Progressive country trio Midland, who wowed Grammy voters and topped Country radio charts with “Drinkin’ Problem,” return with their eagerly awaited new album Let It Roll on August 23. Produced by Dann Huff, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, Midland’s harmony-driven postmodern take on juke joints and dive bars defines “Mr. Lonely,” the project’s lead single.
Named “the year’s best country album” by The Washington Post, Midland’s debut album On The Rocks earned the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. The Washington Post went on to call the album “a flawless neo-honky-tonk album,” while the New York Times cited their “dangerously honed sense of aesthetics and deadpan sense of humor.”
Those elements remain on Let It Roll, right down to casting Dennis Quaid as the good-time-Charlie character in the “Mr. Lonely” music video. With a strong scent of ‘70s country merging Laurel Canyon with Billy Bob’s Saturday night dance floor appeal, Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson continue creating classic country for a brand new day.
They’ve also picked up Grammy nods for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Country Song, as well as topping the coveted Nashville Scene’s National Country Critics Poll for Best Song and Best New Act. Their ability to modernize country’s roots has made them a live tv favorite, even performing a tribute to the recently inducted Country Music Hall of Famer Jerry Reed on the 52nd annual Country Music Association award show.
The 2018 Academy of Country Music’s Top New Duo/Group has spent the last two years on the road with George Strait, Tim McGraw and Dwight Yoakam, as well as headlining their own shows in this country and around the globe. They recently sold out Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. The miles have further defined the forward-thinking trio’s approach to what country could – and should – be.
“We want to keep things fresh and real,” says Duddy. “The beauty of being in Dripping Springs and spending so much time on the road, we don’t get caught up in what’s trending. We’re able to follow our hearts (and our livers) to where we think country is the best.”
“Everything we’ve learned out on the road touring On The Rocks is all right here on this album,” says Wystrach. “These songs are deeply personal and from the heart.”
“A lot of what was is still so cool, and with the help of Dann, Shane and Josh, as well as the support of Scott and Big Machine, we’re able to be true to the music and keep our kind of country alive,” says Carson.
On August 23, America can hear the next two-step for Midland – and a giant leap for country music.
