Midland (band)

Midland
Origin Dripping Springs, Texas, US
Genres Neotraditionalist country[1]
Years active 2016–present
Labels Big Machine
Website midlandofficial.com
Members

Midland is an American country music group formed in 2016 in Dripping Springs, Texas, consisting of Mark Wystrach (lead vocals), Cameron Duddy (bass guitar, background vocals), and Jess Carson (lead guitar, background vocals). In addition to their roles in the band, Wystrach is an actor and model, and Duddy is a music video director. The band has released one studio album, On the Rocks, which has accounted for three charted singles on the Billboard country music charts: "Drinkin' Problem", "Make a Little" and "Burn Out". The band's musical style can be defined as neotraditionalist country.

History

2013: Formation

The band was founded in Dripping Springs (Hays County), Texas, and named after the Dwight Yoakam song "Fair to Midland". The three met separately around Los Angeles where Carson and Duddy had formed an earlier band. After Carson left L.A, Duddy and Wystrach met and also decided to form a band. The trio came together in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in August 2013 for Duddy’s wedding with both Wystrach and Carson acting as his groomsmen.[2] As Duddy recalls the story, Carson and Wystrach arrived in Jackson Hole for the wedding a week early. After playing songs together in the front porch of Carson’s cabin and at the dinner rehearsal, they decided to form the band. After Duddy's honeymoon, the trio went to Sonic Ranch in El Paso, TX and, as stated by Wystrach, "When we went to the Sonic Ranch, we became a band. We walked away believing in what had happened". The band later decided to move and be based in Texas.[3][4]

Cameron Duddy started into music after a difficult situation in his family and as he have found music as a "ice breaker", "Sometimes you don’t get to talk about all the things that you maybe want to talk about and the ice breaker started to be music." He got his first guitar from his father, a Epiphone, "It helped me find my identity."[5] Duddy worked as a music video director, and won an MTV Video Music Award for directing the video for "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars.[6] Jess Carson grew up on a farm in Oregon and country music was the main genre of the place he lived. His sister and his father were musicians and years later he started to play guitar. Around 20 years old, he would play songs from rock bands such as Nirvana.[7][5] Mark Wystrach grew up surrounded by music, as his parents were music fans of live music with different formations. His father was a immigrant living in Los Angeles around the R&B and rock music. His mother grew up on a ranch near Tucson, Arizona. Before the band's foundation, lead singer Mark Wystrach was an actor and underwear model.[2][5]

Midland's first song to be released was "Fourteen Gears" around 2015 and was the song that, according to Duddy, "was another one of the early moments that defined and solidified the creation of this band".[8][9]

2016–present: Midland EP and On the Rocks

On March 9, 2016 the trio signed to Big Machine Records and released a five-song extended play. It features the debut single "Drinkin' Problem", which has charted on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay. The band wrote the song with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, the former of whom also produced it,[10] and Duddy directed the song's music video.[11] Their debut album On the Rocks was released in September 22, 2017, produced by Dann Huff, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne with "Make a Little" as its second single.[12]

In 2017, Midland was signed as an opening act for Tim McGraw's and Faith Hill's tours. The band will also accompany Little Big Town and Thomas Rhett on tour in 2018.[2] The band received two nominations at the 2018 Grammy Awards: Grammy Award for Best Country Song and Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, both for "Drinkin’ Problem".[13]

Style and influences

Rolling Stone said that "the Texas-based [...] blend their voices to produce country music that recalls a mix of George Strait, Urban Cowboy and Seventies yacht rock.". Billboard describes the band's sound as "a definite George Strait '80s New Traditionalist feel to it, combined with the rich California harmonies that made The Eagles legendary."[1] The band is also known as its dressing style such as performing in Nudie Suits.[14] Vogue called Midland "equal parts heartthrobs and fashion risk takers."[15]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
US Country
[16]		 US
[17]		 CAN
[17]
On the Rocks 2 20 45

Extended plays

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
US
Heat
[20]
Midland
  • Release date: October 28, 2016
  • Label: Big Machine
 18

