The Night Flight Orchestra
Fancy some classic hard rock-meets-disco? Then climb on board.
As the eight-piece Swedish band prepare for their first ever UK gig, frontman Björn ‘Speed’ Strid explains how members of Soilwork, Arch Enemy and Spiritual crafted a sound firmly rooted in the classic hard rock… and kitsch US disco.
Did NFO begin over a few drinks too many?
Yeah. On tour with Soilwork in North America in the late 2000s, David [Andersson, guitars] and I bonded instantly over seventies and eighties classic rock – the way of composing, performing and producing songs, which in our minds was a completely lost art. We needed to provide a band that captured all those elements, and we still feel like we’re on a mission.
How deep does your appreciation of AOR go?
It runs very deep. AOR provides a never-ending well of bands that you can spend the rest of your life pursuing. My latest find is Dakota, and their amazing album Runaway. It’s from 1984 – shame on me.
How do you see the state of modern melodic hard rock? It’s been declining for a while, especially with hundreds of bands signing to Frontiers Records. A lot of those bands and producers are very talented, but to me it’s not real AOR. I believe we’re pretty damn close providing AOR the way it was meant to be.
And where does the cheesy disco thing come from? [Laughs] It’s really a mystery. As a teenager I loved Norwegian black metal but also 1970s disco. I collected disco albums and soundtracks, but also loved how rock got infused with disco in the late 1970s.
Your quote: “Most other classic rock bands sound like weed or LSD, we sound like cocaine” is intriguing.
With some exceptions, I generally don’t like pot-infused rock. Our sound is more powdery lace than dusty corduroy, you could say.
Classic Rock said NFO’s 2018 album Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough was “absurdly catchy” and suggested that listening to it felt like being in an episode of Miami Vice.
It’s a good reference. Our music is very cinematic and I’ve always been inspired by TV themes.
What are the main differences between touring with Soilwork and NFO?
As a metal musician for twenty years I’ve seen my share of men with neck tattoos and Bathory shirts. This is pretty different. Just having the Airline Annas, our [two female] backing singers makes a world of difference. I love that there’s a whiff of Elizabeth Arden, and not Monster Energy drinks.
“We’re damn close providing AOR the way it was meant to be.”
Presumably you’re excited about coming to the UK?
We are beyond thrilled. It’s about time, really. Hopefully a full British tour can be lined up soon. DL
NFO Play London’s Camden Underworld on November 30.