Today, the GRAMMY®-nominated trio Midland announced their upcoming album, Barely Blue, an eight-song journey through themes of loneliness, masculinity, and resilience amid heartache. With vivid imagery of near-empty bars and shimmering heat waves, the album explores the emotional depth needed to love, lose, and move forward. Recorded at Georgia Mae Studios in Savannah, GA with the nine-time GRAMMY winner Dave Cobb and mixed at Apex Sound in Burbank, CA, the album sees lead singer/guitarist Mark Wystrach, bassist/vocalist Cameron Duddy, and guitarist/vocalist Jess Carson embracing solitude and continuity, anchored by the soulful sounds of steel guitars.
“Barely Blue” showcases the trio’s celestial harmonies reminiscent of the Laurel Canyon sound of The Mamas & the Papas, the robust elements of Buffalo Springfield, and the cosmic American vibes of The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds. For those in high spirits, the album’s sound is uplifting. For those feeling the ache, the truth and perseverance in the lyrics provide solace. For everyone in between, it offers an honest portrayal of facing disappointment and making life work.
“Lucky Sometimes”
The trio also unveiled the album’s opening track, “Lucky Sometimes,” along with an official video directed by Harper Smith. Additionally, they announced “The Get Lucky Tour,” which starts on September 19 in Cincinnati, OH, making notable stops at Red Rocks Amphitheater on October 12 with Jackson Dean and ACL Live in Austin, TX on December 20. Tickets will be available for purchase this Friday, June 28. For a complete list of tour dates, visit their website.
“Lucky Sometimes” follows the release of “Old Fashioned Feeling,” which was hailed as one of the best songs of the week by Rolling Stone and Billboard. The track was praised for its old-school, soulful country sound and the trio’s smooth, warm harmonies.
About the new single, Mark Wystrach explains: “‘Lucky Sometimes’ is a get up and go, hot streak, feel good anthem for when it feels like you just can’t lose. The arrangement is sparse with a high and lonesome groove that crests with soaring harmonies on the hook. It’s the first song on the album and an introduction to the new sonic landscape that Midland found with Dave Cobb at the helm.”
Watch Midland’s Official Video for “Lucky Sometimes”
“We knew we wanted to go somewhere else,” Cameron Duddy adds about the creation of Barely Blue. “We are all big believers in a certain time and place, a sense of classic country that comes from roadhouses and bad coffee, miles and miles and miles on the road – and the idea that, even though we’re all happy, love and life falls apart, but that doesn’t mean you have to, too. When we were writing these songs, it was a trip into all the things in country music we love. You don’t hear much of this kind of unfiltered, hard stuff that comes with the great guitar sounds, the deep harmonies and shuffles you can tuck into. But that’s the essence of what Midland is – and Dave Cobb brought a new altitude to our sound.”
Wystrach adds: “Dave Cobb had been a producer we wanted to work with since we first heard Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. Dave’s eclectic musical background and the way he approaches recording as an experience and not a task made him the perfect match for us. On Barely Blue, we feel like Dave helped us find the sound we’ve been searching for for a long time.”
“Our sound and writing has always been evolving,” Duddy reflects. “We were three guys who met at a wedding, shot the shit about music and realized how much we had in common. We started singing together and were amazed at the sound of our combined voices. What started with ‘Drinkin’ Problem’ was the beginning of a journey that’s always been interesting; it’s twisted and turned, but honestly, Mark, Jess and I have loved everywhere it’s taken us.”
Midland Tour Dates
Summer Headline Tour:
- 6/27 – Emigrant, MT – The Old Saloon
- 6/28 – Three Forks, MT – Bridger Brewing
- 6/29 – Casper, WY – The Gaslight Social
- 7/4 – Sun Valley, ID – Bluebird Music Festival
- 7/6 – Taos, NM – Kit Carson Park
- 7/26 – Modesto, CA – The Fruit Yard Chicken Ranch Casino Resort Amphitheater
- 7/27 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live Sacramento
- 7/28 – Saratoga, CA – Mountain Winery
- 8/8 – Oro-Medonte – Boots and Hearts Music Festival
- 8/9 – Verona, NY – The Event Center at Turning Stone Resort Casino
- 8/10 – Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resorts Casino
- 8/22 – Pocatello, ID – The Port – Portneuf Health Trust
- 8/23 – Forest Grove, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge
- 8/24 – Airway Heights, WA – BECU Live at Northern Quest
- 8/25 – Bremerton, WA – Kitsap Fair and Stampede
- 9/6 – Fort Madison, IA – Tri-State Rodeo
- 9/7 – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino – Mystic Showroom
- 9/14 – Pryor, OK – Born & Raised
The Get Lucky Tour:
- 9/19 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center $
- 9/20 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre $
- 9/21 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove $
- 9/27 – Anderson, SC – Wendell’s Outdoor ^
- 9/28 – St. Augustine, FL – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre ^
- 10/3 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company *
- 10/4 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy *
- 10/5 – Cherokee, NC – Cherokee Tribal Fair *
- 10/9 – El Paso, TX – Speaking Rock Entertainment Center
- 10/11 – Grand Junction, CO – Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park ^
- 10/12 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre #^
- 10/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event Center !
- 10/26 – Kennewick, WA – Toyota Center !
- 11/2 – San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port !
- 11/29 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall !
- 11/30 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory !
- 12/6 – Las Vegas, NV – The Theater at Virgin Hotels @
- 12/7 – Albuquerque, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center @
- 12/20 – Austin, TX – ACL Live Moody Theater !
@ – Support from Tanya Tucker
$ – Support from Colin Stough
^ – Support from Colby Acuff
*- Support from Elvie Shane
– Support from Jackson Dean
! – Support from The Wilder Blue
Photo Credit: Harper Smith