Liam Payne's final on-screen appearance as a mentor on Netflix's Building the Band left a lasting impact on the boyband he guided, Midnight Til Morning. The four-member group, consisting of Mason Watts, 26, Conor Smith, 23, Zach Newbould, 23, and Shane Appell, 23, revealed that Payne's advice to "enjoy every moment" continues to inspire them following his tragic death at age 31 in 2024 after falling from a balcony.
Liam's Mentorship on Building the Band
Payne served as a mentor and guest judge on the reality singing competition alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland. In the Netflix series, he reflected fondly on his time with One Direction while guiding Midnight Til Morning. The band members spoke exclusively about their experience backstage at BST Hyde Park, where they supported K-pop act ATEEZ.
Zach Newbould shared: "Liam was so willing to give us advice and hang out. The main thing I took away from the whole experience was to enjoy every moment, because it goes so fast. Even today, we’re on stage, you blink, and it’s over."
Living the Dream
Conor Smith added: "And it’s so easy to miss those moments. You’ve got to take a second to really look around and go: ‘Wow, I’m living the dream’." Zach admitted he would get anxious before performing, and that Liam's advice has been invaluable. He said: "I did a performance once where I entirely blacked out. It was the adrenaline. So now, I actively take two seconds to breathe and just try to enjoy it."
Liam's Personal Struggles
Payne, originally from Wolverhampton, battled mental health issues for years and revealed that loneliness had "nearly killed me a couple of times." An addiction to drink and drugs also dogged the star's final years. Despite these challenges, Midnight Til Morning said Liam shaped them as a band. After the devastating news of his death, they made sure to check in on each other.
Conor recalls: "Afterwards, Mason texted us all and went, ‘Boys, if there’s anything ever bothering you or if you’re having any mental health problems, we’re in this together now.’"
Midnight Til Morning's Success
The American-Australian four-piece are currently playing a sell-out tour taking in North America, Australia, the UK and Europe. Shane said: "Every time we walk out on stage, the crowds can get bigger and bigger – it’s a dream come true. I’m not sure we feel like real pop stars yet, but we’re really stoked to be doing this."
