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.
The Stranger
The Midnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's hard at first but then oh you'll get used to
That's what they told me when I wish I knew
Just how it feels like driving through my rear view
I'm not crazy and so aren't you
All my friends think that I'm pretty but that's nothing new
We're just wasting every second tryna find ourselves
You make it seem like I move in slow motion
I'm not complaining cause it feels just right
And in a blur I feel a bump in my emotions
You got me talking to myself all night
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never really asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never really asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never really asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never really asked about it
Just have a drink or two or maybe five
Or maybe just enough to stop this nosedive
Can't stop to think if I'm really alive
Or just a dying soul that's living inside
I'm not crazy and so aren't you
All my friends think that I'm pretty but that's nothing new
We're just wasting every second tryna find ourselves
And I don't wanna live life being someone else
You make it seem like I move in slow motion
I'm not complaining cause it feels just right
And in a blur I feel a bump in my emotions
You got me talking to myself all night
You make it seem like I'm on a vacation
I'm not complaining but I feel uptight
And in a blur I'm in a sticky situation
You got me thinking that I'm always right
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never fucking asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never fucking asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never fucking asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never fucking asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never fucking asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never fucking asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never fucking asked about it
I shouldn't have to talk about it
You never fucking asked about it
Fuck (yeah)
The lyrics of The Midnight's song "The Stranger" delve into the theme of personal struggle and the desire to be understood and accepted by others. The singer begins by seeking solace in alcohol, attempting to drown out their inner turmoil. They express frustration over feeling like an outsider, despite the facade of beauty and popularity they present to the world. The lyrics depict a sense of aimlessness and a continuous search for self-identity, rejecting the idea of conforming to societal expectations.
The lines "You make it seem like I move in slow motion / I'm not complaining cause it feels just right" suggest that the singer finds comfort in their own pace, regardless of others' perceptions. There is a juxtaposition between the blur of emotions and the feeling of talking to oneself throughout the night. This could represent a struggle with inner thoughts and trying to understand one's own feelings.
The repetition of "I shouldn't have to talk about it / You never really asked about it" conveys the frustration of not feeling heard or understood by others. It reflects the longing to be acknowledged for one's true self without having to explain or justify it to others. The use of explicit language in the final lines adds a strong emphasis to this frustration, further emphasizing the singer's desire for recognition and validation.
Overall, "The Stranger" explores the complexities of self-perception, the quest for individual identity, and the longing for genuine connection amidst a world that often fails to see beyond superficial appearances.
Line by Line Meaning
Just have a drink or two it's up to you
Indulge in a few drinks, the choice is yours
It's hard at first but then oh you'll get used to
Initially challenging, but eventually it becomes familiar
That's what they told me when I wish I knew
That's the advice I received, but I wish I had known
Just how it feels like driving through my rear view
The sensation of looking back and reflecting on the past
I'm not crazy and so aren't you
Neither of us is mentally unstable
All my friends think that I'm pretty but that's nothing new
My attractiveness is not a novel discovery to my friends
We're just wasting every second tryna find ourselves
We're aimlessly spending time attempting to discover our true selves
And I don't wanna live life being someone else
I refuse to live a life pretending to be someone I'm not
You make it seem like I move in slow motion
You give the impression that I am sluggish in my actions
I'm not complaining cause it feels just right
I'm content with the pace, so no complaints here
And in a blur I feel a bump in my emotions
Suddenly, I experience a jolt in my emotional state
You got me talking to myself all night
You've driven me to have long conversations with myself throughout the night
I shouldn't have to talk about it
I shouldn't be obligated to discuss this
You never really asked about it
You never showed genuine interest in knowing about it
Just have a drink or two or maybe five
Simply have a couple of drinks, or maybe even more
Or maybe just enough to stop this nosedive
Perhaps the right amount to halt this downward spiral
Can't stop to think if I'm really alive
Unable to pause and contemplate if I truly feel alive
Or just a dying soul that's living inside
Or merely a fading spirit trapped within
You make it seem like I'm on a vacation
You give the impression that I am on a leisurely holiday
I'm not complaining but I feel uptight
I'm not complaining, yet I feel anxious
And in a blur I'm in a sticky situation
In a hazy state, I find myself in a challenging predicament
You got me thinking that I'm always right
You've influenced me to believe I am perpetually correct
You never fucking asked about it
You never damn well inquired about it
Fuck (yeah)
An exclamation expressing frustration or enthusiasm
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nostalgiacola
I live for 80s horror vibes. When it's the midnight it's even better 😎
TheMdterp
This is giving me Halloween 3 Season of the Witch vibes. I love it. ❤️❤️❤️
Jetesh Patel
Bro .....I was JUST thinking that!!!!!!! Your comment was a home run!!!!!!! 🙏🏾💯❤👏🏾
Cyberpunk Unit サイバーパンク
yooo you're spot on H3 vibes heavy
42TY Gaming
I agree
cosmiccowboy00
Halloween 3 and John Carpenter made music in general
ClownBabyCK
Serious John Carpenter vibes, I love it
juanda velasco
Cuando lo unico que te ayuda en estas noches es una atmosfera retro :'), gracias The midnight ♡☆
ya ya ya I am Lorde
If i dont hear this on the teaser trailer for stranger things series 4 then netflix done fucked up
Mustang2005
Lol i thought the same thing