Prior to forming The Midnight, Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan were both established musicians. Lyle was an indie-folk singer-songwriter based in the state of Georgia and gained initial notability with several self-released titles, becoming regionally and nationally known. McEwan was a drummer and producer based in Denmark, later becoming a member of the Danish production group Deekay who has written and produced songs for many popular artists.
The pair met for the first time in 2012 at a songwriter’s workshop in North Hollywood organized by Katie Donovan, Lyle’s A&R representative at the time. Prior to meeting, McEwan had listened to some of Lyle’s previous work and liked Lyle’s folk sound. Despite differing musical backgrounds, they bonded over a mutual love of 80s rock and began to write songs together. After initially struggling to define their sound, McEwan suggested that they compose songs in the synthwave style. McEwan had prior exposure to the burgeoning genre and was inspired by the movie Drive. The first song they wrote together as a duo was WeMoveForward, which was included on their debut EP Days of Thunder.
STYLE AND WORKFLOW
For most of their career, The Midnight has created a strong and distinct synthwave sound in their music - Tim McEwan once described the band's early albums “as if Miami Vice had a baby with a John Hughes movie”. However, McEwan has continuously expressed a desire to evolve the synthwave genre and not be confined by it. Tyler Lyle has stated several times that the band's philosophy when composing is “combine, not confine”. Influences of genres such as lo-fi, soft rock, trance, and vaporwave can be heard on Monsters, and Lyle's musical background has brought influences of indie folk and Americana to the band's sound as well. Regarding the merging of their individual talents and styles, Lyle has said:
It’s rock and roll with synthesizers. Tim has a keen ear for production, and I can write songs that fit comfortably within the tradition of 20th century classic pop songwriting. Somewhere in the middle things get interesting.
McEwan employs various digital synths in his production, including Serum, Diva, TAL-U-NO-LX, Spire, and Roland Cloud's Jupiter 8 and Juno 106. In mid-2020, he mentioned that his favorite synth to use at the time was U-He's emulation of Prophet-5, known as Repro 5. McEwan has stated that he commonly begins with presets and then tweaks them to his liking. KONTAKT is used for sampling.
Both McEwan and Lyle use Logic Pro on macOS as their primary Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).Universal Audio interfaces are used to capture their sounds, which are then processed using UAD plugins. Using the same utilities makes it easier for them to share session files as a significant amount of their work is done remotely, due to living in different areas of the US. However, they will usually get together in the same room a few times during a release's production and will often write and record together while on tour. A release's sound and overall direction are generally created by the two bouncing ideas off each other - McEwan will send Lyle a rough track or beat, which Lyle will then think of lyrics and a title that would go good with the beat, after which McEwan will further build and produce the track. McEwan has stated that the production of a typical The Midnight album takes around three to six months, “from the early gestating part to finish”.
Production and drums are handled by McEwan, with Lyle providing guitar, lyrics, and vocals. Lyle has stated that he writes on a daily basis, and many lyrics come from a large number of fragments he keeps stored in Evernote. Most of the remaining instrumentation is digital, but on occasion songs (including most with saxophone and guitar solos) will at first have digital instruments that are then outsourced to other musicians to play live on the track. Thomas Edinger has been the primary saxophone player for The Midnight's releases, and McEwan's brother Oliver has frequently played bass for the band as well.
For live performances, various setups have been used by the band. Lyle stated that the Spring 2019 tour utilized an Ableton rig, with McEwan using an SPD SX sampling pad and MIDI controller. Lyle ran his guitars through a Kemper profiling amp, and he also used an OP1 for certain synth moments and pads.
Fire In The Sky
The Midnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was just hopin' for a smile or quick slow dance
But when I saw you, there was nothin' I could ever do (do)
To ignore the smell of smoke across the room
I've had my mistakes but my heart was clean
I'm made of matches, you're made of gasoline
I was just hopin' for a smile or a quick slow dance
If I burn down, would you do the same?
You tell me it's wrong, but we're both to blame
I wasn't lookin' for a sign
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
When I touched you, your skin was hot and eyes were clear (clear)
And the room around began to catch fire and disappear (disappear)
I told my heart that I would keep it safe and locked away
But I found myself walkin' to you through the flame
I saw the flashes, I saw the fire grow
I see the ember, I see the cinder smoke
The room around began to catch fire and disappear
Fighting fire with flames
If I burn down, would you do the same?
You tell me it's wrong, but we're both to blame
I wasn't lookin' for a sign
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
The Midnight's song "Fire In The Sky" is a love song with references to the destructive power of fire. The singer of the song describes his initial attraction to someone, hoping only for a smile or a quick slow dance. However, upon seeing this person, he realizes that he cannot resist their powerful chemistry, comparing himself to a match and them to gasoline. Despite the potential consequences of this attraction, the singer is willing to fight fire with fire, risking everything for the sake of this intense connection. The refrain, "I see fire in the sky", serves as a manifestation of the passion and heat that the singer feels.
