INTERVIEW: Fly By Midnight — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Fly By Midnight

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IT has been cool…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan Robles/Variance Magazine

speaking with Slavo and Justin of Fly By Midnight about their new album, Rerunning. I ask what themes inspired its birth and whether they have standout cuts; how the group started and the importance of New York regarding creative energy and vibe.

They tell me about their upcoming plans and favourite music; albums that are important and whether they get time to chill away from music – the guys each select a song to end the interview with.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Slavo: It's been crazier than ever. In the best way possible though (laughs).

Justin: We're just stoked to be releasing more music, so it's been an exciting and nerve-racking past few days.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Justin: My name's Justin and I'm half of Fly By Midnight…

Slavo: My name's Slavo and I'm the other half.

Rerunning is your new album. What sort of themes inspired the music?

Justin: The overall theme of the album is romance and the waves that follow it. The highs, the lows; the adrenaline rushes; the exhaustion. It's not about one person, but several people. That's my favorite part.

Slavo: Agreed. When Justin and I decided to call the album Rerunning, we really wanted to establish a recognition of how different, yet similar, some relationships are - almost like a rerun of an episode. Meet, become intrigued; fall in love, watch the love change shapes; sometimes lose the spark and start all over again.

Do you each have a standout/favourite track from the record?

Slavo: Loving Yous a Little Bit Hard Sometimes, for sure.

Justin: Mine's Ain't Got Much to Go.

How did Fly By Midnight get together? When did you find one another?

Slavo: Probably about four/five years ago now. I moved from Florida to N.Y. to pursue production and found myself in the same studio Justin was working out of.

Justin: A few writing sessions in and we decided that a duo project would give a fresh perspective to where we were at creatively. Haven't looked back since.

Do you share similar tastes? Who are you inspired by?

Slavo: Being around each other every day I think we've started to blend our tastes. We're both pretty eclectic with the type of music we enjoy and relate to. A lot of retro inspirations like Billy Joel and Hall & Oates.

How important is New York and the people regarding your music and creativity?

Justin: As the Pop side of the music industry has begun its move to the West Coast, we still find N.Y.C. inspiring our sound every day. Our best friends still live here. We still find ourselves out till five A.M. in the Lower East Side. It's a huge part of our process and we don't plan on completely abandoning that anytime soon.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Slavo: In an age of singles being listened to more than albums, we want to be a part of the movement that allows listeners to really get lost in a body of work. We're playing a big show in Soho/N.Y.C. for the album. Really building up the aesthetic to give fans something they've never gotten from us before. We want to just keep evolving.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Justin: We do, but I'm sure many more will unfold. We'd like to bring the album back on the road across the States and hopefully international as well. More writing sessions. Stoked to work with a handful of people we already have in the calendar.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far - the one that sticks in the mind?

Justin: So many...working on the album has been such a rewarding creative experience. Making music with no rules or boundaries is a feeling unlike any other.

Slavo: Completely agree...especially when fans of our project have gravitated towards the most recent releases. Gives us confidence to create freely.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Justin: I'd say Boys Like Girl – Boys Like Girl. It was one of the first complete bodies of work that I listened to front and back on-repeat. It doesn't even have a cohesive story, but that Pop-Punk phase was super-inspiring. In many ways, it led me to becoming a songwriter.

Slavo: A Day to Remember’s Homesick was filled with a ton of dope songs. Also, being born and raised in Florida and the band being from Ocala; there's a sentimental hometown connection I have to their music.

Justin: (Laughs). Funny enough, despite both albums being completely different genres from F.B.M.; the songwriting and energetic drive of A.D.T.R. & B.L.G. kind of resonates with the music we make.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Justin: The 1975 or Walk the Moon. Both bands' audiences really find themselves lost in their stage performance. Really quite an experience.

Slavo: Would be killer to bring our records to life with a large ensemble e.g. Justin Timberlake’s Tennessee Kids vibe.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Slavo: Stay humble and focused. Lot of amazingly talented people who become too distracted.

Justin: My favorite quote: "When you think you're working at something all day, remember a day is made up of twenty-four hours".