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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.

The Midnight Wiki: What have you been up to lately?

Lelia Broussard: 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.

TMW: 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?

LB: 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.

TMW: 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?

LB: 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.

TMW: 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?

LB: 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.

TMW: 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?

LB: 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.

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

LB: 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.

TMW: How was it competing on singing competitions?

LB: 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.

TMW: 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?

LB: 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!

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

LB: 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.

TMW: 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?

LB: 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!

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

LB: No, I didn’t!

TMW: 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?

LB: 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.

TMW: 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!)

LB: 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.

TMW: 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?

LB: 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.

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

LB: 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.

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

LB: 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.

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

LB: 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!‎

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Static

"Static"
Song by Timecop1983 featuring The Midnight
from the album Night Drive
Released	May 4, 2018 (2018-05-04)
Length	4:53
Label	TimeSlave Recordings
Songwriter(s)	Jordy Leenaerts Tim McEwan Tyler Lyle
Producer(s)	Timecop1983

Static is a song by Timecop1983 featuring The Midnight. It is the first track from Timecop1983's album Night Drive, released on May 4, 2018.

The song was written by Jordy Leenaerts, Tim McEwan, Tyler Lyle and produced by Leenaerts. It has a running time of four minutes and 53 seconds and is in the key of C minor.

This is the second time that Timecop1983 and The Midnight have collaborated. They previously worked together on the song River of Darkness from the album Nocturnal. Timecop1983 would later remix Arcade Dreams for The Midnight's second remix album, The Midnight Remixed 02.

Lyrics

At the shoreline in a snowstorm
I was baptized
Like a new born
In the static

There was a voice inside a dream
Said Lift your head up
Come up clean
Into the static

You were a wild thing
pretending to be tame
I was a wild thing
Trapped inside a cage
I wasn’t looking for deliverance
When you walked in from the wilderness
I was yours and you were mine
But Everything returns on time
To the static

Though the circuit board erased
Flashes of memory still remain
In the static

In between the ones and zeros
You will find me if you let go
In the static

Lyrics source

Official versions

Static (feat. The Midnight)

from Night Drive

References

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Nocturnal

This template is about the album. For the song, see Nocturnal (song).

Nocturnal
Album by The Midnight
Released	October 13, 2017
Genre	Synthwave
Length	42:20
Label	The Midnight Music
Producer	Tim McEwan
The Midnight chronology
The Midnight Remixed (2017) Nocturnal (2017) Kids (2018)
Singles from Nocturnal
"Crystalline" Released: September 22, 2017

Nocturnal is the second album by The Midnight. It was released independently by the band on October 13, 2017. Crystalline was the lone single to release from the album.

Background and composition

The first hint of new music from The Midnight after the August 2016 release of Endless Summer was a snippet Tim McEwan posted to social media in December that same year. The snippet had a title of Comet and featured McEwan as the vocalist, which would have been the first time since Synthetic that a song with his vocals was on a The Midnight release. Ultimately, Comet did not end up making the then-unknown album but was promised by McEwan to be released one day. The song was eventually included on the 5 Year Anniversary Edition reissue of Endless Summer.

In February 2017, a video of Nikki Flores singing to an unidentified song (which would turn out to be Light Years) was shared by the band. McEwan shared in early March that he was en route to New York City to write new songs with Tyler Lyle. The same week, McEwan said that there were some "moody vibes in the studio right now." Also in March, it was posted on social media that a song titled Maniac Cop was being worked on, but no snippet was shared. As no song on Nocturnal has that name, it is not known if the title was later changed or if the song was cut from the album. In late March, continuing production of new material was hinted at with McEwan posting that he was "struggling with the ever elusive kick drum."

More information about new songs and a new album continued to be shared over the first half of 2017. In April, the band shared that the next album "will have a slightly darker tone" and also shared a snippet of a song presumably titled Lone Wolf. This particular song did not make the album but was later confirmed by McEwan to appear on a future album instead. A clip of Collateral was posted in early May. In June, McEwan shared that he was "going through guitar takes for one of our new songs" and further stated that "the lead sound is SO PERFECT. Very 'In The Air Tonight'." In June, the band shared that "there's a track on the new album that'll make your nose bleed." Lyrics from what would end up being the song Crystalline were posted in early July.

On August 9, 2017, The Midnight officially confirmed that a new EP (later regarded as an album) was being released on October 13. About a week later, an upcoming single titled Crystalline was teased and was referred to as a song that "will set the tone for the new EP." Later in August, a clip of Tokyo Night Train was shared. On August 23, the EP's title of Nocturnal was announced alongside a snippet of the title track. A few days later, the artwork for Nocturnal was teased with McEwan saying "if you like movies like Drive, Blade Runner, Thief, Manhunter and The Terminator then you going to love the artwork for Nocturnal." The band said in early September that the new EP "will be slightly more introvert" and "less concerned about big hooks and more about creating mood and vibe." A short clip of Crystalline was shared on September 9 and the single was said to be "coming soon." On September 13, the band said they were "putting the finishing touches to the mix of our first single Crystalline." Two days later, the band referred to Crystalline as being "different, yet still familiar" and stated that they "went off book a little bit" with the song. Another snippet of Crystalline was shared on September 18 and a release date of September 22 was announced. The single artwork was revealed on September 21.

