebody[1] is a song by The Midnight. It is the third single and third track from their album Monsters. The single was released on June 10, 2020.[2][3]

The song was written by band members Tim McEwan and Tyler Lyle and produced by McEwan. The synth bass on Dance With Somebody was performed by Oliver McEwan and the saxophone was played by Thomas Edinger. It has a running time of four minutes and 17 seconds and is in the key of A-flat major.

Tyler Lyle said about the song:[4]

’Dance With Somebody’ is essentially telling the shy kid in the back of the class not to put up too many barriers and to take off your armor. Sometimes it’s Friday night and you just can’t help it, you have to go dancing.

In an interview with Magnetic Magazine, the band said about Dance With Somebody:[5]

Tim: We had the hook sitting around for a long time but the verses were so hard to crack. It took us many re-writes to get it right. From a production standpoint I wanted this one to be a bop that you could throw on while getting ready to go out but while still having a deeper meaning behind it.

Tyler: This was tricky. We re-wrote the verses to this at least four or five times. We knew what the hook was, and we knew we wanted the narrator to give a kind of invocation to lose yourself to the music. We carry so much armor around. I never thought much about dancing until I went to a religious college that forbade it. When I escaped that place (I only lasted a year), I decided to dance at every opportunity. Sometimes the only way out of your head is to get into your feet.

The Dance With Somebody poster seen in the single artwork is a slight variation of the poster for the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing. The faint caption below the title Dance with Somebody says "Some dance partners need a dance partner too...", a reference to a lyric in the song. Next to the poster is a taped note that says "Life's too short to dance by yourself ♥", which is another lyric reference.

Demo version

Press the button to play/pause

Adjust volume with slider

An early demo of Dance With Somebody was released as a prize during the Fall 2020 ARG. Titled Dance with Somebody v5 GUIDE VOX (60%), it is considerably different from the final version. The demo is slower, has different instrumentation in some parts, is in a different key (B-flat major), has a different lyrical structure, and the vocals are sung a little differently in some parts. The second verse is missing and there are some other small variations in the lyrics. The demo has a guitar solo instead of a saxophone solo.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tim McEwan and Tyler Lyle.

Dance With Somebody
No.TitleLength
1."Dance With Somebody"4:17
2."Deep Blue"3:57
3."America Online"5:49
Total length:14:03

Lyrics

Take off your armor
Friend of mine
I have no arrows
But I got time

All your sorrows
Keeps you glued to your seat
Can we get you you outta your head
Into your feet

It’s not that the rest of us
Don’t have the blues
It’s just that some dance partners need a dance
Partner too
Is that you

Life’s too short to dance by yourself
Think you should dance with somebody
Life’s too short to dance by yourself
Think you should dance with somebody

Take off your armor
Let down your hair
You could sit on your hands or
You could get closer if you dare

And it’s not that the rest of us don’t have to fight
For every bit of love for and every bit of light
But tonight
It’s Friday night

Life’s too short to dance by yourself
Think you should dance with somebody
Life’s too short to dance by yourself
Think you should dance with somebody

Lyrics source[1]

Official versions

Dance With Somebody

from Monsters

Dance With Somebody (Instrumental)

from Monsters (The Instrumentals)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Dance With Somebody | The Midnight". Bandcamp. July 10, 2020. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ "ｔｈｅ　ｍｉｄｎｉｇｈｔ on X: "－ＤΛＮＣΞ－ Dance With Somebody. Out now. New album MONSTERS out July 10. Preorder here: Artwork by @ecstaticpsd" / X". Twitter. June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Spotify – Dance With Somebody". June 10, 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Midnight Share "Dance With Somebody," Discuss New Record". American Songwriter. June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ "The Director's Cut: The Midnight - MONSTERS - Magnetic Magazine". Magnetic Magazine. July 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
‎

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Days of Thunder

This template is about the EP. For the song, see Days of Thunder (song).
Days of thunder - ep.jpg
Days of Thunder
EP by
The Midnight
ReleasedJuly 15, 2014
GenreSynthwave
Length37:18
LabelThe Midnight Music
ProducerTim McEwan
The Midnight chronology
Days of thunder - ep.jpg
Days of Thunder
(2014) 		Endless summer - album.jpg
Endless Summer
(2016)
Alternative cover
Days of Thunder Old Cover.jpg
Original EP cover

Days of Thunder is the debut extended play (EP) by The Midnight. It was released independently by the band on July 15, 2014.[1]

No singles from Days of Thunder were released prior to the EP's release, but in 2016 electronic music label Silk Music issued remix singles for the songs WeMoveForward and Days of Thunder.[2][3] The singles included the original songs and remixes that would later appear on the 2017 remix album The Midnight Remixed.[4]

