10 Questions with ... Midland

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MidlandOfficial
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/MidlandOfficial
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/MidlandOfficial
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/User/MidlandVEVO
Meet Midland: www.YouTube.com/watch?v=NHOk23zUwJ0

From: Wystrach hails from the Tucson, AZ area; Carson was raised in McMinnville, OR; Duddy split time between Northern California and Los Angeles growing up

Members:

• Mark Wystrach - Lead Vocals
• Jess Carson - Lead Guitar
• Cameron Duddy - Bass

After forging independent careers with "day jobs" and working on music individually, Midland came together when friends Mark Wystrach and Jess Carson took part in Cameron Duddy's wedding. The trio spent some time before the nuptials "jamming" and found a common voice. The harmonies and sound that developed with the formation of the band produced a mix of George Strait meets the Eagles meets Dwight Yoakam with a throwback to 70s and 80s California Rock meets Traditional Country. The group decided to pursue their musical path full-time and headed to Austin, TX to hone their crafts of songwriting and performing, hitting honky tonks and clubs all across Texas along the way. After signing with Big Machine Label Group in 2016, the band hit the top of the charts with their first single, "Drinkin' Problem," and released a self-titled EP and a full-length album, "On The Rocks," in 2017. The band now has its second single at radio with "Make A Little," and following their Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2017 debut and an impressive 2017 run, Mark, Jess, and Cameron sat down with All Access to discuss their journey thus far and how they reacted to being named one of the "New Faces" for CRS 2018.

1. Thank you so much for taking time to speak with All Access. You guys have been voted in to the "New Faces" showcase for CRS 2018, and while you've played to most of this cast of characters before during your radio tour, this setting will be a bit different. Can you tell us what it means to you to be chosen to play this show, and how you will prepare for the performance?

Cam: It seems kind of like every week we're getting something brand new thrown our way. So, if anything this band has kind of learned to be adaptable and not overthink anything, really, too much, because the more you think about something, it can kind of off-center you. You know what I mean? We've become really kind of resilient to the road and to high pressure situations. For instance, last CRS -- which was earlier this year -- we didn't even know what CRS was! And, they were like, "Oh, you're going to come and play for some people, and all this and that, and there's a brunch that you're going to play on the last day." And we were like, "Cool. Brunch. People will be eating egg whites while we play background music." And, we show up, and it's everybody in attendance at CRS. Probably a thousand people in this banquet room, lights are turned off, and there's a stage -- you could hear a pin drop. All of a sudden, the moment kind of revealed itself to us. And, we just didn't know! Thankfully, we didn't know what to expect, because we probably would have shit our pants! But, that's kind of our motto. We don't ask too many questions; we just go in and do what we gotta do.

2. That is so true. After that luncheon performance at CRS last year, Midland was the buzz of the industry. Then, in a matter of one year, Midland went from the "who's that group?" talk of CRS 2017 to being named a "New Faces" act for CRS 2018. What advice would you give to artists attending CRS for the first time this year or artists preparing to embark on radio tour in 2018?

Cam: I would say, personally, just don't overthink anything. Just play music.

Mark: I think Cam really said it, ya know? Yeah, there it is. We're not ones that I would suggest anybody ask for any advice, though, you know?

Cam: But, this wraps into your previous question, too. You can't change what you're going to do, and you better know who you are as an artist. I think that's our strength, and I think that's why we don't necessarily get psyched out over these things, because we know who we are, and we know what our music is. That's the advice I would give them that, but that work should be done a long time before you're showing up at CRS.

3. That's a great perspective, and I think you're exactly right about knowing who you guys are. Speaking of this "New Faces" showcase, do you recall where you all were you when you found out that you had been selected as to perform at CRS 2018 "New Faces," and how did you react?

Cam: Well, the day before we found out, we had just been notified that we were up for two Grammys.

Mark: And, we were swamped with congratulations. But, it wasn't until the next day that we found out about "New Faces," and Scott Borchetta wrote us an email.

Cam: He said, "This is it, boys! We did it!"

Mark: Ever the consummate promoter, that just shows you who Scott Borchetta is and how much he cares about radio.

Jess: He has taught us about the power of Country radio and about how that could really make or break a Country artist. And, we didn't know that being Texas, you know, and being outside of Nashville and not really being familiar with the system. We leaned a lot on the people that were in our family, more or less, like our management, and Scott, and Allison Jones, and our promo team.

Mark: Kris Lamb, Erik Powell, and Jack Purcell -- we just put all of our trust in them. We were an open book at the beginning of this year. And, we still are. Just like we talked about earlier, just learning how to roll with the punches and learning the landscape.

