In conversation with Midnite Pharmacy

Midnite Pharmacy are proof that the best creative partnerships often start somewhere unexpected. Liam and Si first crossed paths on a Monday morning at DC10 in Ibiza back in 2007, both students at the University of Leeds at the time, studying music and soaking up everything the city's club scene had to offer.

Fast forward to London, 2021, and what had been years of individual paths and occasional studio sessions finally turned into something intentional. Drawing on Si's background as a rock and indie frontman and Liam's years touring globally as a DJ and producer, the pair built a sound that sits somewhere between all of it and nothing quite like any of it.

Their debut EP dropped in 2025, with stand-out shows supporting Goldie at The Wardrobe in Leeds and Dodgy at Clarence Park Festival in Wakefield. Now in 2026, they're back with their second EP, We Try. Welcome to the show, Midnite Pharmacy.

We Try feels like a natural progression from your debut Becoming, what did you want to do differently or push further on this project?

Liam: 

They were written around the same time, the main difference was the development of We Try took a lot longer than usual, we played it live a few times which shaped the final output. Becoming was written during lockdown, very insular, heavy, processing the sense of the times. We Try felt like the next step in more house electronic style. We wanted to keep the emotional honesty, but push the more club feel more, it definitely has that 3am dance floor track sound.

Si:

As Liam says, the lead track we try has been around for awhile but our approach to the production has changed over the time. We often open our live shows with we try, and from those performances we began to really eke out the progressive soundscape.

All should End came a little later with resonator being the newest of the three. We’ve always just been conscious to be true to ourselves and showcase our influences so this EP is really just showing the next set of those influences.

You’ve chosen a staggered single release leading up to the EP - how does that rollout shape the way listeners experience the story of We Try?

Liam:

We wanted each track to have its own moment, give it a chance to land before the next one comes. Dropping everything at once, it's easy for music to get lost in the release schedule. We hope fans are listening to each song individually. Many artists release singles rather than EP’s, it works well for DSP’s.

Si:

It was all a new concept to me releasing the tracks in a staggered way, I was much more used to EP’s being released in full, from the point of view of a listener myself. But I like the way it tells more of a story, it gives the audience a chance to sit with each track For awhile and taking each of them in, in their own right.

Each track, All Should End, Resonator, and We Try, explores a slightly different sonic space. How intentional was that contrast when building the EP?

Liam:

The combination was intentional but the writing process is far more random and erratic, depending on what has influenced us during the creative process. We didn't want the EP to feel like one repeated format. All Should End, Resonator, We Try they're coming from different places emotionally but they keep to our own sound. If they all felt the same, it would get boring pretty quickly. The contrast is what gives the project shape. You need light and shade, otherwise nothing hits the way it should.

Si:

Absolutely intentional, we don’t go out of our way to try and write tracks that purposely sound different to one another, but we draw on so many different combined influences that inevitably the mixing pot always throws out something completely different. I’d also say the intentionality comes primarily from choosing which tracks from our roster to put together on the EP.

We’re fortunate enough to have enough tracks already written to allow us to shape each EP, but that’s not to say that if we write something new which really grabs our interest that we wouldn’t move things around.

Your sound blends indie songwriting with electronic production, how do you strike that balance without leaning too far into one side?

Liam:

I don’t think we necessarily stop ourselves leaning into a certain sound, we enjoy making music and this project tends to lean more towards electronic in terms of production but takes influences from indie, jazz, soul, techno, trip-hop, breakbeat and many other genre’s. We definitely try to keep the tracks sounding within a world for each project, especially within a long-form album concept. 

Si:

Ha ha, I hold my hands up here and say that I struggle to dilute my classic songwriting tendencies when the project might not likely need them. But that’s what makes us who we are. We could easily be too strict on ourselves and try and strive for a purely electronic driven style, but then there might be a danger that we just get lost in the noise.

Gladly though, it’s allowed me to explore the writing style and Ive become more conscious of my approach, trying to utilise more space. It’s always an evolving process.

You’ve known each other since your time in Ibiza. How has that shared background influenced the emotional and sonic identity of Midnite Pharmacy?

Liam:

We met many years ago in a far off land called Ibiza. It definitely influenced our sound, we’re fans of dance music and met many of our friends in those clubbing years. The emotion is more complex, inspired by many different aspects of our lives. 

Si:

Those White Isles have a lot to answer for ha. There was a lot of excitement and a real lust for life that came from that place, with a shared group of friends that we found ourselves amongst. So many nights that turned into days inevitably percolate through to the Music we make.

We’ve both been on our own separate musical journeys and come full circle now writing together, drawing on all aspects of life from the highs, the lows and all the wonderful, weird mess in between.

