With millions of streams to their name, an impressive reputation as a live unit not just at home in Australia but within the global market, Melbourne’s MID CITY are undeniable indie kings in the making.
Consistently churning out releases that have evoked feelings of euphoria; music that has swung for the rafters when it’s come to big swells and anthemic indie arrangements, MID CITY have reminded fans time and time again that their music is music to become captivated by.
2023 is set to be the year MID CITY takes the much anticipated stride forward into debut album territory, announcing the release of HAPPY EVER AFTER, due out August 25th.
From it, the band shares a brand new single in the dynamic ‘EMILY’ – igniting a new spark of excitement for the band and fans alike.
Having worked on pre-production with Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy), recording ‘EMILY’ brought MID CITY to the studio of Greg Rietwyk (Press Club). Rietwyk recorded and mixed the track with Matthew Gray on final mastering.
‘EMILY’ has held a strong space of significance for MID CITY for some time; with regards to its place within HAPPY EVER AFTER as a broader project, ‘EMILY’ is an album standout.
“‘EMILY’ has been a band favourite since we wrote it. It’s about endlessly longing for something that doesn’t exist anymore. Like most bands, we have very different personalities and have a very hard time reaching a consensus on stuff. ‘EMILY’ is a rare exception. It became an anchor for the four of us throughout the album writing process.
Putting together a body of work that you all think is worth putting out there comes with so much drama and self-doubt. But having this song sitting there was a reminder that we actually could make something great together.”
MID CITY
Accompanying the release of ‘EMILY’, comes the release of the single’s official music video. Incorporating footage captured by MID CITY’s bassist James Campbell during the band’s European tour in August 2022, the ‘EMILY’ music video offers a more reflective tone – capturing the band’s journey and vibe.
MID CITY’s growth since first breaking out onto the scene in 2018 has been incredible to watch. Their elevation has been documented across a strong body of work, including their EP’s Die Waiting (2019) and Wishing For The Best (2020).
Recent singles ‘Compromise’ (2023) and ‘Choc Mint’ (2022) pushed the band’s profile even further, upping their streams to over 5.5 million on Spotify alone (including a slew of editorial playlist placements like Australian Viral 50 (#35), German Viral 50 (#41), All New Rock, Local Noise (AU), Rock Rotation (GER), New Noise (USA), New Music Friday (AU/NZ), Volume (UK), Fresh Finds (AU/NZ).
Additionally, the band garnered further support from radio in Australia and overseas; the likes of triple j and BBC Radio 1 both getting behind MID CITY’s refreshed and vibrant sound.
As a touring band, MID CITY have sold out multiple shows as headliners, while also impressing on stages supporting the likes of Press Club and Teenage Dads in Australia, as well as festivals including NYE on The Hill, BIGSOUND, Reeperbahn, Haldern Pop, Taubertal, Obstwiesen, The Hills Are Alive and more.
2023 will see MID CITY return to the U.K. and Europe, where a new and exciting tour schedule is waiting for the band and fans alike to sink their teeth into.
“We’ve always played shows off the back of a single or and EP! Even then though, we still fill the set out with unreleased songs. The exciting thing about playing moving forward is we will have an album out! We’re super psyched to be able to actually play shows knowing that there is a chance those in the audience will know every song. If they liked us as strangers we’re hoping they’ll give us their first-borns now they can see us with an album under the belt.”
MID CITY