“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the saddest of them all?” In the surreal world of Sad Night Dynamite, that question feels right at home. Dark, cinematic, and impossible to pin down, the duo has emerged as one of the most compelling voices in the contemporary music scene. Imagine a soundtrack for a film that hasn’t been made yet — eerie, thrilling, and full of intrigue. This is the space Sad Night Dynamite pulls you into, where hip-hop, electronic, pop, and indie collide to create a dreamscape that is as dystopian as it is magnetic.
In this interview, we dive into the minds behind the madness — Archie Blagden and Josh Greacen — uncovering their creative process, vision, and how their fascination with absurdity and chaos drives their art.
Raised in the quiet depths of Glastonbury but now living in the fast-paced chaos of East London, Sad Night Dynamite's music reflects the stark contrast between rural isolation and urban desperation. Their not long released debut album, Welcome The Night, is a testament to their evolving sound — a darkly humorous, dystopian ride through modern existentialism. As they celebrate the album’s release and their upcoming UK and European tour (kicking off in Leeds tonight), the duo continues to embrace the unpredictable, crafting music that speaks to the absurdity and contradictions of the world around us.
Whether reflecting on their eclectic influences — from Tarantino’s boldness to Pink Floyd’s cinematic scope — or sharing the personal life lessons that shaped their twenties, Sad Night Dynamite believes that in a world without clear paths, welcoming the night may be the most profound journey of all.
Growing up in Glastonbury, how did the local culture and music scene shape your artistic identities?
I think subliminally, it made a huge impact. I don’t remember one particular defining moment, but I think by just constantly being surrounded by creativity and music, it shaped our brains. A bit like learning a language.
How do you think your rural upbringing contrasts with the urban reality of your current life in East London? Have these settings impacted how you make music?
Somerset has a depressing quietness that can’t be replicated anywhere. Obviously London is the opposite, I feel like in London a lot of people operate with a quiet desperation, it’s such a rat race. I certainly think lyrically we’ve become more interested in existentialism which I’ve only really experienced in big cities.
How do you stay true to your unique sound and style while evolving as artists? Where does your fascination with the surreal and eerie come from?
We don’t overthink it. I think the best way to stay true to yourself is to turn off your thinking brain as much as possible, and allow the music to speak for itself. I’ve often wondered why we are drawn to the surreal and eerie, I think it’s because it’s a reflection of the everyday. We all do a very good job of normalising everyday life when in reality its quite bizarre, so for us the surreal and eerie is addressing the elephant in the room.
Where do you go to find inspiration in the city? What are your favourite spots?
Recently I’ve loved watching the seasons change in the parks. Victoria Park is amazing and every day it looks different, I think that’s where I find most of my inspiration these days.
You’ve cited film as a huge influence on your work. Are there specific visual or cinematic influences that inspire your music? Tarantino? Kubrick? Noé?
Tarantino has definitely been an influence, we love how bold he is. He will pull the rug from underneath you at any point. Our music includes a lot of international instruments and I think that’s why sometimes its referred to as cinematic, we love world instruments whether that be zithers or melodicas.
If you could score any movie, past or present, which one would it be and why? A surreal comedy, a psychological thriller, or something else?
I love those movies where nothing much happens, like Past Lives which came out recently. I think it would allow me to be more free to dictate the mood using the music, rather than being forced into a corner because of a big epic scene. If I did have to do a big epic though, it would be Hot Fuzz. My favourite film of all time and filmed in my hometown. Great soundtrack too.
With Welcome The Night released on 27th September, what do you hope listeners will take away from this release? Is the narrative intentionally open-ended?
I hope those who are confused by the absurdity of the world will feel heard. I also hope it speaks to people who have an eclectic taste. Archie and I are constantly changing directions and I think that’s a symptom of the chaos of the modern world. Maybe that will resonate with some people.
The album's creation seems to be influenced by your experiences in your twenties. What are some of the biggest life lessons you've learned during this time that made it into your music?
The one that springs to mind right now is that no matter what your plans are, life will do its thing and you really don’t have much control over it. What’s important is that you can be resilient enough to overcome the obstacle. Rarely things go how you imagine, and I think in your early twenties you are convinced you can bend the world to your liking, I think growing up is realising the world is much bigger than your plans for it, but something much more powerful happens when you let go of needing to be in control. A lot of the messaging in our album is about continuing no matter what, the worst thing is to give up because things haven’t gone the way you imagined.
Combining dystopian synths with rap-like lyrics, 808 beats with melodic interludes and creepy mandolin with G-funk. How do you decide which lyrical themes are best served by a darker sound versus something more melodic?
Historically we’ve never overthought lyrics, we were interested in psychedelic lyrics, which is sometimes a cop out in the place of finding true meaning. I think for a long time we didn’t feel like we had anything very interesting to say and in that case you defer to what sounds good over a beat, or a theme that is so devoid of intention it feels intentional. But now, more and more lyrics are becoming the most important thing to us and therefore the music is having to bow to the words. I think you know when a lyric or vibe doesn’t fit a beat, it’s instinctual, the whole thing feels jaded. You know it’s right when you aren’t hearing the lyrics and you aren’t hearing the music but instead you’re feeling it I suppose. That sounds silly but it’s kind of true.
You’ve mentioned a desire to create light and shade in your music. What does this mean? Can you share an example of how you balance both in your new album?
We’ve always been interested in placing opposing emotions together, I think that’s what we mean by light and shade. For example if you have a happy major chord sequence, like in our song Knife In The Mud but you marry it with a more sad emotional lyrical theme you can produce a feeling that is more in line with real life. Rarely things are simple, and often we feel lots of emotions at the same time, so placing light and shade in your music is a reflection of that.
How do you develop the personas that populate your songs? Are they inspired by real- life experiences, or are they entirely fantastical?
Most of the time they’re versions of ourselves. I think all of us have different characters within us. Most of the time you don’t even realise you’re writing about yourself. Then 6 months later you realise.
The white limousine has been a recurring visual in your work, appearing in videos like Krunk. Can you share the story behind its significance?
It’s absurd. We love playing the antagonist and a big white limousine is easy to hate. Unless you're on the inside in which case you are in on the joke and it’s great. I feel like that’s what Sad Night Dynamite is — it’s great if you're on the inside.
How does this fit into the album’s narrative? Is it a symbol of luxury, absurdity, or something else?
It’s a symbol of absurdity, which the album most definitely is
In a world where social media often blurs the line between reality and fiction. Enter Mrs. Dior (@themommadior)—a fabulously fictional character who’s both a parody and a mirror reflecting our online obsessions. But what’s the real story behind this surreal relationship and marketing scheme? What inspired you to blend storytelling with social commentary in such an engaging way?
Truthfully we were just tired of seeing people promoting their music through the same channels. We wanted to see if something different could work. It makes us sad that algorithms are often suffocating originality and world building. To us, mystery and story-telling is the most important thing. Who cares what I had for breakfast, why do people want relatable? It’s quite boring.
How do you hope listeners interpret the dynamic between Josh and Mrs. Dior in Sugabby? Is it a cautionary tale or a humorous take on modern romance?
It’s not that deep, it’s just a social commentary. The idea of a sugardaddy is perhaps more accepted but perhaps a sugarmum is less common so it was just throwing the idea out there. It’s a reflection of the consumerist world we all live in, where attention, money and status is confused with human connection. It’s just another peak into the absurd.
Sugabby touches on love and betrayal in the social media age. What’s your take on modern romance? Do you find it inherently absurd?
There’s plenty of fantastic modern romances but it goes south when love gets confused with the pursuit of attention, money or status.
Do you believe that social media has commodified creativity? How does that impact the authenticity of the art being produced?
I think algorithms are really effecting the landscape. They’re often suffocating originality. In order to promote your music lots of artists are catfishing themselves behind a bigger act for the algorithm to accept them. What is that? Its crazy. We all know about echo chambers online. It’s hard for great music to compete with algorithms that favour conformity.
Looking ahead to your upcoming tour, what’s one aspect of performing live that you’re most excited about?
Our setlist has a lot of different sounds and moods, I’m interested to see if it will work live. It’s going to be a bit of a circus.
If you could summarise Welcome The Night in three words, what would they be, and why do those words resonate with you?
I feel like the name Welcome The Night are the three words that summarise it the best. It’s about embracing a world without a guiding light. Welcoming the darkness, stepping into the unknown, the absurd, rather than trying to find a path or a meaning.