Today, from the bleeding heart of New York City, darkwave ensemble MIDNIGHTCHOIR unveils their contemporary interpretation for a cover of INX’s timeless booty call anthem, “Need You Tonight,” featured in their sophomore album, “Loverboy Molotov” (now available across digital platforms).
Drawing inspiration prominently from the ‘Loverboy’ descriptor in their album title, the “Need You Tonight” video highlights the charismatic interplay between band members Patrick Bobilin and Sarah Simon as they faithfully cover the track. Embracing a nostalgic flair, the video takes cues from the ’90s, reminiscent of vintage karaoke visuals, revealing a more vulnerable facet of the group. In contrast to the earlier “Molotov” video, which underscored the gravitas of the pressing political climate, this piece delves into the track’s rhythmic allure and Bobilin’s earnest homage to Michael Hutchence’s iconic sotto voce.
“I wanted to show our more approachable and sensual side after releasing a video like Molotov,” says Bobilin. “Molotov was confrontational and aggressively political. While that remains true about us, it’s also true that we’re just as indebted to the New Romantics like Depeche Mode and INXS as we are to the politics of bands like Crass. You can find us out at just as many darkwave goth shows as you can find us hanging at the city’s karaoke bars singing Cyndi Lauper. Any useful revolution should make room for both.”
Join in the karaoke fun (created with authentic visuals from Sunfly and Pioneer Karaoke) – and don’t forget to tip your bartender:
Native New Yorker Patrick Bobilin has been sculpting auditory experiences under the moniker MIDNIGHTCHOIR since 2014. “Loverboy Molotov” marks the sophomore offering from MIDNIGHTCHOIR, following a hiatus after 2016’s “THE CROWN“, a project crafted in collaboration with Chicago’s electronic savant, Jeremiah Meece.
Bobilin’s fury at the system is not merely the lamentation of an artist scorned. Loverboy Molotov was made with much of Bobilin’s urgency and energy of his political campaigns in 2017, 2020, and 2022. Besides his runs for public office, Bobilin led community action organizations during the 2020 social justice uprisings…got arrested repeatedly while organizing Black Lives Matter protests, and founded a Manhattan mutual aid organization. That social justice work, which had Bobilin arguing with former-mayor de Blasio about policing on live radio, has found its way into his lyrics, which amplifies many of the frustrations that inspired his far-left politics.
While Bobilin may lean on 80’s new wave and goth influences, the autobiographical elements of the album reflect his experiences in politics and protest. The politics of the album are far left, with emotional, social, religious, and political concerns peppered throughout.
“After seeing how the sausage is made running for office in New York City and being arrested during the 2020 racial justice protests, there’s no hope in my mind that we can change the system from within,” Bobilin says. “‘Molotov’ was written with the spirit of protest and frustration with the decades of empty promises made by leaders. I learned first-hand that the only thing that motivates elected officials, from judges to city council members to federal elected officials, is fear. Whether it’s fear of their stock prices going down, their campaign accounts drying up, or losing the next election, it’s the one thing that unites them all. With an eye on the lost art of ‘dangerous music,’ I decided to write ‘Molotov’ from the perspective of the 99%. Maybe they need to fear us a little more than they do.”
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