Midnight River Show

Midnight River Show, the fifth album from Niles, MI indie rock quartet, The Erly, arrives August 21st, 2026.

Pre-order the album on vinyl and CD at theerlyband.com.  Listen to “Finish Line” now on all streaming services! 

By winter 2025, The Erly were itching to record the follow up to their 2024 album Salem Lights. They joined Paul Bennett (producer of Midnight River Show and Salem Lights) in his newly renovated basement studio, but after just two songs, Paul pulled the plug. It was realized that The Erly needed a bigger room to accommodate the songs being written. The band (Collin Mattiford, Trevor McDonald, Fran Gleason, and Simon Kauffman Hurst) agreed, opting for authenticity, instead of imitation.

The Erly found themselves at Palisade Studios in Chicago, IL, with just 3 days to track the bulk of the album in May of 2025. Even though The Erly were recording in a large professional studio, the closeness and familiarity of playing together was not lost. They were positioned close together, felt the cues between them, and tapped into the chemistry evident in Salem Lights, but with a much fuller sound. 

“On day one, we locked in fast,” says drummer/singer Fran Gleason. “We took brand new songs that were still unfamiliar to us, and just went at it. We were only allowed a few takes with each song, but since we know each other so well, it was an advantage. We were able to react musically in real time with such limitations.” 

The Erly left on day one, already excited at the prospect of what could be their sonically best album to date. Alongside Collin, Trevor, Fran, and Simon’s playing, you can hear the room breathe and move as if it were the 5th member of the band, including the in-house grand piano. Keyboardist Simon Kauffman Hurst was practically glued to the bench of the piano, causing the band to jokingly coin Midnight River Show the “The Grand Piano Album”. Kauffman Hust says, “My favorite story/aspect of recording Midnight River Show was how the studio and schedule influenced the whole process. There was a realistic, but close deadline. I really feel like the whole group stepped up to the challenge, and made it happen.” 

Since The Erly has been performing on the road nonstop for over two years, the band entered the studio on days two and three with much more ease, treating the studio like a stage. They simply followed where the music wanted to go. Guitarist Trevor McDonald proudly recorded all of his guitar solos live with the band, without overdubs. Trevor admits, “I felt very out-of-body during the recording of ‘Barely Through’” (the band’s longest song to date). “The instrumental section,” Trevor continues, “has a musical climb that usually only happens when a band is performing live in concert. The band exceeded expectations. It’s crazy to think it was landed by the 3rd take.” 

Though the band thrives on playing together in the room, The Erly successfully attempted their first time piecing together a song, instead of recording all the instruments at once. Bassist/vocalist Collin Mattiford said, “One of my favorite processes was the reconstruction of “Insane Design”. The full band recording wasn't working, so we decided to break it down, one instrument at a time. I led Fran on drums and Trevor on bass, while I provided a scratch vocal. Once that was done, I recorded the acoustic guitar. Simon then quickly knocked out the organ and piano.” 

Per Collin, Midnight River Show allowed The Erly to experiment with different approaches to recording, both in the live room and during overdubs. Collin recollects, “My songs were written from curious seeds that find a way to blossom into the real world. I also just tried stuff. When you listen to Midnight River Show, do so with the understanding that the ones who are responsible for creating these sounds, recording them, putting them onto physical mediums, and handing them off to the world, are no different than you. Individuals who, despite different lives, schedules, ideologies, and personalities, were able to come together for a set amount of time and capture a series of moments. There's no mystery, no secret ingredient, and no higher calling. Just people making music for other people to hear.” 

After concluding recording of Midnight River Show, The Erly realized they evolved away from the folk/americana sounds of Salem Lights and into a Heartland Rock sound. With sonic tendencies similar to Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, many of the songs include singlong choruses with introspective lyrics, reflecting on the modern world. 

Midnight River Show is yours on August 21st, 2026. Pre-order the album on vinyl and CD at theerlyband.com.  Listen to “Finish Line” now on all streaming services!