Our Chat with Midnight Violet

Written by Fred Carlyle

From left to right: Mia, Tom C, Tom R, Josh, Paige (Photo Credit: Wandyspics)

For my interview with Midnight Violet, my original plan was to find a spot on the grass right out the front of the state library (I'm talking about that spot where you'll see a guy with pigeons on his arm as tourists pose on the front steps). However, this plan was quickly thrown out of the window as, upon my arrival, I found the front of the library to be packed head to toe by protesters. And so with 30 minutes to kill before the members of Midnight Violet were to meet me there, I had to figure out a new spot, the day's classic winter weather narrowed down my options for any spot of lawn or park bench as they would surely be too wet if not too loud given my location being smack bang in the middle of the CBD.

So as it turned out, this day's interview plans went from the proposed idea of a relaxed, leisurely interview in a nice spot of sun to be instead what held the atmosphere of a stuffy board room presentation or a nerve inducing job interview for a dead end office job; my lack of a viable interview spot led me to booking out a study space within the library. So it is here where you must imagine my meeting with Naarm's alt folk outfit, Midnight Violet, to have taken place. My conversations with lead singer Mia, drummer Paige and guitarists Tom C & Tom R (would range from Tiramisus, Tom R trying to convince me that Mdinght Violet won Triple J’s Hottest 100 and awkward-opposing ice breakers which worked to combat the awfully formal seeming atmosphere -given my last minute interview location- as we waited on bassist & pianist Josh... whose inconveniences with the day's PTV led him to being the last one to show up.

An Icebreaker question of mine that went on the lines of if you were a family, what would all your roles be?" seemed pretty simple and straightforward at the time. However, instead of providing expected answers like "I'd be the mother", etc, the discussion quickly derailed into a heated debate (which was in no way prompted by me) about which Scooby Doo character each band member represented. The final answers I got Lead singer Mia Haber and drummer Paige Mckenna passively decided on being both Daphne and Velma interchangeably while guitarists Tom Crane and Tom Riley squabbled over their respective labelling before eventually landing on the former being Shaggy and the latter being Fred. Out of this whole ordeal the clearest and most resolute answer I got came in the choosing of the eponymous Scooby Doo, for, when asking who'd be the faithful canine companion of Mystery Incorporated, each band member pointed unhesitatingly in the direction of pianist and bassist Josh Ten.

Despite having only begun the band in 2023, Midnight Violet and the bittersweet indie folk tunes that it provides have already seen some rapid progression, both internally and externally, in this somewhat small time-frame. For instance, Midnight Violet's debut EP from 2023, 'The Commute', was created solely by founding members Tom C & Mia Haber.

Initially, there was a duo dynamic to Midnight Violet akin to that of the 80's new wave trend (Like that of The Eurythmics or Donna Summer & Girogie Moroder), Mia essentially served as the face and voice of this first release, while Tom C handled a majority of the instrumentals and production side of things.

So, before we go any further, let's talk about this first offering of theirs.

This train-ride-back-home of an EP keeps to being short-and-sweet with its 15 minute runtime. The four tracks that it provides each act like one of the memorable pit stops you'd have on a roadtrip. Firstly, we start off slow and steady with the soothing, rocking-to-a-lullaby stylized ballad of 'That I Knew. 'The Commute' then starts to speed it up a bit for the middle section of the ep with the barnyard-turned-dance-floor jangle tracks of 'Ride the Bus Back to Your Place' & 'Everything Happens at Once'. Before the EP comes to a complete finish, we hit on the brakes once again for the last stop-calling final track, that is the bittersweet and heart-aching ballad of 'Dream a Dream of an Ugly Hero'. This finale track - in respect to the band's folky cowboy aesthetic - would feel at home in a Western film; you could visualise this as the song in question for the movie scene where a young girl's rendition of a sad country tune at a local saloon would evoke a single tear shed from even the most stoic, handle bar moustache wielding and tobacco chewing attendees of the audience.

Midnight Violet being a two-person project proved to be a short-lived era. It was Valentines day of 2024 (about 5 months after the release of The Commute') when Midnight Violet officially marked itself as a now five-limbed band via the delivery of their slow brooder of a track 'I'll Catch You I Promise. This single soon proved to be a part of a trio. As the year carried on, Autumn saw the release of the caressing & melancholic She Takes Her Throne' while Spring fittingly saw a rise in our spirits via the upbeat, Dolly Parton-tinged duet that is 'Caught in the Middle'. These three singles each serve as a standalone release, for it seems that band members have categorised them into an unofficial EP that serves to bridge the gap between the then-and-now and acts as a transitory chapter for the band that gave us the band's first example of what they can accomplish as a five piece.

