Track of the Day: Morning Midnight - 'Teenagers'

Irish/UK bedroom pop duo Morning Midnight have finally released their debut album Happy Hour via Faction Records today, featuring standout track 'Teenagers'.

Opening with warm piano chords, the melody transfixes the listener from the lush beginning as Jordan Scott’s soft vocals introduce the poignant lyrics. Jess Pascal's harmonies elevate the words, layering the textures to create a Bon Iver effect.

"It was late in the summer, I was so young then/Seemed like growing up was still far away/Driving round in the evening, I couldn’t feel it/Something on your mind guess you wouldn’t say/I’m not in love with you/I’m not in love with you/And all these things I do/Don’t lead me back to you," the pair croon on the heart-wrenching break-up track.

The beautiful track tells a delicate story of a couple hoping to move on, with the lead subject feeling the ghost of their relationship slipping way: "How long ‘til I feel less lost?" Jordan's personal lyrics and soaring vocals captivate the listener, while Jess' background in piano, production and synthesis ground and illuminate the group’s sound.

Their debut EP, Swimming Lessons, was an unfiltered work that drew you into a place of retrospective feeling, and has amassed two million streams on Spotify alone. Elevating the textures and storytelling of the EP, the duo’s new full-length project is both fully realised and cinematic.

Created entirely in the pair’s living room over lockdown, the album manifests the journey of soul searching that we’ve all been on and encapsulates the reflection many people were forced to undertake over the past two years.

About the album Happy Hour, the band say: "When the world stopped two years ago we set up a studio in our front room with the idea to work on new music, and what started out as a couple of voice notes on my phone eventually grew into something that’s both exciting and surreal to announce; our debut album. It’s been a labour of love and we couldn’t be prouder of it, there’s been a lot of self reflection over these past few years and these songs have really helped us work through it. We hope it gives you as much as it’s given us."

Merseyside-raised Jordan Scott joined forces with Lancaster native Jess Pascal (who has Irish parents) a number of years ago, with Scott inspired by Death Cab for Cutie, John Martyn and Frightened Rabbit while Pascal adores Michael Nyman and Taylor Swift. Pascal's parents were both keen players of traditional Irish music, with her dad playing the banjo and her mother playing the concertina.

At 22, whilst studying film, a Bon Iver show in Glasgow was the catalyst Jordan needed to finally jump-start his career. Singing in front of people for the first time, Scott went on to play open mic nights and started recording demos to send to friends, quickly realising that his music was resonating with them; with one of them being Jess.

It was after starting college that Pascal discovered dance music and finally found her people, having the likes of Bonobo, Four Tet and Burial on heavy rotation to soundtrack a new found love for music production. By 18, Pascal had her own tracks playing on Radio 1’s late night dance shows and moved to Leeds to start studying music production. It was during her first semester at Uni when she was sent one of Scott’s demos and was so moved by what she heard that she decided to quit her course the very next week. The rest is history, as they say.

Listen to Morning Midnight's debut album Happy Hour below via Faction Records.