Exclusive Track Premiere: ‘Black Majesty,’ Midnight Faces

ABOVE: MIDNIGHT FACES (MATTHEW DOTY, PHILIP STANCIL). PHOTO COURTESY OF GREER K. BRATSCHIE.

The inspiration behind “Black Majesty,” the newest track from Los Angeles-based duo Midnight Faces and the first from their forthcoming third studio album, seems as though it might be about a woman, heartbreak, or companionship. Although it could be open for a wide range of interpretation, the band’s composer Matt Doty says, “‘Black Majesty’ is a song about a pit bull that hates me. We’re working it out.”

Having just finished a North American tour with electro-pop darlings Electric Youth, Midnight Faces—composed of Doty and vocalist Phil Stancil—steadily made a name for themselves with their dreamy post-punk and indie sound, which mixes with permeating springy bass lines and new-wave synths. “Black Majesty,” which we’re pleased to premiere as our Track of the Week, capitalizes on this signature sound. It’s snappy and danceable, thanks in part to Stancil’s airy vocals, yet slightly haunted by darkly veiled undertones. They’ve been compared to The Cure and Roxy Music and we can’t help but draw a comparison to The Drums’ sophomore album Portamento.



“Ask us this in person and you’ll see an immediate look of panic on our faces,” Doty says of the duo’s musical influences. “We still don’t know what the answer is. We grew up on popular American music of the ’80s and ’90s. Our tastes kind of diverge from there.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MIDNIGHT FACES, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE.