The British duo Flyte has stripped away the embellishments, facing a time limit, and collaborating with renowned producer Ethan Johns on their new album, ‘Between You and Me.’
Stream: ‘Between You and Me’ – Flyte
What you’re hearing are humans being human and musicians making music.
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In “Alabaster,” the central character should ideally be stocking the canned food aisle at a grocery store, gathering heirloom seeds, and preparing with an emergency crank radio. Instead, he is knocking on his lover’s door, proposing they “light a candle” amid the apocalypse. Fortunately, he and his partner, voiced by the remarkable Aimee Mann, have found each other amidst the chaos. Together, they yearn for “maybe just one last time” and resolve, between kisses, to “fix it later.”
Flyte’s newest album, Between You and Me, explores the connection between denial and vulnerability throughout its tracks. Whether through an apocalyptic romance, a 12-step meeting, or a drive through Laurel Canyon, the duo seeks honesty, patience, and presence.
Between You and Me – Flyte
Nick Hill and Will Taylor have removed all frills, operating under a time constraint, and working with legendary producer Ethan Johns. They describe the experience as a “fugue state,” characterized by repetitive poetry and heartfelt acoustics. For example, the song “If You Can’t Be Happy” radiates blind optimism, encouraging its listeners to settle in and reflect. “I’m Not There” highlights detachment, only expressing urgency within the harmony of the chorus, another signature of the duo. Lastly, in “Hello Sunshine,” Taylor sings, “Let me write on you, throw my light on you, every word will be good as gold, good as gold.” He states in our interview, “We wanted things to be transparent while writing, to trick ourselves into accessing truth.” In conversation with Atwood Magazine, Flyte discusses the gentle strength of vulnerability and the freedom that comes with honesty.
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:: Stream/purchase Between You and Me here ::
:: Connect with Flyte here ::
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Flyte ‘Between You and Me’ © Madison Rensing
A CONVERSATION WITH FLYTE
Atwood Magazine: I understand that you both were sure about your vision for this record.
Will Taylor: Not in every tiny detail, but we were clear on the process. We wanted to have things in front of us while writing to help us access the truth.
Nick Hill: We also had a clear idea of what we wanted it to sound like. Collaborating with a producer we’ve admired our whole lives, we aimed to create an album reflecting what shaped our upbringing musically—pure and simple, reminiscent of the ‘90s.
Will Taylor: A record by Laura Marling and an early Kings of Leon album are quite different. Ethan Johns pulls out the most brutally honest essence of any artist he works with. Whether it’s Billie Marten’s second album or Ray LaMontagne’s first, brutally honest is the goal. You want to showcase their brilliance. We wrote with that in mind to present ourselves as simply as possible. Too much contemplation can lead to excessive navel-gazing. When we were listening back to the material, Ethan said, “This is it, guys!” and while we thought, “What about my flaws?” eventually, it sounds polished in retrospect.
How did you determine a song was finished using this approach?
Will Taylor: You can see the creation of Flyte in an hour-long documentary on YouTube. We were often up until 1 a.m. finalizing the record. With a song like “Tough Love,” we were multi-tracking. In this case, it was entirely different. The drums and bass happened simultaneously. Each element influenced the others.
Nick Hill: Everything was improvised. You’re hearing humans being real and musicians being genuine.
Nick Hill: It was freeing. You don’t have to stress over the minute details. Embracing your true self while creating is the best approach.
Taylor: For instance, I primarily used acoustic and electric guitars. I knew what I was playing, and Nick had been writing on the guitar. However, in the studio, Nick picked up the bass for the first time in months and improvised entirely. The first take was always the most compelling. The unpredictable chaos was exciting.
Flyte ‘Between You and Me’ © Katie Silvester
On this project, I can distinctly hear the folk influences. What led you to this sound?
Will Taylor: It was shaped by the artists we loved during our early years. For me, it was music from the mid-90s to mid-2000s, what my mom played in the car. Artists like Lucinda Williams, Aimee Mann, and REM, whose writing is straightforward. Previously, we were known for our colorful chord choices, inspired by Paul
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The British duo Flyte has been stripped of their embellishments, constrained by a time limit, and placed in the capable hands of producer legend Ethan Johns for their latest project, ‘Between You and Me.’