Midland

Lone Star State neo-traditionalists Midland cleverly re-create the smooth, neon-lit sounds of 1980s country and, in doing so, have gone from bar band to stadium headliners. Decked out in Nudie suits and denim, the trio seems resurrected from another era, an impression underscored by their easy-rolling breakthrough hit in 2017, "Drinkin' Problem." Far from being mere revivalists, Midland synthesizes the past, playing with specific topics and tropes and then spinning them for the streaming age. Their sly post-modern nostalgia worked: "Drinkin' Problem" became a Top Ten country hit and earned them Grammy nominations, and subsequent efforts like Let It Roll (2019), The Last Resort: Greetings From (2022), and Barely Blue (2024), confirmed the group's knack for giving retro sounds a modern spin. The roots of Midland lie in California. Cameron Duddy worked in Los Angeles as a music video director. He was successful, taking home an MTV Video Music Award for his work on Bruno Mars' 2012 hit "Locked Out of Heaven," but in his spare time he played music. Eventually, he crossed paths with Jess Carson, a native of Oregon. The two played in an L.A.-based band for a while, and once Carson departed the City of Angels, Duddy met Mark Wystrach, who was working as an underwear model and actor. All three joined forces at Duddy's August 2013 wedding. Acting as groomsmen, Carson and Wystrach arrived a week prior, and they started playing music with the groom. Soon they decided to form a band. After Duddy's honeymoon, the trio relocated to Texas, claiming Dripping Springs as their home base. Midland signed to Big Machine in March 2016, releasing their eponymous debut EP in October of that year. The highlight of the EP was the smooth-as-satin "Drinkin' Problem," which began to climb Billboard's Country charts in 2017. By the summer, "Drinkin' Problem" was a genuine hit, reaching number three on the Country Airplay charts on its way to a platinum certification. On the Rocks, the group's debut album, appeared on September 22, 2017. The trio supported its release by joining Little Big Town and Thomas Rhett on tour in 2018. On the Rocks stayed on the charts through 2018, generating hit singles in "Make a Little" and "Burn Out," which topped out at number three. By the end of the year, "Drinkin' Problem" snagged Grammy nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance; it didn't win either. Released in February 2019, "Mr. Lonely" announced Midland's second album. Titled Let It Roll, the record arrived in August 2019. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Country Album charts and 16 on the Top 200. Neither "Mr. Lonely" nor its second single, "Cheatin' Songs," broke Billboard's Country Airplay Top 20, peaking at 23 and 26, respectively. In March 2021, Midland released The Sonic Ranch, a collection of recordings the trio made in 2014 just after they formed their band; it was accompanied by a documentary tracing their beginnings. Later in 2021, the group issued The Last Resort EP, which included the single "Sunrise Tells the Story." It was the first taste from their third album, the Billboard-charting The Last Resort: Greetings From, which arrived in May 2022 after the release of the single "The Last Resort." Featuring the hits singles "Lucky Sometimes" and "Old Fashioned Feeling," 2024's heartfelt Barely Blue saw the band explore themes of masculinity and loneliness in the wake of a breakup.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine & James Christopher Monger /TiVo