Midland: From the Front Porch to Center Stage
Over ten years of being friends and four years after forming a trio, the timing could not be more right for the guys of Midland.
Three guys and three guitars. That’s all it takes to make magic between the men of Midland.
The tight bond between various members of the trio, made up of Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach and Jess Carson, formed over a decade ago, but their timing on joining forces as a band and hitting the country music scene couldn’t have been more perfect.
Rewind back in time to when the guys were living the dream in their early 20s, complete with couch surfing and hard partying galore. Jumping in and out of somewhat-successful bands, each of the members never felt that ‘click’ within the music they were currently pursuing. Years went by and no luck struck the dice until fate just so happened to bring the guys together for a celebration of love in the open frontier.
“It wasn’t until we all sort of went our separate ways and it wasn’t until my wedding about four years ago up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming that three of us were together again,” Duddy shares with Sounds Like Nashville. “They were out there for about a week and everyone had their guitars, so we were sharing songs on the porch of my mother-in-law’s house, right under the Grand Teton. It’s really scenic, picturesque sort of moment. It’s gorgeous. That was the first germinating, oh, we all like the same hit. How do you know that song? There’s a lot of sharing of ideas and songs and just talking about music.”
Name drops like Graham Parsons, Alabama, The Eagles and more fell out of their mouths and onto the licks of their guitars as the music connected them deeper into their roots. Alternatively enough, Duddy planned a friendly talent competition to fill the void of a traditional rehearsal dinner and the boys got their start right then and there, despite coming in second place at the makeshift show.
The spark exploded into a dynamic idea of forming a country trio, with Midland scraping together every cent they had to record a loose demo album of 15 to 18 songs at the famed Sonic Ranch right outside of Austin, Texas.
“It became so apparent that the band was going to be the most important thing in all of our lives. Those original recordings, even looking back on them now, they’re so loose and imperfect, but there’s such a spirit on there,” explains Duddy.
Fast forward from the demo days to the present time, and it seems as though their diligent dedication counted for something more than just a spontaneous decision. Each of the guys relocated to Austin and they took their music on the road. From there, they decided making ties in Nashville was the next logical step.
It appears they were right. They eventually signed a recording contract with Big Machine Records. Their debut single, “Drinkin’ Problem’,” cracked the top 40 on country radio, all while maintaining that classic soulful-meets-vintage vibe they set out to emulate from their musical heroes in the first place.
After releasing an EP and setting their sights on a true-to-self album within the next step of their career, Midland continues to rely on the hard work they devote to their serendipitous dream they created with one another while maintaining the lighthearted ties they began their friendship with in the first place.
“Our whole motto is we want to be the hardest working band, period, because we know what a privilege this is, even though it is hard and whatnot, but we also want to be the guys having the most fun…You come home and your stomach hurts because you’re just laughing your ass off all the time. That’s kind of the spirit that’s emanated from starting at, essentially at Cameron’s wedding, going to The Sonic Ranch, knowing each other for collectively for a long time, over a decade, so we’re a band of brothers,” shares Wystrach.
In the end though, Midland knows timing will always be on their side like it seems to have been from that special life-changing moment just four years ago.
“We’re really proud of that. Like the beginning of the band, it started with three of us sitting down at the porch and essentially that’s what it’s rooted in is about the three of us and about three of our vocals coming together. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime. It hard not to … You almost don’t want to think about it…It’s pretty neat. That doesn’t happen anymore,” Wystrach admits.
Midland’s self-titled EP, featuring “Drinkin’ Problem,” is currently available for purchase on digital music retailers. Fans can find more details about the band and their tour schedule on their official website.