The lyrics of "Fire In The Sky" are open to interpretation, but at its core, the song seems to be about the irresistible pull of love, even when it has the potential to be destructive. The fire metaphor is used throughout the song to describe the all-consuming nature of this attraction, and even as the singer acknowledges the risks involved, he cannot help but be drawn in. The repetition of the refrain underscores this sense of inevitability, as though the fire in the sky is a force that cannot be denied.
Line by Line Meaning
I wasn't lookin' for forever or a one night stand
I didn't want a long-term commitment or a quick fling
I was just hopin' for a smile or quick slow dance
I only wanted a friendly interaction or a brief moment of intimacy
But when I saw you, there was nothin' I could ever do (do)
But when I laid eyes on you, I couldn't resist your allure
To ignore the smell of smoke across the room
To disregard the danger signs that our chemistry was combustible
I've had my mistakes but my heart was clean
I've made errors in judgment, but my intentions were pure
I'm made of matches, you're made of gasoline
I have a fiery personality, and you ignite my passion
Fighting fire with flames
Endangering ourselves by using risky behavior to control our attraction
If I burn down, would you do the same?
If I lose control, will you follow me into the flames?
You tell me it's wrong, but we're both to blame
You say our actions are ill-advised, but we can't help our feelings
I wasn't lookin' for a sign
I didn't need a signal because our chemistry was already clear
When I touched you, your skin was hot and eyes were clear (clear)
When I made contact, your body responded eagerly and your intentions were transparent
And the room around began to catch fire and disappear (disappear)
Our passion overwhelmed us and made everything else seem unimportant
I told my heart that I would keep it safe and locked away
I promised to protect my emotions, but my desire for you broke that vow
But I found myself walkin' to you through the flame
Despite the danger, I couldn't resist pursuing you
I saw the flashes, I saw the fire grow
Our passion intensified and the chemistry grew stronger
I see the ember, I see the cinder smoke
We're both aware of the risks we're taking, but we can't help ourselves
I see fire in the sky
Our passion burns so brightly that it feels like the sky is on fire
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Collin Mcloughlin, Smith Carlson, Tim McEwan, Tyler Lyle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tim-Tam3
🔥 lyrics 🔥
I wasn't lookin' for forever or a one night stand
I was just hopin' for a smile or a quick slow dance
But when I saw you, there was nothin' I could ever do
To ignore the smell of smoke across the room
I found my mistakes, but my heart was clean
I'm made of matches, you're made of gasoline
I was just hopin' for a smile or a quick slow dance
Fighting fire with flames
If I burn down, would you do the same?
You tell me it's wrong, but we're both to blame
I wasn't lookin' for a sign
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
When I touched you, your skin was hot and eyes were clear
And the room around began to catch fire and disappear
I told my heart that I would keep it safe and locked away
But I found myself walkin' to you through the flame
I saw the flashes, I saw the fire grow
I see the ember, I see the cinder smoke
And the room around began to catch fire and disappear
Fighting fire with flames
If I burn down, would you do the same?
You tell me it's wrong, but we're both to blame
I wasn't lookin' for a sign
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
[Guitar Solo]
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
I see fire in the sky
cosmophile
How can The Midnight’s each song be relatable on some level? It’s a mix of nostalgia, regret, sorrow and hints of happiness. Sheer talent! Kudos to Tim and Tyler, you guys are legends!!
Nick M
Finally a comment that pinpoints this.
SloanePaoPow
Whenever The Midnight releases new music, even before I hear it, Im just like "take my money." Cuz I already know it's going to be phenomenal.
Star
I feel you! 🤑
Faith Harvey
I hear ya their music is the best ✨
LYGHT Official
#accurate
RSC
Too pop this new album, let's gonna be honest, this album is very disappointing, frustrating, were is the sax? This new guy in sax has no talent??
This is a generic pop album, very Common, The Midnight is over, The Midnight are becoming a pop stupid band, go play and sing with Rihanna The Midnight...
Midnight just has lost their DNA & soul...
NOTURNAL & ENDLESS IS THE MIDNIGHT...
NOT THIS RIDICULOUS NEW ALBUM.
Faith Harvey
FR27 Dreamer I’ll admit this album wasn’t my favorite even though I do think they make amazing music. ‘Helvetia’ was the only song I really liked.
truncator
The vocal effects in the chorus are brilliant. Loving the album!
Gon Sope
The production in their tracks is other out of this world! Insane.