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.
Lost
The Midnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were the quiet sunrise leavers
You were a good girl, what could I do?
I was a lost boy when I met you
Hold me til I'm not lonely anymore
It's only the crashing of the ocean to the shore
There are no strangers at all
'Cause in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
We were the rebels, lone survivors
We were the cult of deep sea divers
We were young once then we grew old
We were shining, we were fool's gold
Hold me till I'm not lonely anymore
It's only the crashing of the ocean to the shore
Because in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
'Cause in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
Because in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
'Cause in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
Because in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
'Cause in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
The Midnight's song "Lost Boy" is an introspective ballad about a relationship that was a source of comfort and belonging for two people who felt like outsiders. The lyrics paint a picture of two rebels and misfits, who found solace in each other's company. The opening line, "We were the monsters and fire-breathers," suggests that they were not conformists and perhaps even perceived as unconventional by society.
However, even as nonconformists, the two found each other and formed a deep bond, as evidenced by the line, "You were a good girl, what could I do? I was a lost boy when I met you." This line reveals that even though the singer seems to be more lost and uncertain, he found comfort and direction in the other person.
The chorus of the song, "Because in the dark there are no strangers, there are no strangers at all," adds a layer of meaning to the song. It suggests that when people are vulnerable and stripped of societal status or labels, they are all the same, and there's no fear or judgment. It emphasizes the deeper connection the two characters share and suggests that their bond goes beyond superficial differences.
Overall, "Lost Boy" is a beautiful song about the power of human connection, of finding solace in someone else's company, and being able to be yourself completely without fear of judgement when around someone you love.
Line by Line Meaning
We were the monsters and fire-breathers
We were once wild and reckless, like mythical creatures
We were the quiet sunrise leavers
We left before anyone noticed, like a peaceful early morning departure
You were a good girl, what could I do?
You were always well-behaved, leaving me with no choice but to fall for you
I was a lost boy when I met you
I was aimless and without direction until I found you
Hold me til I'm not lonely anymore
Embrace me until I am no longer alone
It's only the crashing of the ocean to the shore
The sound of the waves is a reminder that everything is temporary
Because in the dark there are no strangers
In the darkness, everyone is equal
There are no strangers at all
There are no unfamiliar faces or enemies in the darkness
We were the rebels, lone survivors
We defied conformity and survived on our own
We were the cult of deep sea divers
We explored the depths of life together, like an exclusive club
We were young once then we grew old
We were once full of youthful energy but time has caught up with us
We were shining, we were fool's gold
We thought we were precious, but we were just a fool's paradise
Because in the dark there are no strangers
In the darkness, everyone is equal
There are no strangers at all
There are no unfamiliar faces or enemies in the darkness
Because in the dark there are no strangers
In the darkness, everyone is equal
There are no strangers at all
There are no unfamiliar faces or enemies in the darkness
Because in the dark there are no strangers
In the darkness, everyone is equal
There are no strangers at all
There are no unfamiliar faces or enemies in the darkness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Tim McEwan, Tyler Lyle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zarzarikhawlhring4612
[Verse 1]
We were the monsters and fire-breathers
We were the quiet sunrise leavers
You were a good girl, what could I do?
I was a lost boy when I met you
[PreChorus]
Hold me til I’m not lonely anymore
It’s only the crashing of the ocean to the shore
[Chorus]
'Cause in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
'Cause in the dark there are no strangers
There are no strangers at all
I was a lost boy when I met you
[PostChorus]
I was a lost boy, was a lost boy
I was a lost boy when I met you
I was a lost boy, was a lost boy
I was a lost, there are no strangers anymore
I was a lost boy, was a lost boy
I was a lost boy when I met you
I was a lost boy, was a lost boy
I was a lost, there are no strangers anymore
@peakm3199
Synthwave makes me feel nostalgic to a previous life I remember nothing about, a place in some parallel universe I never visited before, a person I loved but never met before.
@robsnobb
Beautifully written !
@rosssundercombe7811
I absolutely get this!
@lokiclaus9632
Well said!
@childofearthandstarryheave6660
Right on!!
I'm listening to this music, minding my own business, waiting at the bus stop and a wave of emotions about people and situations I've never experienced washes over me..
Intense but beautiful!!
@loveroflife1438
That’s me toooo 100000000%
@Malkav
Ive begun to lose my hearing and in a couple of years i will be completely deaf. Ive been listening to this song on repeat, committing every note to memory so that when that day comes, I can play this beautiful song in my new silent world.
@HiTslhp
Stay strong, dont lose It, keep living.
@gooseisloose6908
Really sorry to hear about that, man. Hang in there.
@InfiniteGenresOfMusic
Stay strong!