Slavo (L) and Justin Bryte (R) of Fly By Midnight.
It was a warm Wednesday night last week and as we walked the streets of New York City, the Lower West Side was alive and buzzing with the promise of a good time. We were heading to the swanky Soho House, known for it's vintage decadence, beautifully constructed menus, and mixologists with enough flair to shake a room and enough talent to pour a drink you'd never forget. New York-based, Retro-Pop duo, Fly By Midnight was hosting a secret show at The Vinyl Room and we were the last lucky few to get a glimpse of their musical energy in action.
The stage was blue-lit, warm, and set up for an hour and a half of music that would soon capture a performance few could forget. Fly By Midnights' Justin Bryte and Slavo even having just touched down from a London tour one day prior were full of excitement and absolutely ready to not only embrace the mics, but showcase their brand new single: "Vibe". With electricity in the air and the crowd buzzing, the duo leaped onstage and got to work showing those in attendance the results of their hard work.
With Justin on the keys and Slavo on guitar, their vibrant sounds merged perfectly as their combined vocals told stories of young love, the pitfalls of modern dating, and how exciting it is finding that special vibe with someone new. The audience couldn't help dancing to every single track; a live showcase turned into a full party once the retro-pop team jumped off-stage and sang among the crowd. In all, Fly By Midnight is a brilliant duo that not only commands a stage but also make their passion for music shine brightly in each track. From the retro head-bobbing beats, catchy pop hooks, and lyrics that anyone can relate to, we can all agree that these guys will undoubtedly make a mark in music.
Before you run off to listen to their latest track, "Vibe", read our interview below with Justin and Slavo to get an exclusive inside look into their inspiration behind the music, touring advice for artists, and most importantly, who their favorite super heroes are.
Slavo (L) and Justin Bryte (R) of Fly By Midnight.
- How did you both get into music and how did Fly By Midnight start?
J: Fly By Midnight has really been a culmination of both of our journeys building our craft as artists. I started off in a theatrical background. I was cast in plays like Pippin, Crazy For You and a handful of others. Mid high school years I had uploaded my first YouTube cover that caught way more attention than I had expected. From there I began listening to all genres of music and really fell in love with songwriting. It's always been to me about continuing to grow and learn more and that's the best part of Fly By Midnight. We're constantly pushing each other to be better and take our music in new & exciting directions.
S: I began playing guitar when I was 10 years old and made it an immediate goal to become good enough to play in my older brothers band. After about a year of playing my Fender Squire Strat non stop he let me join one of their band practices and I fell in love. I moved to New York from Florida (my hometown) about 4 years ago on my 19th birthday to pursue an engineering/producer apprenticeship at Chung King Studios. After that program ended, I needed a new reason to stay in NY and I found that in Fly By Midnight.
- What were some of your favorite collaborations early on?
J: I think one of the best collaborations still has to be our cover of "We Don't Talk Anymore" with Nicole Medoro & Nicolette Mare. We had filmed it right before hopping on a flight to perform in China. The video was super simple & we genuinely had fun shooting it. I think that genuineness is what really sells these days and was a huge factor behind it performing as well as it did.
S: My favorite collab was probably the one we did before Fly By Midnight was technically a thing. The cover we did of “I Really Like You” by Carly Rae Jepsen was a lot of fun and laid the groundwork for what was to come of this duo. That collab was pivotal to surfacing the potential of our combined creativity.
Slavo on Guitar at Soho House. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.
- What drew you to cover Charlie Puths' “We Don't Talk Anymore”, did you expect it to go viral?
J: We didn't expect it to go viral at all. Even the song choice was a bit out of the box for us being that it wasn't a single at the time. Slavo and I just thought it was the strongest song on his album so we brought in the girls and just vibed out.
S: That was early on in the Fly By Midnight project if I’m not mistaken and at that time I don’t think we had any expectations. Starting a new project requires a lot of trial and error to discover what excites you and what excites your audience and this was one of those where we discovered something special.
- What’s life like being on tour? Do you have any advice for artists looking to hit the road?
J: It's been such a fun ride. We love meeting new and old fans alike. Whether it's acoustic sessions at colleges or full blown festivals. My advice would be to always make it a point to meet as many people as you can after the shows. Take the time to make that connection. It's gone a really long way for us.
S: It’s one thing to make music that people enjoy, but when you get to physically see people react to something you’ve created night after night in unfamiliar places it’s truly special. I would second what Justin said. There’s nothing like making genuine human interaction with new fans/friends.
Justin on vocals at Soho House. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.
- Who are your favorite artists today?
J: I've been really digging the throwback sounds of Computer Games & Fickle Friends. Imagine Dragons new album was so dope as well!
S: With music being so accessible I feel like my “favorite” artist is constantly changing. Right now I would say I’m really into Khalid and Thomas Rhett’s new album.
- If you could perform in any city or country, where would it be and why?
J: We definitely want to tour the whole world, but knowing how strong our influence is in the Philippines & Hong Kong that would be on another level. We get so many comments from overseas and to meet those fans would be super rewarding.
S: I’ve always wanted to go to Australia. I know getting there would be brutal, but it’s always been on the top of my list. We actually have a cool little following down there as well.
Justin (L) and Slavo (R) onstage at The Vinyl Room. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.
- Who's your favorite superhero? What's better: DC or Marvel Comics?
S: I’ve never been big into superheros, but I’ll have to go with Batman. I think it’s dope how he doesn’t technically have any powers, but he still manages to kick a**. With that being said I suppose I’m team DC.
J: Well I’m obsessed with superheros so it’s hard to just choose one. I’d say Marvel wise definitely Spiderman. I actually dressed up in a full costume to see the latest movie in theaters (geek alert). DC wise, probably Shazam. Love the idea of this young boy becoming this super powerful man by saying one word. I can’t choose one, ah!
- Can you tell us about your inspiration behind your latest track, “Vibe”?
S: “Vibe” was a track inspired by the word itself. The chorus and the concept came pretty easy, to be honest the verse and the pre chorus required the most effort. Once we had it all finished in front of us though, we knew it was something different and special for us.
J: It’s a song purely about attraction. The fun adventure of exploring feelings for someone new.
- What can we expect from Fly By Midnight in the future?
S: We’re constantly writing/producing/touring and building our platform. One thing we’ve always wanted to release was a body of work. Whether it be an EP or a full length album. Right now it’s all about timing, but that’s definitely in our near future.
J: I second that. Slavo & I are obsessed with creating and taking as much new material as we can on the road. We want to give the world a body of work that is Fly By Midnight. It’s only the beginning and that’s truly the exciting part.
Listen to the latest single "Vibe" now and be sure to follow them below!
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