London indie folk band Night Flight return as a duo on “English Noise,” a magnificent letter to a former lover wrapped in sun-kissed, emotionally-charged vocal harmonies laced with affection, heartache, and longing.
Stream: “English Noise” – Night Flight
Untethering from another person can create an empty, visceral feeling, and we wanted to really explore that, both musically and lyrically. An emptiness that is difficult to quantify, the space between two points.
A favorite of our pages since their debut back in 2018, London’s Night Flight have long captivated with a warm, wondrous sound that bridges the alternative rock and indie folk worlds.
Their catalog – comprised of one EP and two studio albums – is a wonderland of rich, mellifluous harmonies, sweet, gentle and dramatic guitar strums, and endlessly dazzling melodies that swing high and swoop low, taking our ears and hearts on an engaging, enthralling adventure.
Following last year’s sophomore album Songs From Echo Zoo, the band returned recently with the announcement of their new EP English Noise, the release of its dreamy, nostalgia-soaked title track, and the bittersweet departure of founding member Dan Webb – leaving guitarists/songwriters Sam Holmes and Harry Phillips soldiering on together as a dynamic duo.
And dynamic, they are: “English Noise” is a magnificent letter to a former lover wrapped in sun-kissed, emotionally-charged vocal harmonies laced with affection, heartache, and longing:
My former dearly beloved
It’s been over a week
And I feel like a monster
I am feeling so weak
Have you recovered?
Do you know what to say?
I know that you won’t be bothered
But I wrote you a letter today…
“‘English Noise’ explores the feeling of lost love, agoraphobia, and the passing of time,” Night Flight’s Sam Holmes tells Atwood Magazine. “Harry and I often talk about trying to emulate liminal space. That is, the uncertain transition between where you’ve been and where you’re going. Untethering from another person can create an empty, visceral feeling, and we wanted to really explore that, both musically and lyrically. An emptiness that is difficult to quantify, the space between two points.”
“On the surface, the concept of the song is quite simple,” Holmes adds. “Each verse follows a further passing in time since a breakup, whilst the lyrics in the chorus look back at the deterioration of their final summer together and the stark contrast between their dying love and the perceived joy of others.”
“There is something incredibly alienating about the cacophony of the world around us contrasting with the isolating emotion of falling out of love and no longer understanding someone the way you once did.”
Chills ripple down the spine as the chorus to “English Noise” rises and falls in a wondrous wave of poignant reverie, Holmes and Phillips inviting their audience to join them and dwell in a beautiful, bittersweet moment of intimate reckoning and raw reflection:
How summer came
And summer went
I don’t even know how
We even paid rent
While all the restless boys
Took out the restless girls
Drifting over the wall
Came that English noise
Then summer came and left,
along with you
It’s a painful, deeply cathartic climax to a touching trip down memory lane. Despite the yearning and nostalgia at the center of their song, Night Flight evoke a soothing sense of closure – the kind that comes to all of us with time.
And while the narrator in their song may be replaying events of the past, one gets the feeling that Sam Holmes and Harry Phillips have their focus on the present and their eyes on the future.
“English Noise” is, very deliberately, the start of a new chapter in Night Flight’s journey.
“It just so happened the writing and recording of ‘English Noise’ came during a very transitional period, in both our personal lives and musical careers,” Holmes explains. “Coming out of COVID, we had given everything to oxidise a dwindling fire but, in reality, the four-piece band as we knew it was changing shape. On top of this, I had just come out of a long-term relationship and Harry was due to have his first child. It all played its part in a recording session that was only ever meant to be a week of new discovery.”
“Along with friend and producer Caradog Jones, Harry and I drove down to Sherborne and set up shop in an old country house, creating a bespoke DIY recording setup. Halfway through recording, we invited our longtime drummer, Dan Webb, who was soon to leave for Australia, to come and add his own flavour of unique insight, and what transpired was a recording session that served as a fitting farewell to our previous years.”
He continues, “This song and the others featured on the upcoming English Noise EP were all meant to feature on our second LP, released last year. But, we felt they so strongly encapsulated our transition to new beginnings, they would be best served as a standalone EP.”
“For a long time, Harry and I grappled with the idea of changing names and starting all over again. A chance to wipe the slate clean. We came to the realisation that we were proud of our musical journey and all those that have been a part of it along the way. We want to create a legacy for ourselves first and foremost, and these songs are the product of that.”
My former dearly beloved
It’s been over a month
And I’m starting to find my map
And compass all at once
I tried to write you a letter
I can’t find the words I want to say
But I hope you are better,
better than you were that day…
Flings and fun things with no name, they almost always have an end date; and in “English Noise,” Night Flight revive a cherished memory for one more tryst – a final dalliance, that long last dance, a daring escape to Neverland. Yet despite all the pain and aching in this song and story, “English Noise” is colorful, charming, and all-consuming; sweet enough to give all who listen a wistful smile as we let the music take us to some faraway moment in time that only we will ever know.
When summer came
And summer went
I don’t even know how
We even paid rent
While all the restless boys
Took out the restless girls
Drifting over the wall
Came that English noise
When summer came and left
Along with you
Night Flight’s English Noise EP is set to be released on May 10, 2024 via Roof Jump Records / Kartel Music. Stay tuned for more to come from the now-duo as they continue to unveil singles off this beautiful new bite-sized collection.
“Originally meant to be an entirely acoustic affair and recorded ad-hoc in a living room, the songs formed the backbone of a tumultuous year and allowed us to experiment with textures; both lyrically and musically,” Holmes shares. “Mixed by longtime collaborator James Mottorshead and mastered by Nick Watson, these songs highlight our rediscovery of drive and are the first step in what we hope to be an exciting year of releases.”
Without a doubt, Night Flight’s legacy has continued to grow with “English Noise,” a special, aching song dwelling in love, loss, and the passage of time.
My former dearly beloved
It’s been over a year
And it’s starting feel like
You were never really here
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Stream: “English Noise” – Night Flight
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