Your live performances incorporate sequencing, instrumentation, and shared vocals, how do you approach translating your studio sound into a live setting?

Liam:

It was a challenge to break down our tracks and re-format for live. We always wanted to ensure we were genuinely playing live, each person plays multiple instruments across the live performance. However, our tracks were written in many different ways, often mixing up  

The sequencing holds the backbone, the live instrumentation puts the human element on top, and the shared vocals mean it never feels like one person carrying it.

If anything, I think the live versions end up with their own energy a bit rawer, a bit less controlled, which honestly suits the music.

Si:

Yeah, it’s not always a seamless process, some tracks find their feet relatively quickly but others have taken a little more work. We’ve learnt some valuable lessons from the process though and we now put a little thought into how newer material will translate into that live setting. It is like a form of controlled chaos when we’re up there jumping from part to part on different instruments, like the Wheels could come off any minute. But it adds a level of excitement and ultimately we’re quite proud that we try to take on as much as we do.

Supporting artists like Goldie and playing festivals has clearly built momentum, how have those experiences shaped your confidence or direction as a duo?

Liam:

We’ve been super lucky to play a few really cool gigs since we started playing live a few years ago. It’s been a pleasant surprise to find we have such open-minded audiences, excited, responsive and grateful for new music. Playing with your heroes can be exciting and daunting at the same time ha, playing with the legendary like Goldie with his full live band (including two full drummers) was a moment, an artist who defined a genre for a generation. We also had the pleasure of playing with 90’s indie band, Dodgy, which was great fun.  

Si:

We were proper grateful to be asked to play anywhere and some of those shows have been real pinch yourself moments. I think once you get a taste for it though you just want it to keep growing so I’d say the confidence is always naturally edging upwards, but ultimately it’s had more of an impact on the way we formulate our set, now trying to deliver more of an experience for the audience by letting the tracks roll into one another, rather than stopping and starting in between each track. This allows us to keep the energy up and take the listener on more of a journey.

The lyrics across We Try feel reflective and introspective. What themes or personal experiences were driving the writing process this time?

Si:

I believe that most songs are out there to be received and you just need to be there to catch them, We Try actually came to me in the early hours between sleep and awake in the form of a baseline that I hummed into my phone, so it was always very ethereal by nature. But there was a sense of prevailing hope and toying with the idea of being chained to the rhythm of life.

All should end explores more existential themes about life, where we come from and if we’re somehow all connected. That’s what too many late nights watching talks on simulation theory have to answer for.

Resonator came fully formed instrumental from Liam and I was in awe of its brooding driving nature so lyrically it felt right to reflect on the unfolding drama and conflict in the East.

Liam:

The lyrics do have elements of reflection and introspection for We Try and All Should End, they come from personal places and like many forms of writing focus on feelings we all share. I think they can be applied to different perspectives by the way you listen to them.

Resonator is more outrospective in my opinion, it's dealing with the real situations we see on the news everyday, it can be overwhelming, often based in real life fears. Simon 99% of the lyrics, I’ll help by giving suggestions but as the singer, he has to be comfortable with the writing and delivery.

You’re teasing a full-length album following this EP. How does We Try act as a bridge into that larger project?

Liam:

The main goal when we started finishing tracks was always a long form release like an album. You have to walk before you can run, we decided to release various EP’s and tracks which will come together as a complete project including new tracks and formulated into a longer listening experience.

Si:

We’ve been living with a lot of this music for some time now, but it still inspires us to write new material. The ‘We Try’ EP sees us effectively begin to marry our existing body of work with that newer material. We’ve still got some of our core tracks to release, but it’s that development and growth together in our writing and production which has bled into the existing material, and we’re pretty excited how the album appears to be shaping up.

With the EP launch event and visual rollout planned, how important is the visual and live experience in defining the Midnite Pharmacy world beyond the music?

Si:

Although the music is what will ultimately stand the test of time, the visual element is so important in creating an identity as an artist, it gives us another medium to explore and present ourselves as we want to be seen. And the live element is where it all comes together, that moment when you get to experience a band as they’re meant to be. There’s something so visceral about being up there and engaging with an audience. We ultimately make music for ourselves, but if you can move or inspire someone along the way, then it makes it so much more worthwhile.

Liam:

The live performance is hugely important to us, we spend a lot of time preparing, rehearsing and thinking about how the music will be received by the audiences. The visual aspect comes as part of this experience, for me the best live shows utilise visuals to bring the show to the next level, the music is the priority but for bigger stages, visuals are important. I have to reference artists like Jon Hopkins, Chemical Brothers, Underworld and so many more who really take the visual art of their music into those big performances, we’re definitely inspired by these.

Words Rob Chadwick & Valentina Reynolds

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