Midnight Syndicate has announced that their eighteenth album will have a Christmas and Winter Solstice theme. “I think there’s a rule that after a band’s been around for ‘x’ years they are required to produce a Christmas album. So, that’s how we got here,” joked Edward Douglas. “In all seriousness though, a Yuletide-themed Midnight Syndicate album is something our fans have been asking us for since we began; this album will not disappoint them.”
“I will say that this album has been particularly challenging because we’re taking songs that are SO familiar and that have been treated in so many different ways throughout the years and trying to make them uniquely our own,” added Gavin Goszka. “We don’t want to make yet another Christmas album – we really want it to stand on its own as something truly original. We hope that it will evoke the spirit of the Yuletide season while also reflecting our ongoing musical style and vision.”
Content-wise, the album will be a mix of new material and twists on classics. “I’d describe most of the covers on the album as being reinvented, rather than simply adapted,” said Goszka. “I’ve found myself approaching this material with a very wide palette and a limited sense of allegiance to convention. That being said, it still has to make sense in some way and stay grounded in the familiar. I think we’re stretching our creative wings more than ever here, but there’s still a consistency and overall purpose to it.” “The original songs have been a lot of fun to work on,” added Douglas. “I think the fans are in for a lot of pleasant surprises.”
Fans will not have to wait until Christmas for this present. Midnight Syndicate will be exhibiting at DragonCon in Atlanta this year on Labor Day weekend (September 4-7) and plans to have the CD available at the show.
In October of 2014, Midnight Syndicate Live! debuted at Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends event. From the audience response to the critical reception to record-breaking attendance numbers, the show was an overwhelming success. Although the band will be using 2015 to focus on the new album, plans for a return of Midnight Syndicate Live! in 2016 are already underway. “The success of the inaugural run of Midnight Syndicate Live! has ensured that live Midnight Syndicate shows will be a permanent part of our plans going forward,” said Douglas.
