Exclusive Interview: ‘Bye’ — A Hello From Midnight Til Morning

Imagine being squeezed into a booth, ears tuned to whistle tones and seductive croons, waiting for that one voice that clicks with your soul — the voice you’d fight to have in your band. Now crank the stakes: live shows, judges whose music videos double as mini London tours (looking at you, Liam Payne), and you’ve got Netflix’s Building the Band — a high-pressure, harmony-hungry crucible. America and Australia landed on the exact vowel pitch with Conor Smith, Mason Watts, Shane Appell, and Zachary Newbould — together, Midnight Til Morning.

They’ve been fitting near-daily TikTok lives between releasing two songs, ‘Ghost of Us’ and ‘Bye,’ yet still carved out time to talk with us about their identity, the holy ritual of fairy bread, and everything in between. We caught up via email, with Conor taking the lead on their behalf.

⁠Coldplay’s ‘Higher Power’ played as you all saw each other for the first time — a moment that felt so synchronistic for viewers. We could feel the magic unfolding onscreen, but what was that moment like from your perspective?
We all say that it is one of the most special moments of our lives. It was also the most genuine moment on the show. That first meeting was not faked or preplanned. That was quite literally the first time we ever saw each other. The smiles you see on the show are our genuine reactions. Pure joy and excitement.

The concept of Building the Band almost overlaps with another Netflix show — Love Is Blind — in that you’re forming a connection through someone’s voice before ever seeing them. Is there an artist — whether a hero of yours or someone lesser-known — whose voice you wish you could’ve heard first without knowing what they looked like, simply because it deserved to stand on its own?
⁠⁠Conor: Personally, I think Prince. His voice is so gorgeous and unique. Although so is his look. Everything about him was vibrant and flamboyant, including his voice. I’d also have to say Bowie. Prince and Bowie are my answers.

⁠‘Beautiful Things’ by Benson Boone was Zach’s solo moment in the series — with Conor giving it the ultimate foot-tap-to-the-like-button approval. Now, with Benson co-writing your debut single ‘Bye’ (alongside Amy Allen, who’s worked with Niall Horan, Harry Styles, and more), how does it feel to have someone who was spiritually guiding your journey during the show become part of the band’s actual foundation?
Oh, man, it’s so surreal. When we heard about the opportunity to have a cowrite with Benson Boone and Amy Allen, we had to pinch ourselves. We have all been writing music for a long time and have dreams of writing songs with people to the likes of Amy and Benson. And now, to have our first single be cowritten with them, it’s indescribable. Truly one of the most memorable moments of our lives. Even talking about it makes us feel all giddy.

Liam Payne was a major part of Building the Band, but also of your band’s DNA — from Liam saying you reminded him of One Direction, to Mason’s Madison Square Garden trip with his fangirling sisters to see them live. Is there a moment or piece of advice from Liam that’s really stayed with you?
⁠Liam is somebody we looked up to immensely. We still do. His words still ring in our ears, and he will forever be an integral part of the creation of our band. He gave us some amazing advice in terms of the music, the business, the fans, touring, relationships, and the brotherhood of a band. I think the way he spoke about how important it is to have fun and to really be in the moment is what stuck with us the most. Enjoy every minute of it, because it can be gone in a flash.

⁠One of Kelly Rowland’s big notes during the live rounds was that every member should understand their role in the group. From the outside, it seems like Mason’s stepped into a bit of a captain role, with the rest of you finding your rhythm around that. How would each of you describe your role in the group dynamic?
⁠I don’t think we really have “roles” in the band. We’re just four brothers who are making music and having a really good time doing it. There isn’t a certain position any one of us holds. There’s never going to be a “leader” of MTM. If there is, it’s the fans. Mason is like the father of the group, though, and keeps us all in line, but that’s because he’s super old and years ahead of us. He might be the grandfather of the group.

⁠In episode four, Conor and Mason had a bonding moment over SingStar in the booths. Between ‘Bye’ and ‘Ghost of Us,’ which track do you think would be the ultimate early-2000s-style karaoke banger — the one you’d fight your cousin for the mic over at a family party?
⁠I reckon ‘Ghost of Us’ would be the one. It has such a cool edge to it. Makes you wanna tap your foot. However, ‘Bye’ would be the track that you scream at the top of your lungs while imagining you’re going through the biggest heartbreak of your life, all while being 12 years old, hahah.

⁠The visualiser for ‘Ghost of Us’ has this great retro feel, and the color blue seems to be a recurring thread — from that video to the ‘Bye’ artwork and your tour poster. Is there a visual language or mood you’re consciously building as part of your band identity?
⁠Honestly, we just wanna make things that look cool and people dig. I think the best thing about being in this band and being artists is that we never have to be tied down to one genre or mood. We are all individuals with different tastes and personalities, and that comes through in our music and content. Zach has this country, rock persona, while Mason has a more folk, songwriter energy. We are never going to be tied down to one identity or genre. We are able to grow and evolve as much as we like, and I’m sure we will a lot as we explore more sounds. And hopefully, we can create a band/identity that is ever changing.

In episode nine, there was a really cool stage design moment — you were all positioned on blocks with your band’s name spray-painted across them. Has any design moment from Building the Band inspired the way you’re thinking about your tour staging?
Those circles/blocks were so sick. Maybe someday they’ll make a comeback, but for now, they’re sitting in storage or have been recycled somewhere in Manchester, hahaha. We want to create an entirely brand new show/stage design for our tour. Something the fans haven’t seen before.

You’ve announced tour dates across your home countries, with stops in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. From sneaking Vegemite into Building the Band to blending two continents’ worth of fans — what are you most excited for when it comes to merging your worlds on tour?
All of us are quite nomadic. We can’t stay still, so we always love travelling to new places. Experiencing different cultures, foods, people, music, and overall way of life is something we are so stoked for. There are so many fans all over the world, we can’t wait to meet. However, personally (Conor), I’m very keen for the American boys to try some fairy bread. They haven’t had any yet.

⁠In your Airing Your Dirty Laundry interview, Conor mentioned that five or 10 years from now, you’d love to be writing songs for other artists. Is there anyone you already dream of writing for — someone you’d be blown away to hear sing your lyrics?
⁠I think doing what Benson and Amy did for us would be a dream. We have all been chasing this for a really long time and writing since we were kids, so I think to write for a band or an artist that is in a similar situation as us would be quite special. The feeling we had when we found out our first single would be a co-write with Benson and Amy was out of this world. We want to be able to give that feeling back to someone.

Got a burning question for them during one of their lives? Or just sliding in with the 🥰 emoji? Loop your favorite Midnight Til Morning track, then hit us up on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook — we’ll help you brainstorm before you fire it off!

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