Alberta Jazz Collective Midnight Channel Get Soft and Cynical on Laidback Bossa Nova Cut, "Must Be Nice"
Midnight Channel surprises longtime listeners with their first-ever vocal track, "Must Be Nice" – a dreamy, rhythm-forward blend of bossa nova melancholy, delusional romanticism, and subtle frustration. With vocals by Geneva Murphy, the Lethbridge-based jazz collective explores what it feels like to be left behind in love and how powerful it is when someone finally sees you.
"Must Be Nice" is a love song about how hard it is to even get a date – let alone meet people who see you. It's a reflection on that third-wheel feeling from high school, when everyone around you seems to be finding connection, and you're stuck focusing on all the "self-work" people tell you to do. It's about longing, being left out, and how powerful it is when you finally do meet someone.
The song is lush and layered, blending soft Latin grooves with warped jazz harmony, cuíca and berimbau percussion, and a moody, meditative vocal performance. Guitarist Austin Phillips flips his strings upside down – literally – to craft piano-like voicings, while Matthew Erdmann's production channels cosmic textures using a Yamaha YC-30 portamento strip, à la Sun Ra. The result is a richly expressive, emotionally off-kilter song about the ache of watching connection happen around you and wondering when it'll be your turn.
Stream + share "Must Be Nice" now: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/midnightchannel1/must-be-nice
"Must Be Nice" is a love song about how hard it is to get a date, let alone meet people. It's meant to remind you of third-wheeling your best friend and his girl in high school while seeing everyone around you connect while you're stuck doing all the self-improvement people tell you to do. – Matthew Erdmann (Bassist)
