Interview with The Sea At Midnight about is single "Our Brilliant Destruction"

En esta entrevista, hablamos con Vince Grant, líder de The Sea At Midnight, sobre su nuevo sencillo "Our Brilliant Destruction". Además de su sonido único, la canción tiene un propósito solidario, ya que todas sus ganancias serán donadas a las víctimas de los incendios en Los Ángeles. Aquí nos cuenta más sobre la inspiración detrás de la canción y su compromiso con el cambio climático.

• 1- What inspired you to form The Sea At Midnight?

Back in 2019, forming a band—or even recording music—was the last thing on my mind. I really thought those days were behind me. Then while looking for a guitar teacher I stumbled across an ad from a producer. It caught my attention because it was so specific, citing post-punk, darkwave, and shoegaze—genres I love—and even listed some of my favorite bands as examples. I had no intention of recording anything, but I was curious, so I gave him a call.

The producer turned out to be Chris King from Cold Showers, and we hit it off right away. The next day, he emailed me, saying, “No pressure, but why don’t you send over any songs you’re working on—even if they’re just phone recordings?” I sent him some rough acoustic demos of five songs, and we decided to record a two-song single together. It turned out great, and I really enjoyed the process, so we kept going. That single grew into a five-song EP, which eventually became my debut album with eight tracks.

Chris and I have been working together ever since. We recorded a follow-up album, Too Close to the Sun, and now these climate change-themed singles. At first, The Sea at Midnight was just a recording project, but last year, I decided to form a live band. We started playing shows around Los Angeles last February and it’s been a lot of fun.

• 2- How would you describe its sound?

I’d have to say it’s postpunk.

• 3- How has Los Angeles influenced your music?

I’m not sure Los Angeles has directly influenced my music in a specific way that I can pinpoint. Wherever I’ve lived—whether it was Chicago, New York, or here in L.A.—I’ve always written songs. My interest in climate change also predates my time here in Los Angeles. But living in California, with the prolonged drought caused by climate change that we’ve been suffering through and the devastating wildfires it’s caused over the past few years have made the issue feel much more immediate. It’s hard to ignore when it’s happening right in your backyard. In that sense, living here has definitely shaped the urgency and perspective behind some of my recent songs.

• 4- What message do you hope to convey with "Our Brilliant Destruction"?

Didn’t write it with the intent of delivering a message, but if it makes people more aware of climate change and its devastating consequences—like the destructive wildfires we’ve seen all over the globe in recent years that might be a good thing. The song reflects on the idea that we’re on a path of self-destruction by ignoring the environmental impact of our actions. If it sparks more awareness or reflection on how serious this crisis is, then I’m all for that.

• 5- How has the fire situation in your city affected you personally?

Thankfully, I was personally unscathed by the fires, but I have friends and colleagues who lost everything, and it’s heartbreaking to witness. Hearing their stories of loss and resilience really hits home. The emotional weight of it all can be overwhelming at times—every day, there’s another story of someone’s life being turned upside down.

The constant drought has left everything so dry that it feels like a fire could break out anywhere, anytime. It puts you on edge. I’ve noticed how people react when they hear sirens, helicopters, or low-flying planes—everyone stops what they’re doing and checks their phones, bracing for bad news including myself. It’s a level of anxiety that’s hard to shake, and it reminds you just how fragile, and possibly dangerous, things have become.

• 6- Are there any themes you would like to explore in future releases?

I’m currently working on a new batch of songs, and the recurring themes seem to revolve around frustration, a sense of helplessness or loss of hope, and sadness—for how things have turned out both personally and globally. There’s a lot of reflection on the state of the world and how it mirrors internal struggles. While those emotions are heavy, I think they’re important to explore because they’re so universal right now. That said, I’m always open to where inspiration takes me, so who knows what other themes might emerge along the way.

7- What projects do you have for the future of the band?

In the coming months, I’ll be releasing a couple more climate change-themed singles, leading up to the release of an EP that brings all those songs together on Earth Day, April 22nd. We’re also continuing to book shows—our first show of the year is on February 6th, with another already lined up for March.

Looking ahead, I’m eager to start recording a new album and hope to begin releasing singles from it by this summer. Think it’s going to be a busy musical year between the EP release, live performances and creating and releasing new material.

• 8- What is the song in your discography that you are most proud of?

The songs are like my children, so I cherish them all equally in their own way. Each one represents a different part of my journey and tells its own particular story.