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.
Wave
The Midnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't deny
You can't deny
You try to talk
But know it's late
Now see the pain
You've brought
Your friends
See your life
You see the pain
You've left behind
Better know that
Here's no pain...
But here's no peace
Try regret
Your selfish act
There's no way back
It's no a dream
You see your life
You've left behind
And as ghost you
Watch the earth
Isn't hell and
Less is heaven
Black and nothing
Here's your hell
Here's your heaven
Try to think that
You'll be here
Til rest of times
Black and nothing
What have I done?
This isn't what
I was thinking
I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry
Take me back I
Need one last chance
Black and nothing
What have I done?
This isn't what
I was thinking
I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry
Take me back I
Need one last chance
The lyrics of The Midnight's song "Wave" depict a deeply introspective and remorseful narrative about the consequences of one's actions and the desire for redemption. The opening line "Get inside the suicide" may refer to the act of delving into one's own destructive tendencies or emotions. The repetition of "You can't deny" emphasizes the inevitability of facing the reality of one's actions.
The subsequent lines convey a sense of regret and pain caused by the singer's choices. They acknowledge the weight of their actions and the negative impact it has had on others, as represented by the phrase, "See the pain you've brought." The mention of "friends" suggests the realization that their actions have affected those they care about.
The lyrics further explore the internal struggle of the singer, including the desire for peace and the acknowledgment that there is no way to reverse their actions ("Try regret, your selfish act, there's no way back"). The line "You see your life you've left behind, and as a ghost, you watch the earth" portrays a sense of detachment and a feeling of being trapped between the realms of life and death, heaven and hell.
The repeated plea for forgiveness and a second chance echoes throughout the song, culminating in the lines "What have I done? This isn't what I was thinking. I'm so sorry, take me back, I need one last chance." These lyrics lay bare the singer's deep remorse and the longing for redemption, highlighting the internal struggle to reconcile with their actions.
Overall, "Wave" presents a poignant exploration of guilt, remorse, and the yearning for redemption, capturing the complex emotions that arise from the consequences of one's choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Get inside the suicide
Become immersed in the despair and darkness of self-destruction.
You can't deny
There is no escaping or ignoring the truth of the situation.
You try to talk
Attempt to express your feelings or thoughts.
But know it's late
Realize that it is too late to change or undo what has been done.
Now see the pain
Witness the suffering and anguish that has been caused.
You've brought
Recognize that you are responsible for the pain and suffering.
Your friends
The people who care about you and are affected by your actions.
Every time you
Each instance or occasion when you
See your life
Reflect upon or examine your own existence or experiences.
You see the pain
You are confronted with the suffering and agony.
You've left behind
The aftermath or consequences of what you have done.
Better know that
It is important to realize and understand that
Here's no pain...
In this state or place, there is no suffering or anguish.
But here's no peace
However, there is also an absence of tranquility or harmony.
Try regret
Attempt to feel remorse or sorrow for your actions.
Your selfish act
The self-centered or thoughtless deed that has been committed.
There's no way back
There is no possibility of returning or undoing what has been done.
It's no a dream
This is not a surreal or imaginary scenario.
You see your life
You are confronted with your own existence or experiences.
You've left behind
The aftermath or consequences of what you have done.
And as ghost you
In a spiritual or ethereal form, you
Watch the earth
Observing the world or life from a detached and haunting perspective.
Isn't hell and
This situation or state is not solely characterized by suffering and torment.
Less is heaven
However, there is also a lack of bliss or joy.
Black and nothing
A void of darkness and emptiness.
Here's your hell
This is the hellish reality you have created for yourself.
Here's your heaven
This is the paradisiacal existence you have crafted.
Try to think that
Attempt to convince yourself or believe that
You'll be here
You will remain in this state or place
Til rest of times
For the entirety of your existence
What have I done?
Reflecting upon and questioning the consequences of your actions.
This isn't what
The current situation is not what
I was thinking
You had originally envisioned or anticipated.
I'm so sorry
Expressing deep remorse and regret.
Take me back I
Desperately requesting for a chance to go back and change what was done.
Need one last chance
Desiring a final opportunity to make amends or correct the situation.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Max Lissack Fajardo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AuthenticPeach
We are not a sentimental age
We don’t want our parent’s china or their ticker tape parade
We are not a sentimental age
We’re out getting high on fire escapes
We are hooking up with strangers we will never see again
We are not a sentimental age
But when I dream, we’re all melting together
Synchronized in a mass embrace
Beads of water folding together
Like a north shore wave
How strange
We’re parts of each other how strange
I’ll never even know your name
We are not a sentimental age
On our shoulders is a boulder of a debt we cannot pay
We are not a sentimental age
Diagnosis says I tend to disengage
I’d rather have my privacy, I’d rather have my space
These are just the pills I have to take
We are not a sentimental age
But when I dream, we’re all melting together
Synchronized in a mass embrace
Beads of water folding together
Like a north shore wave
How strange
We’re parts of each other how strange
I’ll never even know your name
@KingNiros
He's talking about younger adults right now: We are not a sentimental age
We don’t want our parent’s china or their ticker tape parade
We are not a sentimental age
We’re out getting high on fire escapes
We are hooking up with strangers we will never see again
We are not a sentimental age.
- Then he goes on to say that he: But when I dream, we’re all melting together
Synchronized in a mass embrace
Beads of water folding together
Like a north shore wave
How strange
We’re parts of each other how strange
I’ll never even know your name. --- It's perfect.
@kingkush0
If you listen to The Midnight you're automatically my friend
@GILFHunter121
Yea boy!!
@anobsoletemachine8901
I think about this a lot. About how many people are out there, listening to The Midnight on repeat, feeling the same feeling I do, who could be my best friends if I ever got the chance to meet them, but never will. Forever unknown, but never alone. We're all one beating heart, hope you're well my friends.
@GILFHunter121
@@anobsoletemachine8901 likewise braa
@SpookyDaScarie
@@anobsoletemachine8901 I wish I could meet you
@vikster22
Yeah, mate. 👍🏻
@Gamerevalution
How did you capure the spirit of the 80s?......ive been searching for the midnight my entire life
@hectordelarocha10
Analog instruments, a lot of reverb on everything, detune a bit maybe, pluck bass and arpegios. That's how
@SpicePrincess1890
@@hectordelarocha10 You can't forget the ~* A E S T H E T I C * ~
Lots of aesthetic.
@Pajamers
@@hectordelarocha10 pretty much, still churns out some dope tunes tho