MIDNIGHT RODEO release debut LP 'Chaos Era' | Out today!

Words by Emily Whitchurch

Photo by Jack Stoddart

Deep in the Welsh countryside, psych-pop band Midnight Rodeo spent 10 whiskey-fuelled summer days recording their punchy debut album, Chaos Era, with some sessions lasting up to 16 hours. Now unveiling the fruits of their intensive labour, the Nottingham-based quintet establish themselves as ones to watch this year – with influences ranging from Allah-Las to R.E.M., Chaos Era invites us to let loose and embrace life’s obstacles.

Opening the record, lead single Dixon welcomes us into Midnight Rodeo’s lively dance floor. Described by the band as a “Nick Cave-esque character study”, Dixon is an “archetypal has-been” whose luck has run out: “all your memories, they’re long gone / Waiting on your judgement day,” frontwoman Maddy Chamberlain sings. There’s a tinge of smugness here – Dixon seems to have had it coming – while the closing refrain is imbued with irony as Chamberlain encourages us to “fake it ‘til you make it”.

Further showcasing their capacity for cynical songwriting, Cleanshirt takes a wry dig at contemporary workaholic culture with sharp lyrics – “I can’t feel alive unless I’m killing myself seven days a week” – mellowed by twangs of laid back surf rock. Amping up the irony, I Can Say Anything provides a moodier reality check on life as a grassroots band navigating an industry marred by financial inequity. “Let’s see their daddy’s money dance,” Chamberlain goads with a subtle smirk.

But fear not, Midnight Rodeo will have you dancing for the bulk of the album. Propelled by Harry Taylor’s thumping bassline, Daisy bids a dazzlingly upbeat farewell to a lacklustre relationship, while Growl opens with sultry guitars before descending into an infectious piano-driven groove courtesy of keyboardist Sam Potts.

This rich, psychedelic soundscape is augmented in El Medina. The song takes its name from the ancient Egyptian village of Deir El Medina, located near the Valley of the Kings, and exudes a suitable degree of mystic charm. Drummer Ferg Moran lures us in with bold percussion, while Chamberlain’s hypnotic vocal runs make for a particularly distinctive track.

Meanwhile, Captain’s Table gives us the best seat in the house, sweeping listeners up in jazzy Hammond organs and a cheeky narrative about the Midnight Rodeo’s arrival at the heart of Nottingham’s vibrant music scene. The band’s knack for vivid storytelling is cemented on Vulture Vulture, which charts a relationship breakdown from both perspectives with textured call-and-response vocals.

There’s an optimistic thread running through the album too. Strange Eyes encourages us to “take it one day at a time” against intricate guitar melodies from Jim McBride. Buggin Out shares similar sentiments – inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s treasure hunt story ‘The Gold-Bug’, it’s a blissful ode to good fortune and upward trajectories as Chamberlain proclaims “we’re gold buggin’ now”.

Born from two songs eventually stitched together, Nothing To You is the grand seven-minute finale to Chaos Era. Starting out with slower acoustic strums, the instrumentation soon swells to a dramatic finish, where McBride’s soaring guitar solos are closed out by Potts’ melancholic piano. While the album is littered with sarcasm and playfulness, emotional vulnerability triumphs.

Midnight Rodeo’s chaos era is one filled with joy and heartbreak and angst; it’s wide-ranging and witty, but ultimately grounded in the desire to dance through the challenges life throws at us.

Midnight Rodeo Online

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Live Dates

10th Sept - The Victoria, Birmingham

11th Sept - Le Pub, Newport

12th Sept - Heartbreakers, Southampton

13th Sept - The Grace, London

18th Sept - Voodoo Daddys, Norwich

20th Sept - Bodega, Nottingham

1st Oct - Oporto, Leeds

3rd Oct - The Garibaldi Hotel, Nottingham

4th Oct - The Hope & Ruin, Brighton

8th Oct - Jokers Pub, Angers (FR)

9th Oct - MOSTÄ, Nantes (FR)

10th Oct - Supersonic, Paris (FR)