Overnight Find Strength in Grief with Tender New Single “Strong & Good”

Halifax sibling duo Overnight (Carla and Lynette Gillis) return with “Strong & Good,” the tender and reflective new single from their upcoming sophomore album Put Me In Your Light, out November 7 via Label Obscura. Written in the wake of their father’s sudden passing and a difficult move home from Toronto during the pandemic, the song captures both the weight of grief and the forward motion of resilience.

“I don’t typically have anything clear in mind when I sit down to write lyrics, but this one turned out to be about grief,” shares Carla Gillis (guitars, piano, lead vocals). “It was really hard to lose our dad, and it was really hard to leave Toronto and our community. The song came out of grief, but it’s also about the impulse to not be entrenched in it all the time. To shake it off and keep going. Rhythmically, it has a forward propulsion to it. Melodically, it’s fairly upbeat. To me, it’s shaped as much by resilience as sadness.”

The single’s title takes its name from a simple yet evocative lyric — “coffee tastes strong and good” — though for the Gillis sisters, the phrase also carries a deeper emotional meaning. It reflects their father’s strength of character, his warmth, and the small comforts that linger after loss. The song moves gently between sorrow and light, embodying that duality both musically and lyrically.

Recording “Strong & Good” came with its own set of challenges. The duo struggled to find a guitar tone that fit the mood of the song. “Everything kept sounding frustratingly dorky,” Carla recalls. “Eventually [producer] Charles [Austin] suggested having an acoustic guitar play quietly underneath everything, and it was the glue we needed.” That subtle production choice helped bring emotional balance to the track — grounding its tenderness in something real and lived-in.

For Overnight, “Strong & Good” represents one of the most emotional moments on Put Me In Your Light. Even now, it often brings Carla to tears mid-performance. Yet despite the song’s somber origin, it’s filled with hope and motion — a reflection of the band’s ongoing ability to find light in loss.

Working once again with producer Charles Austin (Superfriendz, Surprise Pink), Overnight shaped the album around themes of renewal and reflection. Additional contributions from Michael Small (Meligrove Band, Loviet) and Jason Starnes (Bells Clanging) bring depth and texture to the arrangements. Across ten tracks, Put Me In Your Light combines big riffs, tender harmonies, and reflective optimism — a sound that feels both intimate and expansive.

The album emerged from a period of upheaval, but it carries a spirit of gratitude and connection. For Carla and Lynette, moving home to Halifax after years in Toronto meant rebuilding — not only a creative routine, but a sense of self. The songs that took shape during that time are honest, unguarded, and grounded in real emotion.

Put Me In Your Light isn’t an album about sadness so much as it is about survival — about holding on to what matters and learning to move through difficult times with grace. “Strong & Good” captures that essence perfectly, balancing emotional weight with melodic lift. It’s music made for those quiet early mornings and late nights when memory feels close but not heavy, when loss and love can coexist in the same breath.

As Overnight prepare to release their new record, “Strong & Good” stands as a powerful entry point — a song that embodies the heart of what the Gillis sisters do best: turn deeply personal experiences into something universal. With its gentle propulsion and emotional honesty, it reminds us that grief and resilience often share the same space, and that even in the hardest moments, something beautiful can still come through.