It’s not often you hear an album’s worth of music being written to the aromas of McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, Le Roi Du Smoked Meat and a stream of exhaust fumes.
But that’s exactly how Montrealers Amery Sandford and David Carriere, better known as Born At Midnite, made Eternal BAM Nation.
“The studio was situated on a super busy street, so the senses were strong. We’d see teenagers with their parents shopping for prom dresses and suits. The sound of traffic and people yelling was constant.”
Long before being walloped by these goings-on and joining forces to make music, David was busy carving records out as one of the founding members of the stellar band TOPS. At the same time, Amery was producing under her own name, having previously released music as Alpen Glow.
After David caught Amery performing with her old punk band, BBQT, at Le Cagibi, the pair shared a few drinks in a nearby park and started jamming together.
The lore behind how the band then catalysed is dripping with magic. As Amery shares:
“One night, we were chilling in an alley next to our motorcycles and some flaming trash cans. Suddenly, a guy appeared out of nowhere holding a scythe and wearing a skull mask. Unprovoked, with a pinky raised to the moon, he proclaimed, “You two crazy mofos were definitely born at midnight, on the dot.”
She continues…
“He then darted off into the fog, but then turned back and said, “spelled the cool way, without the GH and an E at the end.”
Honestly, it sounds made up, but trust me, Amery speaks the truth.
Since that bizarre run-in, the duo have stuck to the tunes, and the result is a banquet of an LP. Every track feels like a new dish, lurking under a cloche to be revealed.
Take track two, “Ur Cool Knife”. A mixture of wiry guitar, dense bass and falsetto feels like it will spill into something cut from the same cloth. Not on Eternal BAM Nation. Instead, we’re met with the languid, Avalanches-esque “I Haven’t Forgotten You” – a track that transports me to the passenger seat of my dad’s Honda Integra as he twists the radio dial, looking for anything by Empire Of The Sun.
Deeper into the record, “Pt. III” ft. Fireball Kid buzzes along with dancefloor fervour – the sound of a night in full swing. Then, without warning, it gives way to “At Midnite”: an anxious beat that staggers along like the hangover from the previous night’s revelry. Another sharp turn that at first is jarring but soon enough fits like a glove.
Time and time again, Eternal BAM Nation showcases its ability to glide between disparate styles. There’s an evident looseness that allows pop hooks, post-punk guitars, kooky electronica and party oomph to all coexist without ever feeling messy or confused.
For me, the album carries this romanticised college-town energy. Picture a neophyte band playing in the corner of a university bar; the longer their set rolls, the more ears and eyes gravitate towards them.
Chatting with Amery and David, I discovered the bundle of songs came together fairly quickly. Again, thanks to the not-so-precious approach, the way it was recorded and the amount of time they had when locking in to write.
“We started all the songs on an 8-track recorder, which forces you to make decisions and limits how many tracks and takes you can do of something…we also had a little more time to rock as well, and it’s fun to make album tracks as they can be more offbeat and sketchier.”
When asked about the most trying part of making Eternal BAM Nation, the pair reply, “When the nearby cookie shop closed.” If a lack of baked goods was the biggest hurdle, then the making of this album must have been far from arduous.
The fondest memory of the writing process was the coming together of the album’s opener “12 Bells & A Baby Crying”. A cinematic scene setter consisting of spooky bell tones, hazy effects and of course, a fed-up infant.
“We recorded it on a ghoulish evening, and we were laughing so much at how fake scary it was.”
Hearing this, I’m hit with a pang of contentment and joy. This same feeling seeps into the record – a carefree, easy spirit that bleeds from song to song. I liken it to a warm fuzz, like hovering your hand above the bonnet of a car as the engine purrs.
I asked the duo what they had on rotation while making Eternal BAM Nation, and without hesitation they replied, “When Will I Be Famous” by Bros… “We listened to it to pregame every writing session.” If you’ve never heard this classic, give it a spin and tell me it doesn’t permeate feel-good. Nerding out a tad, Amery and David told me the rack-mounted Motif synth and MPC1000 were key to the making of the album. Pieces of gear that further the bear-hug effect.
Although it might seem like the album was a relative breeze, piecing together a record is no small feat. Amery and David share a sweet and casual story about the moment they first heard it fully formed, which bottles that feeling of reward.
“We were driving in a rental car when the masters arrived. We were almost home, but we ended up listening to the record as we drove around the block a bunch of times. It was then we realised it is great music to find parking to.”
The car stereo, forever the acid test!
For all its hairpin turns, Eternal BAM Nation isn’t a record trying to prove itself. That’s because Born At Midnite aren’t burdened by the weight of making an important album. They’re far more interested in chasing whatever makes them giggle, dance or nod their heads in the car as they do hot laps around the block.
This is an LP born from city noise, inside jokes, fast food, weathered synths, and two musicians who trust their impulses. It’s a reminder that strong records are often those that leave the windows down, letting the outside world seep in.