After the single release, more new lyrics (this time from Shadows) were posted towards the end of September. It was also shared in another post that a track from Nocturnal would have a solo "that is a straight up homage to Whitesnake's Is This Love." During an interview with LA Music Blog on the release day of Crystalline, McEwan said the following about Nocturnal:

It’ll be more in line with “Vampires” or another track called “Equalizer”. What inspires me is usually movies. The aesthetic I’m going for with this new EP is more older Michael Mann movies like Thief and Heat or James Cameron’s The Terminator from 1984. That kind of nighttime, Los Angeles, cruising around the city, streetlights, neon, maybe a little bit of rain coming down the windscreen. It’ll have more moody, cooler vibe. It’ll be less John Hughes and more Miami Vice at night.

A small snip of the album artwork was shared on October 6, and a collaboration with Timecop1983 was teased on October 7. Names of the tracks from Nocturnal were shared over the following days, and the full artwork was revealed on October 9. A duet with Nikki Flores titled Light Years was revealed on October 11 and was said to be a "spiritual successor to Jason." The complete tracklist was revealed on October 12, and Nocturnal was officially released the following day on October 13.

Two days after release, Nocturnal was the top-selling release on Bandcamp and it remained in the top spot for over a week. The album charted at number seventeen on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums Chart after release and the following year it peaked at number seventeen on the Billboard Heatseekers Album chart. Nocturnal received mainly positive reviews from critics, who noted the darker and more mature sound compared to Days of Thunder and Endless Summer. It was chosen by NewRetroWave as their top EP of 2017.

Nocturnal contains seven tracks, but there was originally planned to be more, with the band deciding to cut several songs that didn't fit the overall theme of the album. Lyle initially envisioned the album as a "full Halloween/October release that was bit darker than the usual The Midnight fare." The idea of a Halloween-themed EP was later revisited by The Midnight in 2020 with Horror Show. The band said they were inspired by several noir themed shows and films, including Stranger Things, The Terminator, and the movies created by John Carpenter.

Nocturnal sees The Midnight collaborating again with Nikki Flores on the song Light Years. Flores co-wrote the song and provides vocals to accompany those of Lyle. She previously worked with the band on the song Jason from Endless Summer. Additionally, The Midnight also collaborated with popular synthwave artist Timecop1983 on the track River of Darkness.

Singles

Crystalline
September 22, 2017

Track listing

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

Nocturnal

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Shadows"	6:27
2.	"Crystalline"	6:02
3.	"Collateral"	5:46
4.	"River of Darkness (feat. Timecop1983)" (Lyle, McEwan and Jordy Leenaerts)	6:05
5.	"Nocturnal"	7:03
6.	"Light Years (feat. Nikki Flores)" (Lyle, McEwan and Nikki Flores)	5:21
7.	"Tokyo Night Train"	5:36
Total length:		42:20

Credits

Additional instrumentation was provided by Thomas Edinger (saxophone), Pelle Hillström (lead guitar on Crystalline & River of Darkness), Mads Storm (synth guitar solo on Collateral), Dan Rockett (guitar harmonics on Collateral), Kristiane (Crystalline whisper) and Nikki Flores (vocals on Light Years).

The album was mixed by Tim McEwan and mastered by Anders Schumann.

Artwork by David Legnon.

Songs that inspired Nocturnal

Cover art for Spotify playlist

On January 26, 2018, The Midnight shared a Spotify playlist of songs that inspired the music on Nocturnal. The songs on the playlist are:

1. "Paint It, Black" (The Rolling Stones)
2. "The Terminator Theme (Extended Version)" (Brad Fiedel)
3. "Bad As Me" (Tom Waits)
4. "In The Air Tonight - 2015 Remastered" (Phil Collins)
5. "Red Right Hand - 2011 Remastered Version" (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)
6. "You Belong To The City" (Glenn Frey)
7. "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" (The National)
8. "A Thousand Years" (Toto)
9. "Waiting Around to Die" (Townes Van Zandt)
10. "Theme from "St. Elsewhere"" (Dave Grusin)
11. "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole" (Martha Wainwright)
12. "Pretty Pimpin" (Kurt Vile)
13. "Is This Love - 2007 Remastered Version" (Whitesnake)
14. "The Thunder Rolls - Cover" (All That Remains)
15. "Love on a Real Train" (Tangerine Dream)
16. "Because the Night" (Patti Smith)
17. "Frankfurt" (Pryda)
18. "Midnight" (Coldplay)
19. "Clean" (The Japanese House)
20. "When the City Sleeps" (Voyager 12)
21. "Paint It Black" (8-Bit Misfits)
22. "Infinite" (Notaker)

Release history and variants

Digital release history for Nocturnal

Date	Edition
October 13, 2017	Standard
-
December 15, 2017	Instrumentals
Only includes songs that had vocals on the original release.
April 2, 2021	Stems
Contains the seven songs from the album denoted with BPMs plus 121 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 Nocturnal

Year	Format	Color/Design
2018	Cassette	White
First tape variant. Was first offered for sale at the Spring 2018 shows with the remaining stock being sold online. Nocturnal is misspelled as "Noctural" on the cassette spine.
2018	Cassette	Blue
Second tape variant. Nocturnal is still misspelled as "Noctural" on spine.
2018	LP	Blue
First pressing on vinyl. Preorders began in March 2018 and were shipped the following month. Future pressings of this variant (beginning in 2019) included a remastered version of the album and removed "Constant" from Justin Little's management credit.
2018	LP	Pink
Second vinyl variant - was pressed after the initial run of blue sold out. Future pressings of Nocturnal returned to the original blue color.
2022	CD	-
Includes fold-out poster.

References

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