If you haven’t already immersed yourself Midnight Forever, the new single from Sketch Jets, stop what you’re doing and go listen to it now. The track is a woozy, sprawling slice of emo-pop, and we’ve had it spinning on repeat ever since we first laid ears on it.
So fresh off the single’s release, we caught up with the band to chat all about it, the evolution of their writing process, and what the future holds.
With an amazing new single fresh under their belts, we caught up with Sydney-based band Sketch Jets to chat all about it.
HAPPY: Hey, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?
SKETCH JETS: Hey! I’m going good thanks. Mostly just getting ready for our show on Friday haha. Always a lot of nerves.
HAPPY: We’re loving Midnight Forever! How does it feel having the track out there in the world?
SKETCH JETS: Thanks so much! Yeah it feels really good to finally have it out officially. When you’ve been holding onto something for so long, and stressing out about the whole process for months on end, it’s definitely a relief to finally release it and see what everyone thinks.
HAPPY: Could you tell us a bit about the song?
SKETCH JETS: Music-wise, we wanted to tone it back compared to our last EP, and really focus on creating a dreary, melancholy atmosphere. Lyrically, I wanted to write about the “first date” phase of a new relationship. I really wanted to try and encapsulate the feelings and sensations associated with the awkwardness and excitement of seeing someone new. But I also wanted to acknowledge that the majority of those moments feel so much more cinematic when looking back in retrospect, usually forgetting all the flaws and anxiety surrounding them.
HAPPY: This is the first taste of new music we’ve received from you guys in a while. How have your approaches to writing and recording changed in that time? If at all…
SKETCH JETS: Well the song was written way back in mid-2018 or something, but wasn’t recorded till Feb this year, so there was plenty of time for us to work on it and make sure everything’s as tight as we can make it. And as a band we haven’t done anything like that before. We’ve definitely learnt how to take our time, and let the ideas come to fruition at a more steady pace.
HAPPY: For us, the song evokes these real woozy, druggy feelings. Do you aim to evoke particular feelings in your listeners with each song?
SKETCH JETS: That’s good to hear! Yeah for sure. The only thing I can really hope for when we write and release a track is that it can evoke a feeling for the listener, because that’s what my favourite music does for me. Making something that evokes emotion and retrospective feelings is definitely our main priority.
HAPPY: Are there any other artists you’re really loving at the moment?
SKETCH JETS: Of course! the list could go on forever but I’ll keep it brief. Local to Aus, I’m loving the stuff from Otis Thomas, Enola Gay and Offshore Projects. And some international fav’s at the moment would have to be Chastity, State Faults and that new Thom Yorke record is insane.
HAPPY: What’s next for Sketch Jets? Any other exciting plans in the works?
SKETCH JETS: Well we’re definitely planning on doing some things for this release over the next couple of months, but we’ll definitely have a new track coming sometime in the relatively-near future!
HAPPY: Cheers for the chat!
SKETCH JETS: Thanks so much man, really appreciate it.
Catch Sketch Jets launch the new single live this Friday at Slyfox in Enmore. More info here.
