Not every band gets the chance to begin their story in front of a global audience. For Midnight Til Morning, the spotlight arrived before they had even played their first show together. Formed on Netflix’s Building the Band, where they were mentored and championed by the late Liam Payne, the quartet could easily have been dismissed as another TV success story. Instead, they’ve spent the past year proving they’re something far more substantial.
With soaring harmonies, an instinct for anthemic pop-rock, and a chemistry that feels earned rather than manufactured, Midnight Til Morning (made up of Aussies Conor Smith and Mason Watts, along with Americans Shane Appell and Zach Newbould) have quickly established themselves as one of the breakout acts of a new generation. A steady run of increasingly confident singles has showcased a band that’s evolving with every release, while a packed schedule of live performances – including an impressive UK festival debut at BST Hyde Park supporting ATEEZ – has demonstrated that they’re just as compelling on stage as they are in the studio.
It’s been a whirlwind journey, but one they’ve embraced with remarkable maturity. Behind the polished performances and growing fanbase are four musicians still processing how quickly life has changed, learning what it means to build a career in real time while millions watch on.
As they prepare for the next chapter, Midnight Til Morning sit down with CelebMix to reflect on the experience that brought them together, the moments that have defined them so far, and why they’re determined to be recognised not for where they started, but for where they’re headed…
Congratulations on your BST Hyde Park performance earlier this month! From auditioning as solo artists to performing at one of the UK’s biggest music festivals, you’ve been on quite a journey this past year…
Zach: Honestly, it was crazy! Being on stage in front of 10,000 people was mind blowing – there are no words to describe it! Looking out into the crowd, and seeing people waving their arms in the air and singing along to our songs was just incredible!
Conor: BST Hyde Park is the first festival we’ve ever played, and definitely the biggest crowd any of us have performed to, so it was a pretty gnarly experience for us! I mean, what an entry point into that world. Does it get any better than that for us, we don’t know, but we hope so… hopefully it’s not all downhill from here (laughs).
What was going through your minds as you walked onto the iconic Great Oak Stage, and how did that moment compare to everything you’d imagined in the lead up to the big day?
Conor: Before you walk out onto any stage, there’s so much adrenaline pumping through your body, it can be hard to keep a track of your thoughts. For me, I’m always going over song lyrics in my head, and thinking about what we’ve rehearsed – like, where do I need to be, and where do I need to go during each song. Our show at BST was a little bit different though, because we didn’t get to have a proper rehearsal or soundcheck before our performance, so when we walked out from the wings at the start of our set, that was our first time stepping out onto that stage, which was kind of crazy!
That must have been pretty daunting! I guess the beauty of being in a group is that you have that built in support system, and three other people to lean on during moments such as this…
Zach: Oh definitely! Any difficult moments I encounter are always made easier having these three by my side! There’s an understanding between us that runs pretty deep.
Conor: And it’s the same when we come off stage too. A show can go by so quickly – before you know it you’re halfway through your set, and then the next minute you’re introducing your final song! Coming off stage after a gig is always a bit of a blur, there’s definitely a comedown that you experience, and it’s something we’re all trying to get used to now we’re doing more and more shows, and live performances. Thankfully we have each other to talk to, and we can work through those emotions together.
Mason: I guess it was pretty crazy the fact that we didn’t get to go on the stage until our performance, but I think that made the run up to the show more exciting. The whole day was epic! Once we got there, and after we’d performed, we got to meet some of the other acts on the lineup and hang out with them, which really cool. And then for me personally, I loved having the opportunity to go out into the crowd and watch the other artists play live – that was epic! I just kept thinking, how crazy is it that like, 30 minutes ago we were up on that same stage performing in front of all these people?! It was mind blowing… and I still can’t get my head around it.
Every live appearance is an opportunity to win over new fans. So when you’re performing to an audience that’s perhaps discovering your music for the very first time, what’s the one thing you hope they take away from a Midnight Til Morning show?
Shane: It’s very important to us that we make an audience feel something. Whether that’s super happy and carefree, or reflective and centred, it’s about them having some sort of out of body experience, where they’re able to just let go. For me, when I’m listening to someone’s album or watching their concert, I want to be taken on a journey, and I want to feel every emotion possible – good, bad, happy, sad, kind of like you do when you’re riding a rollercoaster, and you just don’t know what’s coming next! I always hope we can translate that same feeling into our live shows, that’s personally my goal.
