Midland Chats About Their Latest Project 'The Last Resort: Greetings From'

Country trio Midland's latest addition to their growing discography, is a cinematic, western-feeling collection filled with a wide range of emotion and sound. Although not deemed a concept record, it sure calculates like one. "I feel like this album is really the soundtrack to the people at the last resort," lead singer Mark Wystrach states about the project. "The Last Resort could be a full movie and this would be the soundtrack because it is so eclectic and varied." With the wide variety of genre-bending blends, The Last Resort: Greetings From truly listens like a motel filled with every walk of life.

After the preceding EP conveniently titled The Last Resort from 2021, the trio has finished off the full collection with brand new songs including the lead single "Longneck Way To Go" with fellow country star Jon Pardi. "I feel like of all the songs that we cut, 'Longneck Way To Go,' as [we] were tracking it in the studio, felt like how is this not a song that we've cut and recorded before?" Cameron Duddy, bassist of the trio, says. "It feels like we've been waiting a long time for that song to come to us." The single marks the first collaboration they've included on one of their studio albums.

Although Pardi's voice acts as their first noticeable collaboration on the surface, Midland is no stranger to working with other acts in the country scene. John Osborne from Brothers Osborne co wrote "Paycheck To Paycheck" with the three and played guitar on the track. His signature style of upbeat and groovy guitar playing radiates as the tune opens.

The three also opened up about their collaboration as a group internally and gives insight into the behind the scenes creation process."It's an ever-evolving process and every write is completely different," Wystrach remarks. He continues on,"We've all taken turns coming to the write with a hook, maybe a chord progression, maybe a melody idea. You have an elemental basis to it, right? Chords, lyrics, and melody so start with one of those things and you're off to the races. It's about throwing ideas out and seeing what captures everybody's attention."

The soundscape that lays across the project is quite different and unique to their previous full-length contributions."Bury Me In Blue Jeans" is a country track sprinkled with bits of R&B styles. "If I Lived Here" is a twangy, drinking song suited for a late night out at the bar with friends and "Life Ain't Fair" is a summery, breezy addition perfect for warm days by the pool that features wistful vocals with an understandable, worldly message with lyrics like, "So take your place in the freak show / Let go of things beyond your control / And enjoy the view from the big wheel in the sky."

According to the band, the pandemic is most likely what caused the shift in musicality. "I think the sounds that you're hearing and the styles of songs definitely give insight into what Midland was listening to during COVID and lockdown. And what you're hearing is a lot because we had a lot of time on our hands so we kind of all went exploring and did a deep dive back into a lot of the stuff that maybe we hadn't listened to in a long time," Wystrach exclaims,"You're kind of seeing the full spectrum of those influences."

Duddy expands on their growth as creators and collaborators saying,"Our music is more focused. It's probably more in touch. We know what we want to say now."

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