In the autumn, the group worked on new music at drummer Dan Flint's house, and subsequently tracked demos with Ross Orton.

[2] After the preceding ten years of constant touring, the band members went on a break,[4] which vocalist Josh Franceschi considered to be "necessary to appreciate the things we had, to get off the ride for a little bit.

"[5] During the break, the band members refrained from listening to the radio or rock albums, instead consuming hip hop, UK grime, soul and funk music.

[7] Around this time, drummer Dan Flint said the band were intending to release their next album with Korda Marshall and his label Infectious Music.

[11] Following demoing sessions in Sheffield with Ross Orton, the vision for the group's next album began to form,[10] as Franceschi explains: "Out of that process we knew that we were necessarily going down the right route—musically, mentally, everything.

[10] In the past, the group had "screaming matches with some of our producers", according to Franceschi; to avoid stressing out King or themselves, the band's management recommended they took a meditation class prior to recording.

[25] Rock groups such as Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, Muse, the Strokes and the Killers have been cited as influencing Night People.

[17] "Plus One" was written while Franceschi was playing an acoustic guitar during the group's first recording session at Black Bird Studios.

"[20] Its chorus section recalled the Foo Fighters; Franceschi said the song's lyrics talk about the "heartbreak when you’re no longer in love with the idea of being a musician and what that might mean.

[28] The song's lyrics were partially written on behalf of people in Franceschi's life and talks about "not letting the past dictate your future.

"[20] Franceschi considered the middle eight of "Make Your Move" to be the "heaviest piece of music" on the album, "almost flirt[ing] with a Limp Bizkit kind of vibe.

"[20] While working in Flint's studio, Franceschi tracked a demo of "Can't Hold Back" consisting solely of a guitar riff and a middle eight.

Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner has "always been really good in setting scenes with his lyrics, and I was kinda trying to do something similar here", according to Franceschi.

[20] With "Spell It Out", Franceschi attempted to write a song that could "almost fit as a sync to a movie trailer or some Game Of Thrones battle scene.

[38] On 22 August, Night People was announced for release, and the album's artwork and track listing was revealed.

[49] A day later, a music video was released for the song, film during the band's performance at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London.

[51] Night People was initially planned for release on 13 January 2017;[52] bassist Matt Barnes said the band picked this as they wanted toshow that they were "all anti-superstitious".

[53] The Japanese edition of the album included live versions of "Night People", "Plus One" and "Swear", recorded at Shepherd's Bush Empire, as bonus tracks.

[57] Following this, Spotify Live was released, featuring versions of "Swear", "Take on the World", "Give", and "Night People".

[67] DIY reviewer Sarah Jamieson called it "[c]onfident and self-assured," based around the "feeling than the ... riffs and sugary highs" of their past work, with the live energy providing a "a depth they've never quite managed to nail before.

He added that it was "[c]rammed with skyscraping melodies and moments of spine-tingling poignancy" that could give them "best possible stead for packing out stadiums and headlining festivals in the near future.

"[72] Ultimate Guitar staff member Sam Mendez wrote that "as opposed to their previous album's pop rock initiative stuck on crafting rousing arena rock ballads," Night People performed better "than its predecessor, pulling inspiration from more sources in order to make an album that showcases a more interesting array of styles and moods.

"[22] The Guardian's Kate Hutchinson said that against the band's peers "peddling the same generic chart angst ... YMAS attempt to suggest they might have gonads behind the guitars.

"[70] Andre Paine of the London Evening Standard wrote that the "vaguely over-familiar hard rock might be fine in concert," however, "on record diminishing returns soon set in.".

[25] Rolling Stone Australia writer Rod Yates said that the band had been unable to have chart success out of the UK, and Night People "will likely not change that.

"[73] The Independent music correspondent Roisin O'Connor said the songs were "loaded with anguished and often clichéd lyrics about ruined relationships, but sometimes that’s what you need to hear."

She called Night People a "painfully disjointed album that shows a band at an impasse, unsure about which direction they want to go in.

"[29] The Observer reviewer Emily Mackay said the album would "cement their success among fans of Foo Fighters and Biffy Clyro.

[85] In 2021, Franceschi ranked Night People as his fifth favourite You Me at Six album, admiring Blackbird as he "could never have of imagined us making a record in Nashville but it was incredible".