Mason: I completely agree. And honestly, I think that’s what most artists hope to achieve in their career. It’s about creating a connection. When you write music, you’re wearing your heart on our sleeve, just hoping that someone, somewhere will relate. And it’s the same when you go out there and tour / perform live, you just want people to feel what you’re singing about.
Conor: It’s also important that an audience has fun too thought right? We definitely want people to have fun at our shows.
These standalone performances have been the perfect build-up to your headline tour later this year. I imagine one of the biggest joys of being in a band is getting to perform live. Do you feel like the stage is where Midnight Til Morning really comes into its own?
Shane: Definitely! The more we perform, the stronger we become as a band, and not just four solo artists who have been thrown together. I know for me, before I was in the group, I never really danced or move around much, and I could sometimes feel pretty awkward on stage if I didn’t have a guitar in my hand, and I know some of these guys can relate to that feeling.
Mason: Yeah… but no matter how stupid I feel on stage, I know I can look to the side of me and see that Conor always look more stupid (laughs).
When does planning for the tour start?
Mason: Pretty much as soon as the last tour ended, we started thinking about the next one!
Conor: We actually start rehearsals really soon. We’ll be adding a lot of new music to the setlist which is exciting. We’re also looking to switch up or stage set and design loads of new graphics for the screens, and we want fireworks too… but I don’t think that will happen (laughs). It’s going to be a completely different tour to the ones we’ve done before, so we’re really excited to get out there and show everyone what we’ve been working on.
Do you all still get nervous before a show?
Zach: Yeah I think we all do, but maybe to different degrees. There’s a level of comfort you get to on stage after you’ve been doing this (performing) for a while. You obviously still care deeply about your show, and your performance, but I’d say during our last tour, because we all became so used to the touring schedule, we kind of went into autopilot and some of those of pangs of nerves we used to get all of the time, kind of went away because we’d become so comfortable in our routine. But when you’ve had a little bit of a break, and you come back to the stage after not performing for a while, those nerves come back full force which kind of makes the whole experience a little bit more exciting because you’re really feeling something in the moment rather than just going through the motions.
The great thing about being on the road is that you the opportunity to see first hand the impact your music is having on people…
Zach: Seeing crowds of people singing your songs back to you will never get old! At pretty much every single show we do, I still find myself taking out one of my in-ears at various points of the night, so that I can hear the audience clearly, and really take in the moment, because there was a time in my life when I’d be on a stage performing to people who were more interested in eating their meal or talking to their friend; they really didn’t care about what I was doing (laughs). So to now get that attention from people, and feel a connection with them… it’s incredible.
Midnight Til Morning – Tour Diaries: Episode 5 (UK & Ireland Tour)
Is there a particular performance or on-stage moment that you’ll never forget, and what made it so special?
Conor: Our London show earlier this year was pretty epic! It was the biggest headline show we’d done, and the crowd were incredible. We had a lot of the team from Building The Band there as well which made the night even more special. We also sold out a show in Japan which I think blew all of our minds!
Every successful band has something that keeps them connected. What do you think that is for Midnight Til Morning?
Mason: Everything we do together as a band, and as friends, bonds us. We’re just brothers at the end of the day. We live together, travel together, work together, perform together – at this point, everyday of our lives, we’re together. I think maybe our live shows are one thing that really unites us, because they are like the culmination of all the hard work we put in day after day. Only us four know what it’s taken to get to that point, so yeah, I’d say performing together really strengthens our bond. But then really thinking about it, I guess you could say that it’s in those moments after a show when we really get close! You know, when we’re all sitting down together, reminiscing and chatting about what’s happened on stage that night, or people in the crowd that have caught our attention… basically all of the stuff that only us four get to experience and see.
Zach: To have each other to lean on after a show is super important! I think it could be quite lonely doing this on your own, so it’s cool that we have our friends around us, because nobodies really sees things from the same perspective as we do.
Speaking of perspective, after a show, do you ever find yourselves scrolling through social media and watching fan videos of your performances? If so, how surreal is it to see yourselves through the eyes of the audience?
