Hot on the heels of their debut single "Drinkin' Problem," Midland just announced their first album. As of yet untitled, the record drops Sept. 22. Their self-titled EP gave the country world a taste of what's to come with five songs.
The Nashville by way of Austin by way of California three-piece made waves with their neo-traditional country sound. They also wear clothes that look like they're straight out of the 1970s. Combine that with a Shane McAnally-produced record, and you've got a recipe for success.
"We're working really hard at cultivating an album full of songs that mean something to us but also fit together," bassist Cameron Duddy recently told Billboard. The band wants to tell their story in an authentic way. So far, it's working. Their first single "Drinkin' Problem" is approaching the top 10 on the charts. In a lot of ways, it's a throwback to classic country turns of phrase.
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Midland signed to Big Machine Label Group after officially forming in the Texas hill country. They chose their name as an ode to a Dwight Yoakam song called "Fair To Midland." And yes, they've since played a show with Yoakam.
Lead singer Mark Wystrach got his start as an actor and underwear model, while bass player Cameron Duddy actually also has an exciting career as a music video director. Duddy directs most of Bruno Mars' music videos. He won an MTV Video Music Award for "Locked Out Of Heaven." He's also directed videos for Mark Ronson ("Uptown Funk"), Brittany Spears and Brandi Carilile. Duddy also shot the band's video for "Drinkin' Problem," which was filmed in Lockhart, Texas.
The group first played together at a wedding in Jackson Hole, Wy. They then kept in touch before relocating to Austin briefly. It didn't take long for the three-piece to make their move to Nashville and start working with McAnally.
Midland hopes to capture the energy from their live show and help lead the next wave of neo traditional country.