Cam: We lean on our colleagues a lot for advice, and guidance, and all that stuff. So, I guess is this long-winded answer is to say that we found out, and we're happy that we finally -- anytime we can make Scott Borchetta happy, it's a win for us.

Mark: It's like when your high school coach gives you an "Atta boy," and you're like, "Oh, my God, this was all worth it."

4. You guys were definitely handed the game ball, that's for sure! But, the last time All Access had a chance to chat with all of you was shortly after your appearance at CRS 2017. A lot has changed since then, including "Drinkin' Problem" hitting the top of the charts, "On The Rocks" being released, and a tour with Jon Pardi. How do you plan to top it all in 2018?

Jess: We're going to be out for even more data. We've clocked -- I mean, we haven't done the exact math -- but I want to say it's anywhere from 325 to 335 days.

Cam: I've done the math, and it's just south of 300 days on the road.

Mark: So, that's 65 at home, spread over a twelve-month period. We've done millions of miles. Literally through planes, trains, and automobiles.

Cam: And, somehow, 2018 is going to be even crazier. I mean, we're going to start the year off going to the Grammys and finding out if we get to win a Grammy!

Mark: I mean, 2018 is going to start with a bang, literally, because, I mean -- it's The Grammys! Just getting nominated for a Grammy is already one of the greatest honors of our lives. Then, we'll have the Little Big Town "The Breakers Tour," and we'll be going to do C2C in London and play for the first time for a European audience. Apparently, Midland has really started to take off out in the U.K. and out in all of Europe, so that will be an amazing experience. And, we're going to also be recording our second album at some point in 2018.

5. Wait, the second album? Did we just get a little bit of an information leak? Have you guys already started writing for a second album, or are you done with writing and already in the studio?

Mark: Well, you know, we have so much -- between me, Jess, and Cam -- we came in to Nashville with a lot of songs, and then we've been writing nonstop since. We came to Nashville basically as songwriters, and we're pushing our band agenda along the way, so we have a large catalog already of songs, and then we're going to be continuing to write into 2018. So, it's going to be crazy. But, you know, the difference now is that for the first time in our careers -- and as artists -- we're going to be in a place where, we're finally making money. We've been doing all this and just trying to figure it out. Like, holy shit, I can't tell you how many times my landlord has come to me like, "Hey, man, it's December 14th." And, I'm like, "Yeah, it's three days to my birthday!" He's like, "Yeah, you haven't paid rent yet." You know what I mean? So, that's the, that's the great thing about the success is that it eases that side of things. But, then, as you know, the demands get even higher and bigger. So, we're going to just do what we've always done and lean back into the music and what this band is about -- writing about our life and writing about the experiences between relationships, the experience with the road, the struggle, and kind of the landscape that we know.

So, you might say that this has become "Check Cashin' Country," then, right?

Mark: Well, yeah, but that doesn't change. It's funny that you say that, because here we are with all this stuff. But, you know, the money really hasn't even started coming yet. That hasn't changed. But, the reason that song is relevant is because "Check Cashin' Country" really explains why you do it. When we started this band, we did it not to get rich and famous, but we started it to collaborate and to create music amongst three best friends and collectively tell our story, sonically and lyrically. That's what we're going to continue to do. And, you know, money doesn't take away problems, but it buys a whole different kind of sorrow, right?

Cam: It can buy you a boat, though, Monta. I've heard it can do that.

Mark: There's a saying that my father has, and he says that if it -- well, there's an expletive for it, but -- if it fucks, flies, or floats, ya know... Nope.

Jess: This all won't change us as an artist, you know? But, we are experiencing maybe more than the average person, and our job is kind of convey what the average person can't express.

6. Speaking of success, Midland will now and forever more have a new title to put in front of the name - Grammy Nominated. Can you tell us about the morning you found out about the two nominations and how you reacted? Will you be attending the Grammy Awards this year?

Mark: Well, Jess is printing t-shirts that say, "Grammy Nominated Artists." So, yeah.

Jess: Yeah, but we had them made before we were nominated.

Cam: Hell yes, we're going!

Mark: We are ABSOLUTELY going to the Grammy Awards. We wouldn't miss that for the world. The performances, as always, are just going to be top-notch. But, to be able to be there in person is going to be pretty surreal.

Jess: We were all together in New York when we found out. We were arriving at the "Today" show early in the morning.

Mark: Yeah, it was between doing "Seth Meyers" the night before and "Today" that morning.

Jess: We were just actually pulling up to the "Today" show in New York, and we got a call. I just remember her manager saying, "Two nominations." I actually thought he was joking, but I was like, "That's a really mean joke."

Mark: You don't ever think you're going to get that call.