Conor: Yeah it is kind of crazy to watch those clips on socials sometimes, because you know yourself what it was like to be on stage, but to see it from all of these different angles is bizarre! I think that’s when I judge myself the most if I’m honest. It can be tricky to watch yourself, but in the end I think it’s a necessary thing to do from time to time. It’s learning curve for us to see how we look from another persons perspective – it helps us to get better at what we do… but it is kind of weird too (laughs).
Zach: Seeing a show from an audiences perspective is crazy! When we’re up there doing it (performing) we obviously don’t see everything that’s going on. Watching some of the fan footage back from BST was insane because we had our band name and logo emblazoned across the big screens, and then there were all of these graphics and video footage playing throughout our set, which we obviously don’t see as we’re performing to the crowd and not looking behind us. So to be able to go Instagram or TikTok and watch our set, it was like: “wow, that looks like a proper show!” I was impressed (laughs).
Midnight Til Morning – ‘Iris’ Showcase Performance | Building the Band | Netflix
It’s been two years now since you filmed Building The Band. Do you feel quite established now as a musical act, and strong in your identity as Midnight Till Morning?
Mason: Yeah, I’d say so! I mean it’s an ongoing process, and I think we’ll evolve year after year. But in the here and now, we feel pretty set in who we are.
Conor: We’ve just done a week in Nashville where we wrote a bunch of new tracks which I think really helped us strengthen the strong identity we already have. It’s hard to describe them (the songs), in terms of style, but we sound more like “us” that we ever have before. We worked super hard to create music that really shows off all of our individual identities, as well as our identity as a band. It’s a sound that we love and we hope everyone else does too.
When the four of you first came together, did you have conversations about the kind of band you wanted to be? And how do you think your different backgrounds have shaped the groups identity?
Mason: Yeah we definitely did. Actually, one of the cool parts of being on the show was the fact that we go to have those types of conversations, in the booths – meaning we couldn’t see each other – pretty much right away. Once we got together, together, everything just seemed to click into place quite quickly. Why? I think it’s a mixture of things really. We all share the same goals and aspirations, which helps. But mainly I think it’s the fact that we’ve all had very similar upbringings, so we relate to each other on that level, like there’s this understanding there between the four of us that maybe nobody else gets. Nothings ever felt forced or like we’ve had to try to be something we’re not.
Watching Building the Band as a viewer is one thing, but living through it must have been a completely different experience. Now that some time has passed, does it all feel like a whirlwind, or are those memories still as vivid as ever?
Zach: For me personally, I feel like I can pretty much remember everything about the experience as a whole, but then because it was all so surreal… yeah, it does feel like a bit of a fever dream sometimes (laughs). The show came out about a year after we filmed it, and when I first watched it back, I remember thinking to myself how much we’d all grown and changed in that time. It was like I was watching four different people, but in a good way, it’s like we’ve really come into our own now.
There was a time when artists who came from reality shows often had their credibility questioned simply because of where they got their start. Thankfully, that stigma seems to have faded, but did you ever experience any of that yourselves, or feel like you had something extra to prove?
Shane: In the beginning, because of the platform we had from the show, we gained a lot of fans and a pretty big following quite quickly, which was amazing! But we also received a lot of hate too. Respect in this industry doesn’t come easily, you don’t just get it overnight because you were on a TV show. It takes a while to win some people over, you know, you have to go out there and prove yourself. The great thing about us having an online presence, is that we’ve been able to show people, first hand, that we’re working hard for this, and that we’re dedicated to our craft. We’re always dropping new music, we’re always performing and travelling, we take what we do very seriously, and I think people can see that now, which is really cool.
Midnight Til Morning – Math (Official Music Video)
Being in a pop band in 2026 means wearing a lot of different hats, but at the end of the day, it all comes back to the music. You’ve now released a string of brilliant singles, and each one feels like a natural step forward. How would you say your creative process has evolved since your time on the show and is there a set way you like to work now?
Mason: I think each studio session is different, and it should be, because if not, there’s the risk you’ll end up writing the same kind of song over and over again. But as we get closer as humans and bandmates, I think we become more and more comfortable to have deeper conversations, that we can then translate into songs. I’m really excited about this new batch of material we’ve got! I think we’ve tapped into something really special and I can’t wait to share them with everyone.
