Midnight Run were born out of lockdown one, and met via a social platform (vampr) for musicians. Based in London, the duo consist of Jacob Elwy from North Wales and Jonny Mac from Liverpool. Recording sessions began during lockdown 3 above the Prince of Wales pub in Putney, drawing inspiration from rootsie, raw, acoustic indie vibes accompanied by expressive vocals and powerful melodies. Now the band have released their second single on (15/12/21) 'Winter Romance' on all platforms with relatable themes for this time of year. The song draws inspiration from The Beatles & The Lumineers.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Midnight Run, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?
Well we met after lockdown 1 in September 2020, so for us it was trying to channel the right sound, and to really see if there was actually any musical chemistry between us. Our year has consisted of writing, recording & creating the visuals of Midnight Run in preparation for social media.
How do you plan to support yourself financially long term?
Well, like any project it always starts out DIY. Jacob is a tradesman while also performing at weddings & Jonny works full time in hospitality. Whatever we earn funds the endless hurdles a musician faces these days.
Your latest track is 'Winter Romance'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
I was sitting in the rehearsal room one day with a friend. I noticed he had every dating app on his phone. He constantly expressed his interest in to have a romance over the Christmas period. It made me laugh to think how people could easily do this these days and how connected we all are, but on the hand, real life is something entirely different and I could picture it going terribly wrong. It's probably why the song is only two minutes long, the experience is over before it could begin.
What are you focussing on right now?
Right now, we have an albums worth that will be released one track at a time every month. Winter Romance was our second single, but now its time to focus on the next track 'Start Again', which will be released mid January 2022. Releasing music this way enables us to have a goal every month, and more importantly it's a healthier way to release music to the public instead of bombarding them with too much content.
What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
We like everything really and draw inspiration from many artists, however we don't believe in disliking a genre... Sometimes it's just not for you.
Describe your creative process when you write new music.
We come up with separate ideas and have songs which we bring to the table. From there we record demos, listen back and make adjustments along the way. The initial song writing process is very much individual, but the recording process is the collaboration.
When faced with making a big decision, how do you decide what is the right thing to do?
We try everything, it's important not to discard the others idea until it's been tried and tested. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but we're a duo for a reason and listening to each other plays a big part in the decision making.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
There's no better sense of achievement when creating something out of nothing... Music allows you to do that.
How do you stay connected and up to date with the art world?
Spotify is great for experiencing new artists and hearing different sounds. There are plenty of up & coming playlists that you can really absorb & get lost in. We mainly run our socials from instagram but looking to broaden our horizons in the new year.
What are your plans for next year? Do you have any productions ready to be released?
We are looking to find other musicians so that 2022 can be a live experience for us. We've spent most of 2021 in the recording studio and have missed the rehearsals. We're looking to add members to Midnight Run in the new year, and hoping to gear up for gigs in the spring. Exciting times!