Midlake go with the flow

MCKENZIE Smith knows he made the right decision. Last year his band, Midlake, parted company with their frontman and songwriter, Tim Smith (no relation).

The loss of a lead singer usually rings the death knell for a group. McKenzie and the rest of Midlake, however, were determined to continue. They respected Smith’s feelings, but they weren’t going to live or die by them. “It was a huge moment for all of us,” says McKenzie. “After Tim decided he couldn’t go on we sat down and had a long conversation. It was scary. At the same time we felt very passionately that we wanted to continue.”

If he’s being honest, Tim Smith’s departure was a relief. A classic soft rock crew from deepest Texas, Midlake were struggling to write material that excited them. After two years of toil in the studio, Tim Smith believed he had brought the project as far as he could. The moment he exited everything changed. An enormous weight had lifted.