7. Some months back, a bit of a "thing" was made over whether or not you guys had paid your dues, so to speak. For anyone still wondering, can you give us a recap of your 10,000 hours, as they call it, and the work you put in separately and as a trio before you were signed to Big Machine Records?

Jess: Absolutely. I mean, the unfortunate part of that was they took something from an interview, and I guess they misunderstood about Midland being together for less than four years. And, yeah, Midland is a relatively new band, but the three of us go back over a decade playing music together. We all moved to LA to pursue music separately -- we met in LA doing music. I played in a band with Cameron, and Mark played in a band with Cameron, literally over ten years ago. Then, we all had musical lives before that, too, playing in bar bands and stuff. So, there's no doubt that each of us has clocked our ten thousand hours. Midland may be a relatively new band -- and we started the band from nothing, too. We started in Austin, Texas; we didn't start it in Nashville. To even get gigs at Poodies was big for us. We were blown away that we were able to play it at Poodies Roadhouse. Getting open for Gary P. Nunn and some of these local Texas people or playing Broken Spoke, Continental Club, Luckenbach, The White Horse, Mercer Street Hall, Nutty Brown -- we played all over, and we played three-hour sets in that area -- that's where and how we learned how to be a band.

Cam: Look, lazy journalism was all that really was, if we're being really honest. Look, I'm not asking that anybody like us. But, if you're going to spend your time writing -- if that's your job, then do your job. Your job is not to look up the square footage of my home, you know?

Mark: It's preposterous, and I just don't know why.

Cam: Why do we need many more divisiveness in our country right now? It just doesn't make any sense. And, you know, the bummer is that when you have to go and explain yourself, then you're doing that exactly -- explaining yourself, which is just not necessary, and it's silly. And, that's not anything that an artist or a band wants to have to do, but now it sounds like we're having to do that. It just sucks. The whole scenario is dumb, and we don't care. Ultimately, you know, when you're great, you're going to have people that are looking to tear you down. I imagine that we'll do that and have to go through that, and it is par for the course, but you know, we care about the music, and that's all that matters. And, to me, that's the final word.

Mark: The one caveat to that is that this guy has never seen us live. We take the greatest pride in our ability to play live and to deliver an incredible show. And, that's not something that you can fake. You can't fake a live Honky Tonk or Rock 'n' Roll or Country show. That's something that we've worked at, and it's genuine. That's all we care about. Anybody who wants to try to make up falsities about us, fuck you -- come and see us live. Period. That's it.

The greatest revenge is sweet success, though, right? And, have you felt validation from the rest of the industry?

Cam: Yeah. I think that's right. And, we just keep our heads down, and we're writing. We're also rooting for our friends along the way that we've met, people like Michael Ray, who is such a sweet person. People who have lent a hand and helped prop us up. People like Kenny Chesney, who allowed us to open for him to do this year on a bunch of dates. Darius Rucker, who has become like our cosmic soul brother; we love him so much, and he's so cool. Dwight Yoakam, who took us out on six dates before we had even released music.

Mark: Willie Nelson letting us open for him multiple times.

Cam: Garth Brooks! Garth mentioned us, for some reason, as a band he listens to. That means everything to us! Like, that's all that matters, and that's the coolest thing that's ever happened to us is that Garth Brooks said he listened to our music, and he liked it. That's all the validation we need in the world, as far as I'm concerned.

Mark: Tim [McGraw] and Faith [Hill} taking us out. Eric Church! Eric Church took time to walk all the way across the opposite side of the BMI Awards to come up to us and give us a compliment and tell us to keep on going.

Jess: That's the community that we love, and that's why we love Country music. There's people willing to prop you up instead of trying to put you down in a competitive way. It's just a beautiful thing.

8. Your album is popping up on "Best Of" lists all across the internet, and "Drinkin' Problem" was voted in the #2 slot for 2017 by readers of All Access. Having written or co-written each of the tracks on the album, how would you sum up your feelings seeing this project being so well-received? Do you carry a bigger sense of pride in the process or the product?

Mark: That's all just amazing. Honestly. It's validation to what you've risked everything for. We've -- all three of us -- put all the cards on the table. We put everything we had on this, and there wasn't a backup plan. This had to work, you know, otherwise, what else I would have? Who knows, I might would have had to go back and get that truck driving gig. So, it just feels amazing. The chance to do it with two of your best friends, it's like a dream. We keep pinching ourselves, and I don't know how many people get to make a living by doing what they love. It's just like drinking life in through a fire hydrant.

9. Your second single, "Make A Little," is sitting at #19 in real time right now after 12 weeks on the chart. [Editor's Note: "Make A Little" is now at #15 in real time.] Additionally, fellow "traditional Country" acts like Jon Pardi, Luke Combs, and Chris Janson are experiencing success at the same time. Does the success you guys are currently experiencing signal a shift back to a traditional sound, in your mind? How do you view the overall landscape of Country radio right now?

