Midland Dives Deep Into the Bottle with ‘Drinkin’ Problem’

"We've all maybe been that character. We've definitely known those characters," the trio's Mark Wystrach tells Sounds Like Nashville. 

Written by Kelly Brickey
Midland Dives Deep Into the Bottle with ‘Drinkin’ Problem’
Midland; Photo by Harper Smith

Spinning the traditional lyrics from country bands in the 60s and 70s for a modern retro take, Midland makes having a “Drinkin’ Problem” not too shabby of an issue to be dealing with.

Written with the help of Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne after a few beers and a hang session, Midland brought the raw juxtaposition between catchy lyrics with a dark theme to lend a shout-out to the old timers they grew up on while realizing the universality of those who find happiness within the bottom of a bottle.

“They say write what you know,” Mark Wystrach of the trio told Sounds Like Nashville during a recent interview. “We all have logged many, many, many hours in the bars. I think it’s kind of a throwback to the music that we really loved in the 70s and 80s, even early 90s. These were soulful, beautifully crafted songs that were also about serious stuff, but they’re also really catchy.”

While the guys admit the ways to relate to the song are innumerable and personal all the same, they understand that listeners will bring their own stories within the song’s simply-put lyrics about something that almost everyone deals with at some point in time.

“’Drinking Problem,’ you can interpret that in a million different ways, but essentially it’s a song about a dark place and a dark thing,” Wystrach explained. “You got to write what you know. We’ve all spent a lot of time. We’ve all maybe been that character. We’ve definitely known those characters. I grew up in a bar, so that was … To me, every time I sing that song, I discover there’s somebody new, somebody I remember from my childhood that, oh, that’s that person.”

“Drinkin’ Problem” is currently in the top 40 on country radio. Fans can pick up Midland’s self-titled debut EP on iTunes now.