How important is it for you to write your own music?
Mason: It’s important, but equally if a really great song is presented to us, and we all love it, we’ll happily release it. It’s just about collaboration, and songs coming together in a natural and organic way. Our first single featured a chorus written by Benson Boone, which blew us all away! We couldn’t believe we were able to include that on our first release. Luckily we were then given the opportunity to write on the song as well, so as much as the initial idea for ‘Bye’ came from someone else, we were able to play a part in its evolution. Releasing a song that you’ve had a hand in writing definitely makes it more special.
Are there any particular songs in your catalogue that you feel best represent who you are as a band?
Shane: I think because all of our songs are so different, we’ll probably each have a different answer to that question. For me personally, I love ‘Navy Eyes’ and I think ‘Edge Of Amazing’ really represent us well.
Conor: Yeah, I agree with ‘Navy Eyes’ – I think it’s a really good track that showcases who we are and what we can do.
Mason: I’m gonna say ’Ghost Of Us’. That’s a song I’d play first for someone who’s never heard any of our music before.
Zach: For me it’s gotta be ‘Ghost Of Us’ and ‘Navy Eyes’ – I’m really proud of those songs.
How do define the success of a song?
Mason: I think there’s a few different ways to measure success nowadays. From a personal point of view, when you write a song that you really love, that feels like a win. Having the opportunity to actually release music is awesome, that’s a privilege and a sign of success. And then of course there’s streaming numbers and chart positions. But maybe the most important measure of success for us, is the effect a song has on another human being. To make someone feel something, that to me is the marker of real success.
You’ve managed to create a wonderful rapport with your audience – you understand them, they understand you, and together you’ve become this unstoppable force. Social media gets a bad rep a lot of the time, but there’s no denying that it’s a fantastic way for bands such as yours to strengthen and maintain a connection with your fans. How would you describe your relationship with social media, because it can be a trick medium to navigate…
Zach: Yeah, it can be hard to get the balance right, but I think it’s super important to use those platforms for good, and to forge a really strong and genuine connection with your fans. We’re super lucky that we get to travel a lot, and play shows all around the world, and because of that, we’re fortunate to have fans here, there and everywhere. Me personally, I never want our fans to feel like once we’ve left a show in their town or city, we’re onto the next and we don’t appreciate them because we maybe won’t then see them again for a really long time. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being left behind or forgotten about, you know? So it’s great to have these channels to keep in regular contact with everyone who’s supporting us. We enjoy having fun with our socials and the content we create, and I think the fans enjoy seeing what we’re doing, so for me, it’s all positive.
How do you strike a balance between staying connected with your fans and making sure you still have time to switch off and just be yourselves?
Zach: It sounds simple, but it’s just about knowing when to set your phone down for the day and saying to yourself: “okay, you’re done, it’s time to zone out and chill”. We can all get caught up in the online world right? It can be super detrimental to your mental health if you’re glued to your phone screen 24.7. So it’s important to not lose sight of what’s real, and for me that’s family and friends – we’ve all got to work hard at maintaining those relationships.
When you think about everything you’ve experienced together so far, what does being a member of Midnight Til Morning mean to each of you today?
Zach: It feels so special to be a part of this band, it’s like finding a new family. I’m living my dream right now, which is amazing, but it’s even more amazing because I’m doing it with my best friends.
Mason: I just feel really fulfilled and happy to be in a band with my best friends. To think that one day we’ll be old men in a nursing home talking about all of the cool gigs we played… can you imagine how cool that will be? (Laughs). I also love that we’re able to create songs that mean something to our fans. Making a connection with other people is what makes you want to do music in the first place, so the fact that we’re able to do that is pretty incredible.
Conor: It’s cool to be a fan of our own band! If I wasn’t a part of it, I’d still love what the boys are doing. I love the community we’ve created, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
Shane: I’ve always believed that there’s power in numbers, and I feel so powerful standing beside these guys. I feel like we all bring something different to the table, and we what create together is really special and unique.
Midnight Til Morning are playing London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester. Tickets on sale now, fans can check out the full list of dates here.
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