Midnite Radioโs debut EP, Auntie, is a neon-lit rock opera beamed straight out of Nashville by way of Lebanon, Tennessee, and LA. Built on the long-running friendship of guitarist Lee Coram and drummer Beak Wing and fleshed out by vocalist/keyboardist Ken Christianson, bassist Miles Martin, and lead guitarist Jon Shearer, the band leans hard into euphoric, theatrical rock, with big feelings, big arrangements, and zero fear of drama. Itโs modern rock with a classic heart, where soulful melodies collide with cinematic production and everything sounds just a little larger than life.
โReboot the Droughtโ kicks the door open with thumping drums and sparkling cymbals, all wrapped in shimmery melodies and a mysterious, haunting piano line gliding underneath. The track bustles like a storm gathering speed, while Christianson sings with full-throated passion about not belonging and begging to be woken from a dream. When he soars, the whole band seems to lift with him, turning that sense of displacement into something strangely triumphant.
Further in, โQuenchโ tightens the screws. Built on steady, building guitar riffs and a driving drum groove, it feels like a march through an identity crisis. The vocal sits a bit closer to the chest here, confessing that he canโt recognise himself anymore, while the band surrounds him with a muscular, restless pulse. Itโs rock as self-interrogation, both propulsive and uneasy.
Then โParadiseโ takes a darker, more hypnotic turn. The guitars grow moodier, the rhythm section thumps and rustles like a heartbeat in the dark, and Christianson slips into a tender high falsetto. He wails vulnerably and soulfully, letting that top register crack just enough to show the raw edges. The track feels like a fever dream of longing and doubt, closing the EP on a note thatโs haunting rather than tidy. All told, Auntie introduces Midnite Radio as a band comfortable living at full emotional volumeโintense, theatrical, and absolutely ready for the big stage.
Review by: Naomi Joan