While there are obvious differences that these 3 singles showcase from their previous work (such as a larger array of instruments), many of the features that are displayed here seem to be an amplification of themes whose seeds were originally planted in their debut work. In other words, these tracks amplify what made the debut so special with thanks to the larger team while still maintaining the rustic, homely & and D.I.Y charm that radiated from The Commute'.

A key value which is held by each band member when it comes to making music is something that was first displayed in 'The Commute' as, while Tom C may wince at the thought, his role as master and mixer of the EP showcased Midnight Violet's desire to use their music as an opportunity to create their own independent community. Whether it be the fact that they've now got Josh doing the mixing/ production side of things or just their effort to get their friends and family involved on this project as much as possible; Tom R emphasised that a "huge part of the band is the indie side of the things to not only feel very independent but to try make our own community (through this project) rather than 'outsourcing'. Aside from the aforementioned value of creating their own independent community I feel as though another factor that contributes to the band's homely, rustic charm is the humble, down-to-earth character that each band member upholds respectively. Because, at the end of the day, Midnight Violet are, as Tom C put it plainly; we are just five people who really love songs and to play our instrument." To put it in another way, Mia explained how each band member "were chosen specifically for the instrument they play... like the power rangers."

Now that both 'The Commute' and their trio of singles from 2024 are behind us now; let's go ahead and get into why we're interviewing Midnight Violet now of all times. 'Stand on my Fallent Heart', released on the 8th of August this year, is not only Midnight Violet's first single of this year, it's also the first sample taste of what's in store for their upcoming debut album.

When discussing their upcoming album and any concepts that may be embedded within, I was given an idea that the album will (in no particular order) cover all facets and stages of a relationship; whether that may be the passionate flame of a honeymoon phase or the messy landslide of a significant breakup. In the case of 'Stand on My Fallen Heart, we're dealing with a narrative that could arguably be at both the start or end of this love story.

Essentially, S.O.M.F.H delves into not only the innocent concept of having a crush on someone, but giving yourself the choice and opportunity to have that crush, to let yourself love again (as you might still be reeling from a recent break-up) and to allow yourself to have your heart stood on. As Tom C puts it, "I will let people in again, I'll let them stand on my fallen heart". This statement made by the co-lyricist was met with a collective, exaggerated "ohhhh" as the rest of the band linked the song title to it's narrative like as though they were Doctor Watson applauding Sherlock Holmes for his deduction skills.

In regards to the energy of this song (and what atmosphere this crush narrative takes place in), Tom R captures a mood akin to that of having "one of those rowdy nights out where it's just one thing after another".

Before we go any further, let me give you an idea of this new single (but I obviously recommend that you listen to this in your own time as well): Lovey-dovey guitar chords pop their heads up throughout this track like a whack-a-mole game, their presence serving as gentle bridges between bouts of energetic instrumentals. The relentless yet controlled drumming of Paige and the crunchy electric guitar riffs of Tom C thwack those initial airy guitar notes into submission until they finally make peace and all come together in harmony in the layer-cake second half of the song. Meanwhile, Mia’s voice glides effortlessly and leisurely across this track; acting as a soothing balance or as a secure anchor to the dizzying and bouncy instrumentals.

As mentioned earlier, Mia & Tom C share the reins when it comes to the lyricism embedded within Midnight Violet. When it comes to strumming up or finding the inspiration for their lyrics, the both of the two have a similar process:

In regards to creating their lyrics. The soft and melancholy lyrics that leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth that are found embedded within the works of Midnight Violet are the by product of the band's founder and co-lyricists, Mia & Tom C.

Whether it be Mia's way of transferring her thoughts into her phone or a book or Tom C's way of scribbling down ideas in a notebook he keeps handy at all times; both the lyricists have a somewhat similar beginning process to this craft.

When it comes to the next step however, this is when the two part ways, each playing to their strengths and their unique ways of forming words into verses and song.

When it comes to Tom's method of making a song, he utilises a style that Mia has nicknamed as 'lyrical op-shopping'.

