Following the release of their impressive recent video and single for Little Drummer Boy, we caught an interview with pop-rockers Midnight Angels to find out more about the release, their journey so far, and their hopes for the future. Here’s how it went.
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Hi guys – thanks for the interview, and Happy Holidays! For those who don’t know, how would you describe Midnight Angels?
Thank you for the interview and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you as well. Midnight Angels is a teen all-girl pop and classic rock band. We just started up a few months ago. We perform cover songs, and will be producing a bunch of original tracks in 2020.
Little Drummer Boy – What made you choose this particular Christmas song to cover?
We were looking for a good rock-and-roll Christmas song to produce our first music video. Kendall’s mom found a Joan Jett version of Little Drummer Boy. It sounded really cool. We liked the guitars on it, so we went with it.
Loving the distortion and energy you bring to the track, is this a typical set-up for the band, and who would you say have been your biggest inspirations when crafting your style?
Midnight Angels is all bout bringing that classic rock-and-roll vibe to the present day, while adding a sprinkle of modern day style. We’re inspired by Paramore, Guns-n-Roses, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, and Greta Van Fleet. So we definitely work a lot on our guitar tones and style. Our lead guitarist, Lysette, plays the PRS Custom 24 and Gibson Les Paul Traditional. She runs her sound through a pedal board consisting of MXR and Boss effects. For tracking in the studio, we put the pedal board through a Fender Bassbreaker 007 amp, and then fed that sound into a close up Shure SM57 mic and a far away AKG C214 mic. Christine uses an Ibanez Sr300e electric bass.
Which other Christmas hits would you love to cover?
Glad you asked that. We actually play a bunch of Christmas songs live. We perform a high energy version of Jingle Bells based on Skid Row’s version. We also play Last Christmas, I Heard the Bells by Echosmith, Carol of the Bells and You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch by Gary Hoey. Christine, our bassist, also has a solo recording project. She just finished a modern pop version of ‘Silver Bells‘ and made a music video to ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town‘ last Christmas.
How long have you been playing together, and what are your plans creatively for 2020?
Christine and Lysette are sisters. We started playing with Kendall, our drummer, in November 2018. We plan on recording original and cover rock-and-roll song each month in 2020, and want to make music videos to accompany each song. We already have about 30 songs ready to play in live venues throughout Southern California. We’re also starting a weekly YouTube podcast to help teens produce their own songs and music videos.
How will you all be spending Christmas this year?
This Christmas we’ll be spending time with our families, making Christmas cookies, drinking hot chocolate and marshmallows, and listening to Christmas songs. We’re also going to Disney World to check out the new Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge! Of course we’ll be playing our instruments and getting ready for our upcoming January music projects both in the studio and on stage.
What’s the best thing people can do to support you right now?
Thanks so much for asking. We want everyone who likes our music to please visit our website and sign up on our email list, so you’ll know when we release more cool girl rock songs!
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Find & follow Midnight Angels on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram or visit their Website.
