What better way to bid our final goodbyes to summer ’16 than with a dose of beachy, warm LA pop? Sporting a fun, sleek aesthetic, alt-“nu-wop” duo Midnight to Monaco are somewhat of a blend between the late-’70s nostalgic for the ’50s and the mid-late 1990s.
In other words, they’re refreshingly new and nostalgically classic.
Listen: “One Way Ticket” (Recycle Jordan remix) – Midnight to Monaco
Radiating with an infectious energy, LA-based Midnight to Monaco is vocalist Ricky Ducati and award-winning producer Donnie Sloan (Empire of the Sun). Their songs have a light-weighted element to them, but peek under the hood and one will find a heavy depth of emotion seldom found in the mainstream pop and electronic music worlds.
Annie come on over, we can just pretend
Get a one way ticket to California ranch
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not telling you a lie
Get a one way ticket, come back, don’t say goodbye
Perhaps it’s these combinations of new and old, light and heavy that make Midnight to Monaco’s music so attractive. Their latest single, “One Way Ticket,” – which happens to be the first song Ducati and Sloan penned together – has already amassed over a half million plays within two months on Spotify, and their previous release “One in a Million” has over 1.5 million plays.
“One Way Ticket” is quintessential Midnight to Monaco, introducing their unique California sun sound. “I originally wrote the music as an idea for Empire of the Sun, another group I work with, complete with acoustic guitars and synthesizers, explains Donnie Sloan. “But when Ricky sang on the track, it really came alive and perfectly lent itself to the ’50s and ’60s doo-wop sound we’re inspired by. So much so, that the final version features backing vocals from Matt Jardine, the son of original Beach Boy, Al Jardine. It’s an ode to Annie, the dream girl that never actually turns up, and perhaps only exists in your imagination.”
I’m not ashamed, I’m not afraid
A list of regrets doesn’t fill my brain
What’s your destination, won’t you come meet me tonight
Just get on a plane or get on a train
Drive through the night or just let me explain
Believe me, I’m not asking, I’m telling you what’s right
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the first official remix of “One Way Ticket” by Recycle Jordan. “Recycle Jordan has seamlessly turned ‘One Way Ticket’ into a full synth workout that a young Madonna would be proud of,” say Midnight to Monaco of the remix. Indeed, Recycle Jordan’s version stays faithful to the original, adding an extra layer that rounds it out more, highlighting its strengths and pointing it in a strong dance-friendly direction.
Ricky Ducati’s vocal performance maintains its front-and-center position, evoking as much power through the sound of his pure voice as he does through his words. As the world learned long ago through the likes of The Beach Boys, the happiest sounding music can still come from dark places.”One Way Ticket” explores the waiting game – Annie never does ‘come on over,’ a notion that tints the storyline with some sadness. Nevertheless, the narrator stays strong:
I’ll wait at the station, I’ll wait at the gate
I’ll wait in the sun in 40 degrees
Don’t you take forever, don’t you forget
About me, about me
Recycle Jordan’s “One Way Ticket” remix deserves a place on both the pump-up and pop self-discovery playlists: It shines with the last rays of summer, offering a little more for those who want it underneath its fun-loving, southern California sound. Recently signed to Island Records, Midnight to Monaco are expected to release a debut EP before 2016’s end. Look out for more from this pop-savvy duo in the coming months, and for now enjoy the colorful decade-crossing flavors of “One Way Ticket.”
— —
Connect with Midnight to Monaco on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Connect with Recycle Jordan on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud
Discover more new music on Atwood’s Picks
special thanks to Nicole Almeida, Lindsay Call and Kelly Wynne for their contributions to this piece
