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.
Shadows
The Midnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They'll be hiding in the dark of the night
They'll be hiding 'til tomorrow
They'll be hiding 'til the timing is right
It's an answer for the future
It's a question that we left in the past
It's a message for the masses
Ooh, you will give to me
Tomorrow, tomorrow
Tomorrow, tomorrow, today
Ooh, you will give to me
Tomorrow, tomorrow
Tomorrow, tomorrow, today
It's a passing of a legend
It's a passing of an age of pretend
It's a story that we beckon
It's a story and it ain't gonna end
Until now
Ooh, you will give to me
Tomorrow, tomorrow
Tomorrow, tomorrow, today
Ooh, you will give to me
Tomorrow, tomorrow
Tomorrow, tomorrow, today
Ooh, you will give to me
Tomorrow, tomorrow
Tomorrow, tomorrow, today
Ooh, you will give to me
Tomorrow, tomorrow
Tomorrow, tomorrow, today
The Midnight's song "Shadows" is a haunting melody that describes individuals who are hiding in the shadows or dark of the night, waiting for the perfect moment to emerge. The lyrics suggest that these people or things, whether good or bad, will stay hidden until the timing is right, implying that they possess a level of patience and strategy. The song could be interpreted in various ways, depending on the listener's perspective: it could be about a group of vigilantes who are waiting to catch criminals, or it could be about individuals waiting for the right moment to make a move in love or relationships.
Moreover, the lyrics indicate that there is an "answer for the future" and a "question that we left in the past." These lines could refer to the past events that could have been handled better, leading to the current state of hiding and waiting. The song's theme also revolves around sending a message to the masses about prevailing problems that won't last for long.
In conclusion, The Midnight's song "Shadows" is a deep and thought-provoking song about waiting, hiding, and eventual emergence. The song's instrumental composition adds an emotional depth to the lyrics, making it a mesmerizing experience for the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
They'll be hiding in the shadows
They will be concealing themselves where very little light penetrates.
They'll be hiding in the dark of the night
They will be disguising themselves keeping the absence of any visible light during the night.
They'll be hiding 'til tomorrow
They will remain out of sight until the imminent day.
They'll be hiding 'til the timing is right
They will stay concealed until the perfect moment arrives.
It's an answer for the future
What will happen next, and how things will eventually unfold, is known already.
It's a question that we left in the past
It's something unknown that we purposely forgot or neglected.
It's a message for the masses
It's an important piece of information that everyone should know.
It's a problem but it ain't gonna last
It's an issue that will be resolved shortly, and it won't take too long.
Ooh, you will give to me tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, today
Hey, you promised to give it to me tomorrow, but you could do it today instead.
It's a passing of a legend
It's the end of someone or something that was once an icon, a hero, or unforgettable.
It's a passing of an age of pretend
It's the conclusion of a period when people pretended to be someone or something they were not.
It's a story that we beckon
It's a tale that we call upon, that we prompt, that we summon.
It's a story and it ain't gonna end
It's a narrative that will keep going on and on, perpetually.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY DE VORZON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JuiceboxCE
The city carved a silhouette
On the ocean after dark
Over the lonely and the holy
And the red blood beating hearts
Up from the dirty black water
The shadow void of form
Raised itself out of the river
And it climbed upon the shore
[Verse 2]
Neon on the black top
There's a gentle rain downtown
The shadow pooling underneath me
As it follows on the ground
Kissed you when I saw you
Stared deep into your eyes
I meant to say I love you
But instead I said goodbye
[Chorus]
Shadows in the city
I'm a stranger to myself
On these streets I'm someone else
Shadows in the city
Like a demon in the dark
Come to tear us apart
[Verse 3]
For all my good intentions
There's a shadow in the dark
He comes to me infrequently
And breaks your perfect heart
I don't know why I do it
Apologized but it's too late
A single tear and you leave me here
And the shadow slips away
[Chorus]
Shadows in the city
I'm a stranger to myself
On these streets I'm someone else
Shadows in the city
Like a demon in the dark
Come to tear us apart
@HOMEBYENOON
Hands down the best Midnight song...that and Light Years...and Los Angeles...and Lonely City....and Nighthawks....and everything else ever...
@JoshuaCamacho09
Gloria. . Just saying
@sidductive3171
Sunset .. Static.. Lost & Found.. Days Of Thunder ohh.. come on.. the list goes on...
@ericaamerica5218
The song jason is the best :D and this song too
@ericclift1773
Can’t say no to any of these.
@adamgiegiel9598
Vampires, anyone?
@ibanezmaestro5630
Words cannot describe how beautiful this song is. This whole discography is amazing.
@zza4809
Ever since I've discovered you guys I simply can't stop listening to your discography over... and over.... and over again. Keep up the great work !
@ZoddVance
Same here. I listened to their entire discography in one night at work; literally not a single track that was less than perfect. Became one of my all time favorite artists in a single night.
@phamchithien
yep, somehow someway, i never got tired of their sounds