P&P Spotlight: Flight to London

Flight to London, the 80s-inspired synth-pop duo formed by Jimmy McGorman and Robb Vallier, has always had a clear vision: chase a feeling, not a sound. After releasing their debut album Instructions for Losing Control,  the duo has embarked on something new: The Moog Sessions, an EP featuring two tracks “Elephant” and “Surrender” crafted in collaboration with the iconic synthesizer company Moog Music. Drawing on the 80s sounds that were simply the soundtrack of their childhood, Rob and Jimmy bring a depth and unmistakable energy that could only come from two artists who had spent decades producing for others before making music entirely for themselves.

Accompanying the release is Face to Face with Flight to London, a nearly 10-minute documentary that offers a transparent look into the making of the EP — the instinct, the joy and the creative chemistry that the two have built over years of collaboration. 

Recently, Playlists & Polaroids had the pleasure of chatting with Robb and Jimmy about the inspiration, the process, and what makes Flight to London unlike anything else out there. Keep reading for our full interview with them! 

Image credit: Tom Korbee, graphic created by Karly Ramnani

YOU’LL LOVE FLIGHT TO LONDON IF YOU LISTEN TO: Bleachers, Fly By Midnight, Tears For Fears, Depeche Mode, Phil Collins, OneRepublic, Harry Styles, Coldplay

What made you want to document the making of The Moog Sessions, and what did you hope it would capture?

Robb: My father was a director for 30 years — commercials, documentaries — and his style was very intentional and conversational, which is exactly what we wanted. We had seen the videos Moog had done with other artists and really liked the way they looked. We didn't know exactly what the documentary would be going in, but it came out exactly the way we hoped.

Jimmy: I thought it was going to be something short, almost like an ad, but the more we talked to them the more they wanted to do something full length — and for them, full length meant almost 10 minutes. To have them say "we're going to get you a studio, set everything up, and just let you go" was really exciting. It gave us a real room to play in rather than them coming to us with their own equipment.

One of you heard about Moog at five years old — how did it feel to finally be in a studio with those instruments as a collaborating artist rather than just a fan?

Robb: I've been using their equipment since I was ten years old, so we're really well versed in their world. The idea that they wanted to do something with us was mind boggling. I called my brother, who was a big part of my Moog education, and his jaw hit the floor. Being able to celebrate that moment with him was the best part — I'm just so proud of everything Moog has done in music over the past 40 years. And they brought in a new synth we hadn't worked with before, which is always exciting.

How did making The Moog Sessions differ from your debut album Instructions for Losing Control?

Robb: It was a big difference. Jim and I usually write on piano and record in Jim's studio in LA where we know the equipment inside and out — just the two of us, quick and precise. With Moog you suddenly have seven other people in the room, which changes everything.

Jimmy: There's something special about the little world we've built in my studio where we can move really fast. A bigger studio slows things down. But what made the Moog sessions worth it was them getting to see us as a unit — the way we interact, the way we make music, how much joy we have doing it. Our music has a lot of dark lyrical undertones but we have a genuinely great time making it, and I think they captured that really well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8NHtvejZ8Y

"Elephant" feels like it's about the uncomfortable truth no one wants to address — where did that idea come from?

Robb: I think anybody could apply this song to their own life. There are things about all of us we don't want to examine too closely. The first person I played it for said "I have a hard time listening to this — the lyrics are hitting too close to home right now." That's exactly what you hope to hear.

Jimmy: It actually started with Rob sending me a drum groove titled "elephant loop," inspired by a song called Elephant Talk. When I saw the title, the phrase "the elephant in the room" immediately jumped out at me and I thought — what if we explore that? What's great about this project is that we finally get to write songs we couldn't write for other people. Working with younger artists, those psychological themes don't always fit. Being older, we wanted to dig into the parts of songwriting we never got to explore before, and that song is a perfect example of that.

"Elephant" and "Surrender" both use Moog synthesizers but feel like two completely different worlds sonically — how did you create such distinct sounds using the same instruments?

Jimmy: Honestly, to us they feel like they work together more than they differ. We just listen to what the song wants and go from there — try different sounds, and something usually jumps out pretty quickly.

Robb: We don't really believe in patches or presets. You find a sound that cuts through and then you push it further. It's less about planning and more about following what feels right in the moment.

The Muse synthesizer ended up being the biggest surprise of the sessions — what was it about that instrument that pushed everything else aside?

Jimmy: I'd actually push back on that a little — I don't think it pushed anything aside. What made it surprising was that it's newer, so it brought a slightly more modern flavor to the sessions. That's really what we're going for — taking something rooted in the retro warmth of 70s and 80s synth sounds and nudging it forward.

Robb: It just worked. Their instruments have such a wide sonic spectrum that you can always find something that takes you somewhere new, and that one was no different.

You describe your music as "New-stalgia" — nostalgia for a time you may have never actually lived. How do you keep that from feeling like imitation?

Robb: Jim and I actually grew up in that era, listening to that music as it was happening, so it's already deep inside us. When we sat down and asked what kind of album we wanted to make, this was the natural answer. But the other thing is,  a lot of people chase sounds instead of writing a good song. You see 80s-inspired bands using all the right synth textures and think, okay, but where's the song? We wrote about 20 songs first and then produced them. A lot of people do the opposite, and I think that's the difference.

Jimmy: Even if we wanted to sound exactly like Tears for Fears or Depeche Mode, we never could — and that's actually freeing. We weren't trying to copy anyone, we were chasing a feeling. How do you create a feeling? You listen, you add, you subtract, and you check each other constantly. That's the other thing — making music alone is lonely. Music is best when it's collaborative, and I think that collaboration is a big part of what keeps it feeling alive rather than like an imitation.

And finally, the P&P classic — what's a lyric from either "Elephant" or "Surrender" that stands out to you, and what does it mean to you personally?

Robb: When Jim and I were writing "Surrender" we were sitting around the piano in his family room and this idea came up inspired by a movie line — "sooner or later everybody talks." That stuck with us because it speaks to something universal, the idea that surrendering and releasing is just part of human nature. Another line I love from that song is "pushing the gods and shouting to the universe" — there's something really powerful about that image.

Jimmy: My favorite line is from "Elephant" — "there will be no empty space for an innocent man to move." But honestly my favorite moment on the whole EP is the bridge of "Surrender." We wrote it the day Moog was there, we had just arrived, the music was already down, and this riff just clicked almost instantly. It came together so fast and so naturally that it's become one of my favorite bridges we've ever written together.

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Flight to London is a perfect representation of how music comes not from chasing trends, but from chasing feelings. With The Moog Sessions, Rob and Jimmy have created something that feels completely alive - rooted in the sounds that shaped them, yet entirely their own. We can’t wait to see where Flight to London goes next, and in the meantime, “Elephant” and “Surrender” have been on repeat. Here’s a playlist we’ve curated to capture their world!