Night Flight Talk New Album, UK Tour And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Feature Image Photo Credit: Johnny Ruff
Folk-Americana band Night Flight’s new album ”Exit Stage Left’, is out now on LP, CD & Digital formats on Roof Jump Records via Kartel Music Group. The band spoke about the new record, UK Tour and more:
Who is in Night Flight, how did you meet and what do you play?
Sam: Night Flight spawned from my own solo project that I had been hammering away at for a few years. The label that signed me suggested we re-brand the project into a band… and it all began from there really. There have been quite a few line-ups in that time, but Harry hung on the hardest!
Harry: I joined Sam (in 2016), who had started the project already. A friend of a friend recommended us to each other and the rest is history.
What is your earliest musical memory?
Sam: Driving up to the Lakes every summer as a kid, and my dad would play the same record over and over and over again. Luckily for me, that record was Graceland by Paul Simon.
Harry: Christmas Day driving to family and listening to a CD my parents had bought me — The Jimi Hendrix Experience!
When did you begin songwriting?
Sam: From the moment I started playing guitar around 13, all I wanted to do was write songs. I was cocky enough to think I didn’t need to listen to anyone else’s music for inspiration as it would dampen the uniqueness of my own… God bless anyone who heard those songs.
Harry: 12 or 13 at secondary school writing death metal with my friends in a band. But then again at 17/18 when I discovered acoustic guitars.
You have your new album “Exit Stage Left” out now. How did you want to approach the making of the album?
Sam: I have always seen Night Flight as an album band, but thus far our only albums have been compilations of EPs really. So, I was adamant our next release be a complete piece from start to finish. In that sense, it allows us to be as expressive as possible in a wider spectrum.
We went through a relatively extensive demo phase where we thought about references quite a lot, and talked about sonic palettes before going into the studio. We did quite a lot of demoing and ended up recording a couple of different versions of songs, iterating things down before going in; so we had a clearer idea of what we were doing once there, rather than using the studio to experiment too much — partly due to time constraints but also because we wanted to explore slightly different voices on this record compared to past outings.
Where did you record the album and who produced it?
Harry: Caradog Jones — recorded mostly at Echo Zoo Studios in Eastbourne, plus some pickups at 123 Studios and Fish Factory Studios.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
Sam: I remember the night we arrived at Echo Zoo in Eastbourne for our first stint in the studio. We dumped our bags and headed straight to the pub. Had a lovely time, rolled back to the studio… and didn’t return for the entire seven days we were there. On the day we were all leaving, I realised I’d left my coat in the pub on that very first evening — with my car keys in the pocket. Cue frantic panic. Thankfully, the wonderful people of that Eastbourne pub had kept it safely behind the bar the whole time. Quite tame that story, but it’s all I could think of.
Did you use any particular instruments, microphones or recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?
Sam: The sonic palette of the record was something we talked about a lot. I know we talked extensively about how I was going to approach the vocals on this record, which was slightly more contained but with the aim of creating a more compelling listen. Guitar-wise, we’re always quite particular and often end up recording again and again until we find the right tone for the song.
When it came to the drums, we actually used three different drummers — Casper Miles, Simon Treasure and George Purnell. All incredible in their own right, but certain drumming styles fit certain songs. We found a couple of key textures early on — the SH-2000 and a little Casio sample keyboard — that felt right for the record. Not too grand, but with enough melancholy to suit a lot of the songs. We still left things open to treat each track differently depending on what it needed.
We also had the luxury of inviting some amazing musicians in: Ella Hohen-Ford (backing vocals), Daniel Shao (flute), Sam Barrett (fiddle), Ellie Consta (violin), Nina Kiva (cello), Benny Vernon (trombone) and Sam Ewens (trumpet).
Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
Harry: a) Lucy b) Cold to the Touch c) Exit Stage Left
Was it a difficult album to write?
Sam: Not really. I find I have real purple patches with writing, so I try not to panic when there’s a bit of a dry spell. They often all come at once like a dam breaking! This record in particular happens to be focused around endings, which was a theme that became apparent when choosing the songs to go on the record.
Harry: The songs are never hard to write really, but the approach to get them recorded is always challenging — making sure that the songs don’t lose whatever magic they had in our initial (rudimentary) demo versions, while also adding drama and atmosphere.
Who designed the album artwork?
Sam: The wonderful George Gillies.
Does the album’s title have any significance/special meaning?
Sam: It’s a play on a famous Shakespeare line Exit, pursued by a bear. I mentioned before about the album being focused on endings — not in a bad way necessarily. It just so happened that that period of my life when I was writing these songs was full of departures and the closing of chapters. I found it interesting to explore the emotions within that, both raw and reflective.
One of your tracks is “Awful Mess”. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?
Sam: I hate to add to the ever-growing list of Covid-inspired songs, but this was probably the first song I wrote for the album and it was definitely during one of the lockdowns in 2021. The song is incredibly literal so I won’t go into great detail, but I would say it’s me at my most English. Everything is shit right now, but we keep on keeping on.
Is the song accompanied by a video?
Sam: Not currently. We poured most of our funds into the album, but we did film a live session at Fish Factory Studios which you can watch on YouTube. Really pleased with how that came out!
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
Sam: I’m from Rye, in East Sussex. It’s… quaint, hilly, full of tea shops. Sorry that was more than five… but it is full of tea shops. You’ll find my mum in at least one of them at any given time.
Harry: Berkhamsted. White, posh, commuter, beautiful, quiet.
How do you look after your voices?
Sam: I used to go overboard with steaming, warm-ups, not drinking. I still do to a degree… I have this go-to warm-up that I always do in my car on the way to shows, which must make me look like a madman from the outside. One of the exercises requires me to sing Mummy made me mash my M&Ms. Truly bizarre. And a waste of M&Ms.
Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2025/2026?
Sam: Yes! We’re touring the UK in February and tickets are on sale now!
Feb 9th: Bristol
Feb 10th: Nottingham
Feb 11th: Manchester
Feb 12th: Glasgow
Feb 17th: London
Feb 18th: London
Feb 19th: Brighton
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
Harry: To feel like we connected with each other and the songs. Hopefully that means it was a good show for whoever was present.
Sam: Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?
Harry: My Gibson ES-335 feels like home and complements Sam’s guitar really nicely.
Sam: It’s usually just me and my cherished Martin 000-28. Dream guitar.
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
Sam: I just read The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes; it explores the human need for closure which feels quite fitting considering our current record… so I’m going to say that.
Harry: Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy — it’s an eerie and difficult read but the atmosphere he creates in the Deep South of the US really feels like something that would be rewarding to support with music.
Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?
Harry: Elliot Smith, Neil Young, The Beatles, The Band.
Sam: John Martyn, Arthur Russell, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles of course.
What makes Night Flight happy and what makes you unhappy?
Harry: Playing together and writing together makes us very happy, and not doing that makes us unhappy!
Sam: What he said.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Johnny Ruff
Night Flight’s new album ‘Exit Stage Left’, is out now on LP, CD & Digital formats on Roof Jump Records via Kartel Music Group.
Purchase Here: https://nightflight.ffm.to/exitstageleft
2026
February 9 Bristol Louisiana
February 10 Nottingham Bodega
February 11 Manchester The Lodge
February 12 Glasgow Nice N Sleazy
February 17 London Paper Dress Vintage
February 18 London Paper Dress Vintage
Official Website: https://www.nightflightofficial.com/
