Midnight Fracture, a one-man solo metal and hard rock project from Mobile, Alabama, recently dropped a debut single, “I’m Fine”. This track is a banger, and tells a personal story that will resonate with listeners.
The man behind Midnight Fracture is Leon Craft. Most recently, he was the bass player for Love The Hate. Craft recently was interviewed by Jared Seymour and Kevin Harris on The Sound 228 and also was gracious enough to answer some questions I had for this review.
When asked who is in Midnight Fracture, Craft joked, “Me, Myself, and I and Logic Pros Midi Drums”. He worked with producer Charlie Hadley, and can't say enough good things about him. Craft appreciates that Hadley never told him WHAT to sing. Instead, he would contribute ideas for things to try out.
“It is a pleasure to work with Charlie Hadley,” Craft says. “I would encourage aspiring bands to work with Charlie, because he is amazing.”
Though most people know Craft as a bass player, he was originally a guitar player and, as he says jokingly, has “pretended to be a singer”. The last time he fronted a band he was 19 years old. Craft’s music style is inspired by mid-2000s metalcore. He says he writes songs on the guitar first. “I build the song around a riff. I have a lot of those.” So definitely expect more future bangers from this talented musical artist.
Craft admits that he is “nervous and terrified and extremely excited” about his solo endeavor. Midnight Fracture is his way of making music the way he wants to and sharing his story through music. Regarding what drives him, Craft says, “I believe in being 100% honest in your craft. It’s therapy – music has saved my life. These songs are very personal to me. I’m writing about myself, my personal thoughts, or life experiences.”
“I’m Fine” starts out with one of those aforementioned catchy guitar riffs, and it continues throughout the track in different variations. The song has an upbeat tempo until the bridge, which features some more intricate guitar work by Craft. There’s also an interesting piano element at the beginning and end of the track as well as at the end of the first chorus. For someone who says he “pretends to be a singer”, the vocals are quite good. They are raw and express the emotion of the song well. There’s no doubt that with this new project, Craft will continue to work on the vocal part of his music and make it even better with future tracks.
Craft is very open about the meaning behind “I’m Fine”. He shares that the song is about depression and anxiety and came to life after he had a midnight panic attack. The music became something he NEEDED to do. He says the song is “Leon unfiltered. The lyrics are deeply personal.” It’s relatable to the listener because, as Craft says, it’s the greatest tie ever told. Someone asks another person how they’re doing and the answer is “I’m fine”, even if it’s not completely true.
There is a cool lyric video for “I’m Fine”. It was put together by a freelance artist on Fiverr who was, according to Craft, “amazing to work with and really brought my notes and ideas to life”. Craft would encourage bands to explore that option due to the extremely talented artists and creators who are available and the competitive prices.
For his next project, Craft would like to do a live action video with him actually acting, not just a lyric video. He already has an idea of what he wants to do. Eventually, he would love to make a series of videos that, when put together, make a short film.
There is a second Midnight Fracture song that is already completed, and plans are being made to release that. The process for a third song has begun. The eventual goal is to release an EP sometime in 2023.
In addition to future new music, Craft definitely wants to put together a band and get out and perform live. He says he’s already had musicians reach out to him, and once the EP is finished, he says he will "assemble the avengers". His reason for doing the first EP on his own is so he can attract other musicians who are like-minded and enjoy the sound he is creating so they will be on the same page. Craft would like his second EP or possible full-length album to be a band collective. With his hard work and dedication to making music that is personal and tells a story, Midnight Fracture is sure to see future success.
<Annie Schlottman>