Jess: I just think the landscape is kind of growing, and kind of broadening. There's something for everybody, it seems like, right now, and people with different sounds getting opportunities. We were just actually talking to Michael Ray last night about that and just how cool it is to be involved in Country music right now.

Cam: It's a great class of people out there right now, it really is.

Mark: Well, and, we're happy to be a part of it. We're super grateful for all of it and for Country radio.

10. You guys have been "the young one" on a few tours now. Looking at other "New Faces" in the industry, who are the guys and gals that are up-and-coming who impress you? If you were to go out on a headlining tour this year with support acts, what "New Faces" would you like to bring with you on the road, and why?

Cam: Oh, wow. That's a great question. We'd love to go back out with Jon Pardi and Runaway June. We're all really close, and we love them. You wouldn't think it, but we had a great time with Tyler Farr the other night. He's a great joker and is super fun. There's a band in Nashville kind of by way of Texas, called The Texas Gentlemen, that we're big fans of. They're great. Margo Price has put out some really great records, and she's at the top of everybody's list right now. Our friend, Tommy Ash, she just started, and she's got a great little write-up and is another great, strong, female voice in the Country music genre that's definitely tapping into that modern traditional sound. Lukas Nelson, it'd be fun to go out with Lukas.

Mark: We've got some friends out in Texas like Jonathan Terrell that would be a blast. There's a lot of talent that's coming up, both outside and inside of Nashville, right now that's not necessarily getting radio play yet, either. So, I think it's a really exciting time for Country music, and I think, in a way, Country music has this amazing opportunity to kind of be the new Rock 'n' Roll. I think for me, Jess, and Cam, it's just important that we're authentic to ourselves -- and obviously that we're recording and writing music that means something to us. At the end of the day, you're playing 300-something days a year, so you better be playing music that means something to you, or you're going to be miserable.

1. This year, the three of you have had the opportunity to appear and perform on many nationally broadcast television shows, tour the country, play for radio, experience chart success, garner critical praise and awards nominations, and become red carpet fashion icons. What would you name as the Top Three moments of 2017 for this group?

Cam: Playing at The Ryman was a pretty incredible experience, and I was very grateful for that. Grand Ole Opry.

Jess: Playing Billy Bob's.

Mark: Selling out our first hard ticket show at The Grizzly Rose in Denver.

Cam: Two Grammy nominations. Getting voted to "New Faces" is probably jockeying for #1, right next to the Grammy nominations, as far as accomplishments go for us. Getting a Gold record.

Jess: Gillette Stadium with Kenny Chesney.

Mark: Meeting Tim McGraw and singing in the shower with him. Many a fantasy has been lived out in the shower...

Jess: Going to the CMA Awards this year was really cool.

Cam: Yeah, we had to scalp tickets last year. We actually got invited this year!

Mark: It's kind of crazy the number of things that have been accomplished in one year. It has definitely come with a cost and a price, of which our boyish good looks going in to the year are now gone, and we're all just weathered and haggard. We could use a day spa treatment. Can All Access put us up at a spa?

2. As a trio of "New Faces," you all have bright futures ahead of you in the industry. If you were to look in to a crystal ball, where would you hope to be - both personally and professionally - by CRS 2025?

Jess: How long is that?!

Mark: We just hope to be alive.

Cam: We hope to be continuing to put out music and evolving as artists, and musicians, and as performers. We don't want to stay where we are, obviously. We want to grow the audience, and we want to grow as artists. It's not a given that anything will work. This certainly wasn't a given.

Mark: I think for all three of us, it's fuel in the tank to continue to work and keep working even harder. And, hopefully we're going to gain a lot of knowledge and wisdom along the way that's going to help us to continue to be relevant artists.

Jess: Yeah, I mean the Awards are great, but I don't think that's why we set out to be musicians.

Cam: That's what I'm looking for!

Jess: This guy has already built a huge trophy room. He's filling it up.

Cam: It's about the music, though, really. It's about the albums and the songs, and it's about getting to do it live. There's no greater rush, there's no greater thrill, than to be on a stage and make live music with your buddies and have thousands of people singing along and experiencing enjoy because of a project you created.

3. After countless radio visits and radio shows, is there anything that radio does NOT know about you that you can - or would like to - share here?

Jess: Just thank you.

Cam: Seriously, yes, just thank you.

Mark: Thank you. And, we love you guys. Like, we really love everyone at Country radio.

Cam: There's no way to describe radio's importance to Country music - radio IS Country music.

Jess: Your whole career revolves around that, so to be accepted and supported as a new band by Country radio - it's such an honor, and we are so grateful.