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Interview: THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA
Title: In the glowing eye of the emotional spiral

The number of fans and followers has been growing every month since the band's official launch in 2012, because as dark as the times may seem, the demand for the catchy AOR-heavy and blissfully melodic style of the Swedish eight-piece is growing rapidly.

With their latest album „Give Us The Moon“, the Scandinavians around singer Björn Strid are symbolically rocketing into the Classic Rock universe with creative rocket propulsion. The octet received an additional boost when they changed labels in 2024 - The Night Flight Orchestra's rise to fame this year seems almost unstoppable.

The congratulations on his combo's new work immediately make Björn shine like the brightest North Star.

„Thank you so much! It’s been quite a journey and I don’t think we’ve ever worked harder on an album. It feels so great that it’s finally shared with the world, it’s been marinating with us for a while. I can proudly say that there’s nothing we could’ve done to make this a better album.“

This means a new (label)start for you and your very own artistic vision - what are you most looking forward to at the moment?

„Yea it’s a fresh start for sure and so far Napalm has been great and are really thinking outside the box, which is needed with the Night Flight Orchestra. The big challenge and exciting thing right now is to make these songs come alive on stage and also work hard at bringing the best show possible with what we’ve got. Our big aim for this album is that we’ll be able to bring this band to bigger stages where we can develop our concept a lot more and still fit all 8 of us on stage.“

The 7th album - time flies since 2007, isn't?

„Absolutely insane. Who would’ve thought, right? And the band wasn’t really happening until 2009/2010 to be honest, the idea was born in 2007 though. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished so far and that we keep delivering the goods but still manage to surprise and excite our listeners for each album. That is a tough task. Hopefully these albums will stand the test of time. I have a feeling they will.“

High time to celebrate the unique spirit of the 80s … for me - I spent my youth there - it was simply the most carefree and happy time, all things considered. Today, on the other hand ... the higher-ups drag us from crisis to crisis. So sound like yours is all the more valuable for getting through today's ‘darkness’. How do you see it?

„Yea I definitely feel we are filling a purpose out there. I feel a calling to keep writing empowering music that maybe sometimes wrongfully seems a bit shallow - it’s very important for us to write more than just ‘Happy danceable disco rock’. Our music is very multilayered for those who really dig in and it reflects so many state of minds. It’s very often really uplifting stuff which makes a lot of people happy, which means the world to us. In that sense I feel we’re on a mission. I think we’ve found a bridge where melancholy, sentimentality and euphoria merge all together and creates something really special.“

How do you see and evaluate these 13 new compositions incl. an intro on within your musical journey so far?

„I think it’s a really interesting album. Perhaps melodies and songs are a bit more direct and focused, compared to the latest two albums. Hard to say but I strongly believe that everything that ever represented this band is in there. It’s an explosion of emotions really. - Especially after everything we’ve gone through with David’s passing and all. It’s also more cinematic than ever. Also perhaps more city names and street names than ever. We wanted to bring even more of the romanticized traveling in order to set the pictures that our music generates in motion. I think it’s also showcasing our ability to move between genres more than ever and still put our trademark on it - it’s all making sense in the end.“

"Like The Beating Of A Heart" - it really sounds exactly as if it was from back then - but on all levels, also vocally; the fluid rhythm, the solo - everything is almost magical in this marvellous song flashback - are you witches in that respect?

„Haha, sometimes it’s quite remarkable how songs come together. “Like The Beating Of A Heart” is actually a song that David wrote, which was meant for a different project that me and him were starting. It never happened and after his passing, I felt the urge to pick it up and have Night Flight Orchestra doing it instead and the result is really cool. It’s David’s only contribution to this album but a real special one.“

Who out of you guys did the lion's share of the songwriting of the new material?

„I guess I’ve written a bit more than the other  songwriters, which are mostly Sebastian and Rasmus. It was a big challenge to take on so much but I think did pretty well. I had to dig very deep though. Especially the song “Stewardess, Empress, Hot Mess (And The Captain Of Pain)” was a big challenge. I’ve never written an epic song like that (David used to write those) and I felt like had to carry on that tradition.“

How did the songwriting go overall - as always so far?

„We had a bit more time in our hands this time around. I think we needed it. We’re a very productive and creative unit as you know but an album like this is nothing you just throw together. For once we had time to let every melody and arrangement “land” and marinate a bit before setting it free, so to speak. As per usual we did all songwriting separately and recordings were happening the same way they always do with weekly sessions in Nordic Sound Lab. We had some really great times there while recording and I think you can really hear it. A lot of these songs turned out very different than the actual demos.“

Somehow everything sounds even more lively, elegant and functional this time, am I mistaken?

„Thanks for pointing that out! I’ve heard people saying that this new album sounds very sophisticated even but still super excited. ‘Elegant’ is definitely a compliment as well, we can definitely live with that one haha. These are really important elements when we compose and perform - it’s very over the top but it moves very smooth and is far from an elephant in a porcelain shop.“

Your specific mixture of massively nostalgic down-to-earthness and today's upward sounding freshness - always no problem when the inner love for this special decade flares up like yours?

„It’s a very nostalgic band indeed. It’s definitely making people connect to their childhood but it’s also a lost tradition of playing, performing and composing that’s been lost. I think that’s why it also sounds quite refreshing and is ‘moving forward’. 80’s really had it all but our favorite era is really 77-83, it’s a golden era that keep inspiring us to bring ppl ‘back to tomorrow’.“

The new album was produced by you as a band in close co-operation with Sebastian Forslund, who also did the mix - it's unmistakable, Master Forslund seems to be an absolute 80s admirer, isn't he?

„He knows every trick in the book to capture the best of this band, even though he was born in the beginning of 80’s. He has very good ears is very sensitive to details, something that is needed with this band. His background as a producer and musician is very diverse, which definitely helps. He’s a very brilliant man and we’re lucky to have him.“

And Plec Johansson, who did the mastering at the award-winning Panic Room Studios, also seems to be a totally passionate 80s AOR disciple?

„For sure. Plec is a fantastic asset and his opinions about our songs for this album at an early stage has mattered a lot. He did a fantastic job mastering this album. It sounds big but also very organic.“

Anything you would like to add?

„Thanks to all of you who keep following this band. This new album is real special to us and we hope you can really connect emotionally with this album, just the way we did when writing and recording it.“

© Markus Eck, 16.01.2025

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