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Sales Certifications Album
US
Country
[22]		 US
Country
Airplay
[23]		 US
[24]		 CAN
[25]		 CAN
Country
[26]
2017 "Drinkin' Problem" 4345981 On the Rocks
"Make a Little" 2315—[lower-alpha 1]—12
2018 "Burn Out" 3022——41

Notes

  1. ↑ "Make a Little" did not enter the Hot 100, but peaked at number 21 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, which acts as a 25-song extension of the Hot 100.[29]

Music videos

Year Video Director
2017 "Drinkin' Problem"[11] Cameron Duddy
"Make a Little"[30]
2018 "Burn Out" TK McKamy

Tours

Supporting

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipient/WorkResultRef
2017CMT Music AwardsGroup Video of the Year"Drinkin’ Problem"Nominated[31][32]
2018Grammy AwardsBest Country Duo/Group PerformanceNominated[13]
2018Best Country SongNominated[13]
2018 ACM Awards New Vocal Duo or Group of the YearMidlandWon[33]
Vocal Group of the YearMidlandNominated
Single Record of the Year"Drinkin' Problem"Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 Dauphin, Chuck (October 27, 2016). "Meet Midland, a Country Trio to Watch From Taylor Swift's Record Label: Exclusive Video". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Kimble, Lindsay (February 23, 2017). "Meet Midland: Five Things to Know About the Texas Country Trio". People. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Meet Midland, a Country Trio to Watch From Taylor Swift's Record Label: Exclusive Video". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  4. ↑ "Country trio Midland 'went all in' and came out on top with debut album 'On the Rocks'". Los Angeles Times. 2017-09-26. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  5. 1 2 3 "Who's New: Midland". Nash Country Daily. 2017-02-20. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  6. ↑ Blumm, K.C. (September 5, 2013). "Cameron Duddy Marries Harper Smith". People. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  7. ↑ Alpert, Matt. "Band to Watch: Midland, A New Country Trio from Texas". Wide Open Country. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  8. ↑ アマルメンドアルタンホヤグ (2015-03-25), Midland - Fourteen Gears, retrieved 2018-01-18
  9. ↑ "Q&A with MIDLAND – Coming To A Honky-Tonk Near You! | All Access Music". music.allaccess.com. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
  10. ↑ McKenna, Britney (October 26, 2016). "Song Premiere: Midland, "Drinkin' Problem"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  11. 1 2 Konicki, Lisa (February 24, 2017). "Country's Hippest New Trio, Midland, Reveals Lawbreaking New Video for "Drinkin' Problem"". Nash Country Daily. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  12. ↑ "Midland Taps into 80s Country Gold with 'Make A Little'". Wide Open country. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 "Grammys 2018: See the Complete List of Nominees". Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  14. ↑ "CMT Awards 2017: 10 Best and Worst Moments". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  15. ↑ "Midland Does High-Fashion Country At The Grammys". 2018. Vogue. Accessed February 22 2018. https://www.vogue.com/article/midland-2018-grammy-awards-red-carpet-country-style.
  16. ↑ "Midland". Billboard.com. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  17. 1 2 "Midland". Billboard. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  18. ↑ "Country Trio Midland Offer New Album Details, Reveal Release Date: Video Interview". Billboard.com. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  19. ↑ Bjorke, Matt (September 24, 2018). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: September 24, 2018". Roughstock. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Midland – Chart history (Top Heatseekers)". Billboard.com.
  21. ↑ Bjorke, Matt (August 29, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: August 28, 2017". Roughstock.com.
  22. ↑ "Midland – Chart history (Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Midland – Chart history (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 results for Midland". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Midland – Chart history Canadian Hot 100". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "Canada Country results for Midland". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  27. ↑ Bjorke, Matt (April 30, 2018). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles: April 30, 2018". Roughstock. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  28. ↑ "American single certifications – Midland – Drinkin' Problem". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  29. ↑ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 peaks". Billboard. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  30. ↑ "'Make a Little' music video". CMT. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  31. ↑ "CMT Music Awards 2017 Nominees Announced". Us Weekly. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  32. ↑ "CMT Music Awards 2017: Complete list of winners". Global News. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  33. ↑ "Lauren Alaina, Brett Young and Midland named early winners at the ACM Awards". Tennessean. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
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