Background and composition

Tim McEwan and Tyler Lyle met in 2012 at a songwriter's workshop in North Hollywood organized by Katie Donovan, Lyle’s A&R representative at the time.[5] Prior to meeting, McEwan had listened to some of Lyle’s previous work and liked Lyle’s folk sound. They bonded over a mutual love of 80s rock and after initially struggling to define their sound, decided to enter the synthwave genre at the suggestion of McEwan. McEwan had prior exposure to the burgeoning synthwave genre and was inspired by the movie Drive. The first song they wrote as a duo was WeMoveForward, and the same day they also wrote the chorus for Gloria.[5][6][7] Over the next two years, they continued writing and recording songs, leading to the release of Days of Thunder. Prior to the release of the EP, several songs that were being worked on by McEwan (who was known as iAmData at the time) and Lyle were previewed on McEwan's Soundcloud account, including WeMoveForward, Gloria, Synthetic, and Comet.[8][9][10][11][12] While WeMoveForward and Gloria made the Days of Thunder tracklist, Synthetic was held back for the next The Midnight release, Endless Summer. Comet would not get released until 2021 as part of the 5 Year Anniversary edition of Endless Summer.

The EP was not promoted with any singles but still managed to make a modest impact upon release. At the time, the synthwave genre of music was still emerging and in the early stages of gaining traction. Days of Thunder was given positive reviews on the websites DRIVE Radio and NewRetroWave, and also caught the attention of several Reddit communities throughout 2014 and 2015.[13][14][15][16] When The Midnight's first album Endless Summer was released in 2016, synthwave and its online communities were much more established, drawing many new listeners to Days of Thunder. Gloria, Days of Thunder, and Los Angeles became popular songs of the genre and continue to be regularly performed by the band at live shows.

Music and lyrics

The primary themes explored by The Midnight on Days of Thunder are escapism, love, isolation, existentialism, and nostalgia, particularly when looked at through the lens of city life.

The EP begins with The Years (prologue), a slow moving tribute to Lyle's wife Anna, whom he met after moving to Los Angeles in the early 2010s. The inclusion of "prologue" in the song title indicates it as being not only a precursor to the other songs on the EP but also establishing the relationship of Lyle and Anna as preceding The Midnight's formation. The main synth riff slowly crescendos as the song progresses to include drums, guitar, and a chanting vocal. The final lyric in the song, "aimless and upward", is a recurring motif in Lyle's solo work and unifies his musical background with the production style of McEwan.

Gloria increases the tempo and octane of the EP with pulsing synth stabs and heavy guitar riffs, with lyrics expressing a near existentialist cry for help. The song leans heavily into the the themes of isolation and escapism, trademarks of the synthwave genre. WeMoveForward has a significantly more progressive house feel and recounts a tale of love discovered at the beach. Proclaiming "we move forward, because we can't go back", the song emphasizes the ideal of living life in the present and taking chances.

Beginning with the sound of a car engine starting, the title track evokes high speed chases from 80s action films with strong synth patterns, loud percussion, and distinctive saxophone riffs, which would become a trademark of The Midnight's sound. Discussing the dark side of love, Days of Thunder also explores the idea of feeling alone in a big city, describing "the ghosts of the boulevard" as "living with lonely hearts". Kick Drums & Red Wine, another synth driven song, explores the ways people search for answers in life by pretending to be something they're not, with the narrator choosing to find relief through authenticity and "kick drums and red wine".

The EP concludes with Los Angeles, an ode to the birthplace of The Midnight written by Lyle upon moving from Los Angeles to New York City. The moderately paced song has a more sparse production compared to the previous songs on the EP, recounting memories shared at various places including the beach, Sunset Boulevard, and the canyons and mountains of Los Angeles. Often regarded as one of The Midnight's signature songs, Los Angeles ties together the EP's themes and the band's mantra of mono no aware with Lyle declaring, "if we live forever let us live forever tonight".

Official description

The Days of Thunder

There is a Japanese term: Mono no aware. It means basically, the sad beauty of seeing time pass - the aching awareness of impermanence. These are the days that we will return to one day in the future only in memories. How do we capture them? How could we possibly be able to fully appreciate them in the present? This project is our attempt to put time under glass.

The Midnight is a marriage between a songwriter from the Deep South and a producer from Denmark who both live in Los Angeles. The songs were written in North Hollywood and Santa Monica over two years and represent the first fruit of The Midnight. This is our love song to our city and a testament to the weight these years can hold.

