Interview: 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.

1. What did you enjoy most about the recording process of this new release?
Must Be Nice is the one tune where we added alto sax in the studio. The day after we tracked vocals with Geneva Murphy, Matt asked if I wanted to try soloing, and I was super pumped—I’d been on a bossa nova kick for a while. A lot of that came from the Getz/Gilberto album, which was definitely in the back of my mind while playing, but at the front was Miguel Zenón—a Puerto Rican saxophonist with such a beautiful sound.
While we were rehearsing for the song, Gabby, our percussionist, was using a sound pad and had that “AHH” sound you hear during the solo. I think we started having the most fun in the studio when I’d try to match that note. I’m not sure it was originally meant to be part of the final version, but over time we realized it had to stay.

2. Share a nugget of advice that has resonated with you most over the years.
There’s lots of advice I’ve heard and taken, but my favourite nuggets are usually the ones where people say, “You’ve gotta figure it out for yourself,” or even, “Don’t listen to others’ advice.” One that stuck with me was when Stan Getz was asked what advice he had for young musicians. He said: “Drink water.” I’m not exactly sure what he meant, but to me, it suggests that nobody really knows what will work for you—you have to find your own way.
Another one I always come back to is from my high school band teacher: “Heart on fire. Head on ice.” It’s something I remind myself of before performing—to play with passion, but also keep enough clarity and control to let our improvisation come through. That’s kind of the zone we’re always chasing.

3. Who would be your dream artist/band to co-headline a tour with?
I’d love to go on tour with artists like James Francies, Immanuel Wilkins, or Joel Ross. Actually, Joel Ross was part of Makaya McCraven’s band when we opened for them at Sled Island in Calgary this year—so that felt like checking one off the list already.

4. What sets your music apart from others in your genre?
While each of our songs has its own character and aesthetic, I think what sets us apart is the wide scope of styles and emotions we explore through our creative process. A lot of our tunes are written with a certain genre in mind—Brazilian, punk, blues, etc.—so it’s hard to pin us to one sound. We really enjoy jumping between styles and wearing different hats.
Coming from the prairies of Southern Alberta—where jazz is relatively scarce or often focused on standards and traditional forms—we’ve found freedom in creating our own approach. We treat our originals like personal standards, letting them evolve as we get more comfortable with them.
Also, Matt has a world of percussion at his house, which really shaped the sound of this release. On Must Be Nice, we used a cuica, berimbau, shakers, and other textures we wouldn’t have had access to in a typical studio. That gave the music more depth, space, and a sense of movement that made it breathe.

5. Tell us what your favourite song is at the moment and why.
It’s hard to pick, but Austin (our guitarist) and I have been bonding over Jeff Buckley’s Grace. Austin actually built me a guitar out of spare parts after I was struggling to learn Buckley’s songs on my old one. I got into saxophone from listening to George Thorogood on the local rock station and watching The Simpsons—Lisa and Bleeding Gums Murphy. So rock was kind of my starting point musically.
I discovered Jeff Buckley after meeting a guitarist named Joe Nason—he was dressed as a pirate in Paris on Halloween. His recommendation gave me a real spark for songwriting over the next few months.

Interview Answers by Brandon deGorter (Alto Sax for Midnight Channel)

“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)