Since 2023, Patrick Bobilin and Sarah Simon have steered MIDNIGHTCHOIR through the raw and restless waters of artistic reinvention. Bobilin’s path, a patchwork of passion and protest, winds through the charged streets of 2020’s social justice movements. A community organizer at heart, he clashed with authority in the heat of Black Lives Matter demonstrations, twice detained and famously sparring with then-Mayor de Blasio on live radio.
These moments of resistance bled into the punk-driven darkwave album forged in the early days of 2023. Fueled by defiance, its lyrics burn with the urgency of that era. Now, the band broadens its scope, shifting from pointed political chants to themes more universal, all while retaining the sharpness of their earlier work. Bobilin’s journey, from activist to artist, pulses through MIDNIGHTCHOIR’s evolution—a band unafraid to balance protest and poetry, fury and reflection, as they forge their path forward.
Their latest offering, Blackout, tells the story of someone “chased like a demon” from their own home, turning to erasure for their own survival. The lyrics tell the story of a resilient individual who rises from adversity, navigating a life shaped by power, desire, and defiance. Success and freedom come at a cost, with dangerous consequences and moral compromises. Despite shame and societal judgment, the protagonist rejects blame, embraces their own rules, and defies expectations with unyielding determination and unapologetic ambition.
The video for Blackout unfolds like a sinister stage play, its tension palpable. Patrick Bobilin and Sarah Simon appear as captives, their faces taut with intensity, bound and blindfolded in a barren, nondescript room. The flicker of dim light adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere, as their performances radiate defiance even in confinement. Air drumming and lip-syncing with a fervor that suggests life depends on it, they transform their restraints into tools of expression. The unseen kidnappers haunt the edges of the frame, their presence felt in the forced setup, yet the duo’s raw energy dominates, fighting against silence and submission. The result is a collision of urgency and rebellion, a visual metaphor for voices refusing to be stifled, for music as resistance in the face of control. It is a visceral portrayal of endurance and unyielding spirit, channeled through every bound motion and breathless lyric.
Watch the video for “Blackout” below:
The single is the first release from upcoming six song EP, TEMPTATION (DEMOS), out December 20th. The songs explore the melancholy of this treacherous political moment, weaving personal and political narratives together. The songs cover romance, power, religion, capital, and the way these factors influence all social and romantic relationships. TEMPTATION (DEMOS) shows the band collaborating more and expanding beyond their influences of goth and post-punk acts like Sisters of Mercy and Depeche Mode.
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