[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tim McEwan and Tyler Lyle.

No.TitleLength
1."The Years (prologue)"6:08
2."Gloria"4:49
3."WeMoveForward"8:07
4."Days of Thunder"5:24
5."Kick Drums & Red Wine"6:21
6."Los Angeles"6:29
Total length:37:18

Release history and variants

Digital release history for Days of Thunder
Date Edition
July 15, 2014 Standard
Days of Thunder Old Cover.jpg

Days of thunder - ep.jpg
Artwork was changed to current revision in February 2016 due to potential copyright issues with the original image.[17] The artwork it was changed to was first used for the release of Lost & Found (The Midnight Remix).
March 20, 2016 Instrumentals
Days of thunder - ep.jpg
The instrumentals were originally uploaded to Soundcloud in June 2015 prior to getting an official release on Bandcamp and streaming services.[18][19]
May 7, 2021 Stems
Days of thunder - ep.jpg
Contains the six songs from the EP denoted with BPMs plus 94 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.
Physical release history for Days of Thunder
Year Format Color/Design
2018 Cassette White
DaysOfThunderWhiteCassette.webp
First tape variant. Was first offered for sale at the Spring 2018 shows with the remaining stock being sold online.
2018 Cassette Transparent Red
TM Web Music Days-Of-Thunder Casette Red.webp
Second tape variant.
2018 LP Transparent Red
TM Web Music Days-Of-Thunder LP Red 5ec3b32f-a678-49b9-a88d-dadd48b92db8.webp
First vinyl variant. The EP was remastered for this release. Lost & Found is included as a bonus track. Preorders began in June 2018 and were shipped in September.
2022 CD -
TM Web Music Days-Of-Thunder CD Main.webp

TM Web Music Days-Of-Thunder CD Open.webp
Lost & Found is erroneously included on the printed tracklist. A download link to the song is sent when purchasing the CD.
2022 LP Blue Swirl
TM Web Music Days-Of-Thunder LP-Blue-Swirl.webp
Second vinyl variant. Lost & Found is included as a bonus track.
2024 LP Evil Dead
TM Web Music Days-Of-Thunder LP.webp
Third vinyl variant. Lost & Found is included as a bonus track.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Days of Thunder | The Midnight". Bandcamp. July 15, 2014. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ "WeMoveForward (incl. Talamanca Remix) | The Midnight". Bandcamp. March 28, 2016. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Days Of Thunder | The Midnight". Bandcamp. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Midnight Remixed | The Midnight". Bandcamp. August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "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.
  6. ↑ "Retrowave Sessions Ep 2: The Midnight - YouTube". YouTube. May 30, 2019. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  7. ↑ "The Midnight // Interview by (( URY Music )) | Mixcloud". MixCloud. August 23, 2016. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Adam on X: "iAmData and Tyler Lyle wanna soundtrack your 80s themed afternoon dance party. let them:" / X". Twitter. April 26, 2013. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  9. ↑ "'Gloria'- iAmData feat Tyler Lyle | songsfortheday". songsfortheday. April 26, 2013. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Peanut~Bekah on X: "WeMoveForward (iAmData & Tyler Lyle) by iAmData on #SoundCloud" / X". Twitter. Jan 15, 2014. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Jakob Weise on X: "Check out 'Synthetic' by iAmData - looking so much forward to hearing more of his solo stuff." / X". Twitter. August 5, 2013. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  12. ↑ "✨Kate✨ on X: "Comet (iAmData solo project) by @I_am_data #soundcloud ❤️ It" / X". Twitter. November 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  13. ↑ "The Midnight - My favorite radio station DRIVE Radio posted a... | Facebook". Facebook. July 30, 2014. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  14. ↑ Sabiu, Andrea (August 28, 2014). "THE MIDNIGHT DROPS A NEW ALBUM - HOT OR NOT? - NewRetroWave - Stay Retro! | Live The 80's Dream!". NewRetroWave. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  15. ↑ "The Midnight - Days of Thunder (2014) : futuresynth". Reddit. September 2, 2014. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  16. ↑ "The Midnight -- Days of Thunder [Synthwave/Synthpop] (2014) : listentothis". Reddit. August 24, 2014. Archived from the original on August 24, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  17. ↑ "The Midnight - It has come to our attention that we,... | Facebook". Facebook. January 31, 2016. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  18. ↑ "The Midnight - I will be uploading the whole Days of Thunder EP... | Facebook". Facebook. June 19, 2015. Archived from the original on October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  19. ↑ "The Midnight - All the instrumentals for "Days of Thunder"... | Facebook". Facebook. June 20, 2015. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
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