Lior Golan Takes the Midnight Trains EP for a Magic Wild Ride

“Every day is just the same, and there is no one to blame.” Beautiful rhyme, though, and part of the opening song from Lior Golan and his five-stop runaway EP called Midnight Trains.

My naked thought about it? I loved the thing from the first listen, so I bought my ticket and climbed aboard. No luggage limits either, which is useful, because this train have plenty.

Behind all this goes a story stretching back around 15 years, when Lior Golan started writing with guitarist Gabriel Lefelman after meeting through another musician. They worked wherever life allowed it: Tel Aviv streets, rainy frames and even construction sites. A few different line-ups came and went, alongside the glorious rock ’n’ roll luxuries of different other changes, money problems and gigs not quite easy to put together.

Eventually, Golan and Lefelman decided to stop waiting and finally get the songs recorded. Fair enough – the result comes out as a 5 stops EP, with Midnight Train that gives the EP its name. “On the road, yeah I’m here again… ain’t slowing down, ain’t turning back.” Pretty clear message, to be honest. He’s on that train and he’s going. “Leaving town, running on that track.” Simple, direct, and it fits the whole story behind this EP almost too well.

Four years on a laptop

At Shardo Studio in Israel, they recorded bass and drums at the same time, and that gives the songs a really nice live push. Then Niv Hovav jumped in on Hammond, synths and piano, and they added a few extra guitar parts later to give the songs a bit more depth and texture. But life pulled the handbrake. We all know what that means, right?

The recordings spent another four years on Golan’s laptop while he dealt with PTSD from his IDF service, substance abuse and, later, the devastating loss of his sister at the NOVA party. Recovery eventually brought his focus back to music, and Midnight Trains finally reached daylight on 12 March 2026. And knowing what went into these songs, you hear them a little differently.

The train keeps moving

Lior Golan points towards Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and others as influences, especially how those bands could have loads going on and somehow keep it all working. One line from You Tried Your Best probably sums up the whole journey better than any press release ever could: “And now my time has come, to be whole again.” I really like that line, actually.

Midnight Trains became Golan’s first professionally recorded EP, anyway he and Lefelman already have more finished material waiting for another recording session. But for now, grab a ticket, meet Lior Golan here, and explore Midnight Trains. We’ll probably meet again somewhere at the next stop.

Photos: Lior Golan via Facebook

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