Whether it be observances of a tour bus or the TAB over at CBD's Chinatown and it's general brightness (add another example);

Tom's journal is essentially a scramble of the what he sees and thinks at specific moments. As it turns out, these verbal sketches usually round out to be simply phrases or words rather than full-fledged verses... and so that's where Mia comes in.

As Tom puts it;

'Mia is awesome at putting lyrics together... she's good at structuring a song, giving it a start, middle and end... Mia is like my lyrical editor." To further elaborate on this idea, Tom picturises this joint-creation process as this:

"If you printed it out on paper and had two different highlighter colours and highlighted who wrote what, It'd be like checkers. It'd be a bit of here and there."

Photo Credit: Farrah Davis

It was about halfway into our interview when we got kicked out of the study room; an air of impatience hung in the air as our exit was foreshadowed by a slightly frustrated staff member popping their head into our room saying that we 'can't eat in here' as he nodded towards Mia and Paige's empty tiramisu packet and to my tennis tube container of peanuts. An awkward silence followed on after his exit until Tom C broke the ice by saying 'Mia, I think he was talking about your outfit.

So the second half of our interview took (after a leisurely stroll through the Melbourne library and taking pictures next to Ned Kelly's armour) place in a the outside area of a courtyard cafe. So, after we ordered some drinks (Including my chai tea which came in the form of a weird contraption in which I required Paige's help in understanding until we all laughed in realisation that it came with a card of instructions) our interview soon came close to an end.

Before our chat came to it's natural end, however, I had just a couple of finale questions to ask the band, the first being "What is your favourite venue?"

In regards to what music venues that the members of Midnight Violet would deem their favourite, we got a mixed bag of answers; Paige (who is a loyal rockdogs player) praised the Tote, deeming the classic venue's vibe as one that is "a little dingey, a little scary but oh so lovely' While The Retreat was recognised by Tom R and The Nighthawks was applauded by Mia (this bias was motivated by the lead singer's innocent crush to a certain venue staff member... this line of conversation lead to a humorous hypothetical convo which went on the lines of playing the long game' and flirting through publications'.) However, the one venue that was first mentioned by Josh and supported by the rest of the band was Mama Chen's, a Footscray venue in which the band praises for it's importance and signification for this suburb which seems to miss most of the local music traction that some more well known suburbs might be known for.

For the last question, I asked each member "Why do you make music?"

When it comes to Josh, he simply put that he loves to be a part of anything that 'moves me'. So as long as there's something that excites him, Josh wants to be a part of it. As he describes it Josh likes to 'get my greasy little fingers all over it". This specific description that Josh used was met with a vocal concern by the other members, resulting in Josh needing to clarify that he does indeed wash his hands.

From Tom R, we got an answer that was short and sweet, that being "The reason that I am making music, especially with this group, is the friendship."

To answer this question, Tom C gave us a trio of reasons, the first being that, at this point, he feels as though he can't "not make music". Here's the second answer: "I love condensing experiences into songs... like taking a year of someone's life and condensing that into a two minute song or walking down a street for 30 seconds and making a massive song about that... being able to condense life into these short pieces of art that people can listen to and connect to is really cool" Now for the third and last: "I love to get amongst the community. Band practice, going gigging, jamming out; music is just so cool. I found that it's the one way that people can connect over."

For Mia, making music functions like a diary for her, "except that it's not very secretive". To elaborate, Mia explains: "Everybody knows my business, I'm already such an open book, I like letting people in... (music) has always been in my life, it gives me the opportunity to speak my feelings. to have that experience of letting everyone in.

Adding on to Mia's answer, Paige provides the opposite to the lead singer's answer as she confesses that she's "never really been an open book". For Paige, listening to music - especially in regards to a specific song's lyrics or feeling it provides - would create in her mind a special relationship that was unique to the singer/artist she was listening to, using this opportunity and connection to share her internal feelings, even if it was just to herself.

Now that Paige has found herself on the other side of this equation as she is making music herself; Paige feels as though that now she has that platform to say that "This is how I feel" and to receive the positive reciprocation from her audience that goes on the lines of "T totally relate to that".

 Now, to end this article on a sweet note, I'd like you to leave you with this quote from Paige: "We may not be singing in front of thousands of people, but if we played our song to 20 people, it'd come back with 20 different responses and reasons.. that's the cool part". 

You can find Midnight Violet on Instagram here

You can listen to Midnight Violet on spotify here