MIDNIGHT YOUTH

While on tour in Australia with Birds of Tokyo, Alicia Bolton caught up with Jeremy Redmore of New Zealand's Midnight Youth. They chat about Maccas, the history of the band, the album and plenty more!

Hey guys! Thanks for catching up with the AU review. Which part of Australia are you in at the moment?

No worries! We're currently at our house in Sydney having a wee break after a good string of shows.

With over 40 dates in Australia, what’s been the highlight of the tour so far and where have you most enjoyed playing?

Our tour highlights always involve driving  - that's what we love about Australia, there's actually long roads. That and McDonalds' free wifi. Almost all the shows we've played have been great but it was pretty special to play The Palace in Melbourne recently.

How are Birds of Tokyo as touring companions? Please feel free to dish any dirt you may have... ;)

Well we first met the Birds guys at a party they were hosting in a mansion they had rented in Beverly Hills, LA - so they're pretty high class men of international mystery to us.

How do you find Australian crowds compared to NZ? And how do the scenes in general compare?

Well, we have great fans in New Zealand after touring there for a few years so it's hard to compare that to Australian crowds who barely know us. What I can say is that both countries have awesome local acts that are just under the surface of the major scene - I do think Australia, with its street press and local media, does a better job of bringing those bands exposure that they deserve.

What can Australian fans coming to see you in the next few weeks expect from your live shows?

When we play live we're a rock band above all else and we pride ourselves on our live performances - we've played a stupid number of shows the past 6 months, so feel free to kick us if we're shit.

Your debut album 'The Brave don’t Run’ has had a fantastic response! You recorded in New York, how was that experience?

New York is a city of great soul that makes you want to rise to its level - so recording our first album there was pretty much the ideal thing to do for us.

How long did it take to put together?

We spent 6 weeks there tracking the album before heading back to NZ. Once there we recorded a couple more songs and mixed it over the next month or so. Then we had to take that and try and get a deal to release it!

Where did the name ‘The Brave don’t Run’ come from? Or, what does it refer to?

It's a lyric in the first track of the album, Cavalry. When we were throwing around ideas for an album title, Si (guitarist) suggested it and we all immediately knew he'd nailed it - I think if everyone has that reaction in that situation then you have to run with it.

How did you decide which tracks to roll with?

We only left out three songs that could have been on the album and they were left out because they just weren't as good as the other ten. They were also songs we didn't really enjoy playing live so much and that's always a sign that they weren't up to it.

The cover art for the album is awesome. Who created that for you?

We really wanted a hand-drawn cover and booklet for the album and we happened to have two friends who had just finished Uni who were really into drawing, design and illustration. They both, fortunately, had the exact style we were after - so we sent them a bunch of lyrics and they worked on drawing something up. We ended up using both guys' work in tandem in the booklet so we were stoked with it.

You guys formed while you were at school - I imagine that had some influence on the name of your band? Or is there a more elaborate story there?

School only really influenced the name by providing a desk to brainstorm ideas on - the name doesn't really have any deep meaning, it's just elicits a mood we like.

Which musicians/bands have been stand out influences for Midnight Youth over the years?

Elbow, Ryan Adams, The Verve, The Music, Oasis, Stone Roses, The Killers, Coldplay, Band of Horses, Radiohead, Wilco, Led Zeppelin, Ben Harper...many more...

Receiving ‘Best Rock Album’ and ‘Best Group’ at the 2009 NZ music awards was…

... a major highlight of 2009 for us. Any time you have your work acknowledged is a good feeling and to pick up those awards off our debut album was incredible. Plus we were up against some huge NZ bands (Mint Chicks, Fat Freddys Drop) so it was a big thrill.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2010?

We're planning on touring Australia as much as possible to win you all over and slowly make McDonalds bankrupt through internet downloads. We're also hitting the studio again in the next month or so to record some new tracks, so these be exciting times for us.

Thanks guys! Enjoy the rest of your Australian tour!

AND HERE ARE THE DATES:
Sat 17th July – The Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor NSW – FREE ENTRY, doors 8pm.

Thu 22nd July – The Sandringham Hotel, Newtown NSW, $10.00 plus B/Fee presale, doors 7:30pm, w/ Tales in Space and Nick Van Breda – Tickets on sale at www.oztix.com.au or throughwww.newworldartists.net

Thu 29th July – Revolver Upstairs, Prahran VIC, $10 + bf, $12 on door, doors 8pm. Tickets on sale atwww.newworldartists.net

Fri 30th July – The Karova Lounge, Ballarat VIC, $10 +bf, $12 on door, doors 8pm.

Sat 31st July – The National Hotel, Geelong VIC, $10 + bf, $12 on door, doors 8pm. Tickets on sale at www.newworldartists.net

Sun 1st August – The Elephant and Wheelbarrow, St Kilda VIC. Doors 8pm.