Midland Releases New Dave Cobb-Produced Album Barely Blue
Watch The Official Video for “Barely Blue” &
Their Performance of “Lone Star State of Mind” on
Credit: Harper Smith
L-R: Jess Carson, Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy
September 20, 2024: Today, GRAMMY®-nominated trio Midland releases their new Dave Cobb-produced album Barely Blue via Big Machine Records and shares the official video for the album’s title track. A heartbreak anthem that harkens back to the ‘70s sounds of Laurel Canyon, “Barely Blue” kicks off the new LP with a dose of melancholia injected with an undercurrent of hopefulness.
Listen to Barely Blue HERE
Watch the official video for “Barely Blue” HERE
“‘Barely Blue’ is the title track of our new album which really colours the foundation and emotion of this rollicking, melancholic collection of songs with a backbeat and memorable choruses. The song itself is almost like a ‘70s country disco dance track meant to be played loud in the club or at the party,” explains Mark Wystrach.
About the new album, Jess Carson adds: “Barely Blue is a destination album. We went East, past Nashville this time to an idyllic island outside of Savannah, Georgia that inspired Johnny Mercer to write ‘Moon River.’ We took a collection of songs we had written over the course of a few years and recorded them live in the studio with Dave Cobb. There was a spirit there that comes through on the album, recording late into the night, taking breaks to sit by a fire around the intercoastal waterway. It is the ‘storybook South’ as Dave calls it, with Spanish moss hanging from Live Oak trees. There’s a timeless feeling there that I like to think these songs share. It is our most human album yet; we didn’t go for a slick perfection. Instead, what you get is a musical journey of the heart.”
Last week, Midland made their first US national television performance in support of Barely Blue with a performance of “Lone Star State of Mind” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The band kicked off album release week with a career-spanning profile in Esquire, followed by a performance at the Grand Ole Opry where they celebrated the RIAA 5x PLATINUM certification of their hit “Drinkin’ Problem.” The trio also previewed the album for a select group of fans at a release event in partnership with Holler in East Nashville, where rising star Kaitlin Butts joined the band for a performance of “Vegas.” Last night, the band began their cross-country US Get Lucky Tour and will continue with an album release show tonight in Chicago before making a stop at Red Rocks on Oct. 12 and playing two shows at the ACL Live in their hometown of Austin, TX on Dec. 19 and 20. Find a full list of tour dates below or visit their website.
The critically-acclaimed new album has garnered praise from Billboard, Holler, Rolling Stone, Music Row, BrooklynVegan and many more.
Produced by the 9x GRAMMY-winner, the eight-song collection finds lead singer/guitarist Mark Wystrach, bassist/vocalist Cameron Duddy and guitarist/vocalist Jess Carson leaning into the trio’s signature celestial harmonies and exploring the tides of loneliness and the stoicism of holding one’s own while imbuing an unparalleled sense of vulnerability that breaks down the facade of masculinity and honors the spirit of loving, losing and moving on.
Earlier this year, Midland collaborated with Orville Peck on “The Hurtin’ Kind,” which appeared on Peck’s new duets album Stampede Vol. 1. They also released a cover of “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” for the star-studded Petty Country album.
Barely Blue tracklist:
- “Lucky Sometimes” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Osborne
- “Barely Blue” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Osborne
- “Better Than A Memory” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Pete Good, Josh Osborne
- “Old Fashioned Feeling” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Osborne
- “Vegas” – Ryan Beaver, Jeff Hyde, Jeremy Spillman, Ryan Tyndell
- “Baby It’s You” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rian Ball, Marv Green
- “Halfway To Heaven” – Jess Carson
- “Lone Star State Of Mind” – Jess Carson, Sean Douglas, Zach Skelton
US Tour Dates:
9/20 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre $
9/21 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove $
9/26 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
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 !
10/25 – Garden City, IA – Revolution Concert House !
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 @
12/19 – Austin, TX – ACL Live Moody Theater !
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
Website – Instagram – Twitter – Facebook
Credit: Harper Smith
About Midland:
Double Grammy® nominees Midland have sought to reintroduce the Western plains, Laurel Canyon-cum-Bakersfield and Lone Star juke joints to Country music since coming together at a friend’s wedding over common influences and the need for a return to this sort of post-Urban Cowboy Country. For lead singer/guitarist Mark Wystrach, bassist/vocalist Cameron Duddy and lead guitarist/vocalist Jess Carson, the five-times platinum hit “Drinkin’ Problem” set the stage for their critically acclaimed On The Rocks and No. 1 Billboard Top Country Albums debut Let It Roll to unite classic country fans, hipsters and media including Entertainment Weekly, GQ, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Variety, Rolling Stone and NPR. Based in Dripping Springs, Texas, the trio of songwriters who developed their sound at Tornillo, Texas’ storied Sonic Ranch have been building a following that’s sold-out the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show, packed a multiple-night stand at Ft. Worth’s iconic Billy Bob’s and re-opened North Hollywood’s legendary Palomino Club for one night only. Bringing listeners a resurgence of their thick harmonies, sad melodies, tart lyrics and steel guitar with their album The Last Resort: Greetings From (Big Machine Records), the retro-Nuevo trio has grown from bar band to an in-demand headliner who mounted their own cruise in April 2024. For more on Midland and tour updates, visit MidlandOfficial.com.