“It’s pretty wild. We’ve got passionate fans all over the world, which is really cool.”
Midnight Til Morning is bringing back the band!
After months on the road performing to thousands across the globe, Mason Watts has returned to Australia with a renewed appreciation for home and a career that continues to gain momentum.
“It’s really nice,” Watts said of being back. “You don’t realise how good Australia is until you go overseas and you come back… it’s nice being home around Australians and family.”
A TGS Old Boy who graduated in 2016, Watts’ journey from school performances to international touring has been anything but ordinary.
One of the defining moments of his career came when he appeared on a Netflix music show, a breakthrough opportunity that placed him alongside global heavyweights from the Backstreet Boys, One Direction and the Pussycat Dolls.
“That was a pretty big deal,” he said. “Working with world-class people… making some really good connections.”
That experience also led to the formation of his band Midnight Til Morning and the release of their first album, Afterglow, a group he now describes as “like my brothers,” and with whom he travels the world performing predominantly pop music to an ever-growing fanbase. Behind much of Watts’ success is his manager, Andrew Stone (Manager and CEO/Co-Founder of the band’s record label, Chugg Music), another TGS Old Boy (1997-2001), whom he credits as instrumental to his career. The pair’s connection came about by chance.
“I was playing a festival in Brisbane when I was about 20,” Watts said. “He just happened to be there listening, came up afterwards and asked about my story.”
The conversation soon revealed a shared connection to TGS, strengthening the bond. “We were like, ‘no way,’” Watts recalled. “He was in the Grammarphones and choir as well, so we connected through that.” Watts describes Stone as one of the most successful managers in the country and says his guidance has been pivotal. “I wouldn’t be where I am without him.”
Despite the whirlwind of international success, Watts remains grounded in his roots.
His time at TGS, he says, played a crucial role in shaping his path.
“I was part of pretty much every ensemble they had going,” he said, recalling long hours spent in the Baynes Centre and performances ranging from speech days to school productions, “lots of gigs, lots of memories.”
He credits several mentors at the School for nurturing his talent and confidence, including music staff who believed in him and helped him develop his stage presence.
Watts’ career today is a far cry from those early school performances, but the discipline required remains much the same. Touring life, he explains, involves long days filled with interviews, rehearsals and fan engagements, all before stepping on stage.
That perspective has stayed with him, particularly during recent tours in South America, where crowds of devoted fans waited for hours, even days, just to catch a glimpse of the band.
Behind the scenes, Watts and his band continue to refine their sound. Their creative process often begins with a simple idea before evolving collaboratively in the studio.
“It all depends on the song,” he said. “We jam, build it up, and if it’s a good one, by the end of the day you’ve got something really solid.”
Drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, Watts believes authenticity is key to connecting with audiences. “I think people always connect with real stories,” he said.
While his career has taken him far from Toowoomba, Watts hasn’t forgotten the challenges of starting out in a regional city. Now, he is helping the next generation by mentoring aspiring musician and Year 12 student Ruben Kruger. “It’s a really competitive industry,” he said. “You’ve got to go all in… and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.”
Looking ahead, there is no slowing down. Midnight Til Morning is preparing for a major international schedule, including a festival performance in Japan expected to draw a crowd of 60,000, their largest audience yet, alongside a European tour and ongoing studio work.
For Watts, the journey from TGS stages to global tours has been remarkable, but he remains focused on the road ahead.
“I wouldn’t change anything. It all turned out pretty good.”— Mason Watts, TGS Old Boy
Latest Blog
The Boarding and Day Family Connections
My husband Ben and I are four years into our boarding journey at Toowoomba Grammar School, we have two boys in Mackintosh House, Josh in Year 10 and Archie in Year 9, and a daughter Ella who is home with us for one more year before we become empty nesters. We are in the fortunate position that we live reasonably close, so we have the privilege of taking our boys home often and can attend most School events. For many of our boarding families, this is not the case, they live great distances away…
Streamline Success
Education is a transformative journey where the path we choose exerts a profound influence on our ultimate success. A streamed class is like an express locomotive: swift, efficient, and filled with eager passengers zooming towards their educational destination. Meanwhile, an unstreamed class resembles a motley group of hikers who accidentally wandered onto the wrong trail, stumbling and bickering as they struggle to find their way. Imagine the express locomotive of streamed classes, full of…
Reducing Stress: the Key to a Peaceful Life
Have you ever felt the soul-crushing burden of stress dragging your life through the mud? Ever had your precious time dwindled away at the hands of stress, while you are left powerless and alone? Well all this pain and anguish can be resolved in an instant; and all it takes is a change in the way we think. This alteration in brain chemistry is defined as mindfulness, the ability to obtain momentary awareness and recognition of our thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness is the key to defeating…
Gaining Ground with a Growth Mindset
I have seen the posters. I have sat the assemblies. I have watched the ads telling us about growth mindsets and how to develop one, and I'm sure you have too. But what we don't do is apply it to ourselves to help benefit our lives, however, there is no reason to blame yourself. The growth mindset is a deep topic that has many layers to it and is extremely important to have today. While we might blame other things on our weaknesses, it all links back to one thing – our mindset. To benefit our…
Sleeping Away the Mental Health Crisis
Two in five. That’s how many young Australians between the ages of 16 and 24 have experienced a mental disorder in the last 12 months (ABS, 2022). Let that sink in. Think of your closest five mates. Odds are that two of them are suffering right now from a crippling mental illness. According to recent studies conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia is witnessing an unprecedented rise in mental health issues among its youth, leaving them vulnerable and struggling (Headspace,…
Time for a Wake Up Call
Did you know that one in five 12–17-year-olds average over 8 hours of screen time a day? That means that in a 14-hour day, 57% of their waking hours involve looking at a screen! This madness is contributing to a very significant problem all teenagers face - sleep deprivation. It is killing us. We are becoming walking zombies rather than happy, growing lads. However, we can end this treacherous technological tyranny by putting down our screens before bed. Stop and think for a second. How much…
Breaking the Stigma
Strangling you in chains. Smothering you in despair. Anxiety and depression can be mighty beasts to break free from. Unfortunately, the state of traditional masculinity is reinforcing these chains. Mental health is a major threat to the well-being of men. This cage constructs barriers and borders which limit their ability to thrive in the modern world. Traditional Masculinity refers to a set of societal expectations foregrounded through the centuries by gender roles, stereotypes and beliefs.…
The Power of Gratitude
“What do you say mate?” your mum nudges you as the waitress hands you your dinosaur nuggets. “Thank you.” You have always been told to use good manners, and to say thank you, but what does thank you actually mean? Is it just two meaningless words uttered with monotonous regularity, or is it a tool that can alleviate mental health issues generating happiness and a sense of wellbeing? Gratitude is the sunlight that lights up those dark days. The ability to be grateful is at the core of personal…
The Silent Epidemic: Unveiling the Consequences of Sleep Deprivation
“Sleep that soothes away all our worries. Sleep that puts each day to rest. Sleep that relieves the weary laborer and heals hurt minds.” William Shakespeare (Macbeth, 1606) Heart Disease, Cancer, and Alzheimer's. Three life-threatening diseases. Three diseases all linked to lack of sleep. According to Dr. Okorie from the children’s health division of Stanford University, “7 out of 10 high school students are falling short of… (sleep) on school nights.” The Bulk of American teens are not getting…
