There are just five days to go until the return of This Must Be Pop Live, when MDNGHT, Ellie Rose and Max Marshall will be performing at Queen of Hoxton. That means it’s time to get to know the acts a bit better, and next up for a grilling is Manchester-based electro-pop group MDNGHT…
How do you think London gigs compare to those in your hometown of Manchester?
Until recently I think the Manchester shows have always been a little more rowdy, but over the last few gigs in London we’ve seen this change and it’s really exciting for us to get such great responses outside of our home town.
You got the opportunity to perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend thanks to BBC Introducing. Do you have any tips for artists hoping to get noticed by BBC Introducing for similar opportunities?
First of all you need to upload your tracks to BBC introducing, secondly you need the support of your local BBC station, so I suppose firing across a few tweets to select DJs wouldn’t hurt. We were really lucky in that Michelle Hussey and Natalie-Eve Williams from BBC Introducing Manchester seemed to get behind us right away and have been a huge help for us.
Although you’re signed to an independent label, your videos are as professional and stylish as you’d expect from a major. How important do you think music videos are in showing that a new band is one to take seriously?
I think often your video is where people are seeing your music portrayed visually for the first time, so it’s definitely important to get it right. Although I would say that if your music is good enough it will speak for itself, a bad video could still be detrimental.
Do you think that having a DJ as one of the band members gives MDNGHT more credibility compared to other electro-pop acts?
Well it definitely helps us achieve the sound we’re looking for on stage. We like to mix each song so our set flows more like a DJ set and although not impossible, I think without a DJ that would be tricky to do.
What would you like to have achieved one year from now?
Obviously world domination would be nice but we just want to get our music out there to as wide of an audience as possible really, so I think a year from now we’d mostly like to see that our fan base is still expanding. We’re also really excited to release our debut album between now and then.
What can we expect from your set at This Must Be Pop Live?
We’re really looking forward to playing at This Must Be Pop Live. You can expect a lot of energy, fun and hopefully a certain level of sobriety from us, although I can’t make any promises on that.
Click here to find out more about This Must Be Pop Live and here to get cheap advance tickets – just £4 each!