From Broken Spoke To The Big Stage: Midland Look Back To Move Forward

Midland has always understood the romance of the road. From North Hollywood’s Palomino Club to Texas institutions like Gruene Hall, Gilley’s and Austin’s Broken Spoke, the Grammy-nominated trio have built their reputation on blending classic country traditions with a cinematic modern swagger. Their new album Stages, released June 12 via Blue Highway Records, feels like both a love letter to those places and a reflection on the years that got them there.

For guitarist and vocalist Jess Carson, the record came naturally from looking back at everything the band has experienced together over more than a decade. “There wasn't a specific moment, but our past is something we've been talking about a lot lately,” he says. “Maybe because we've been doing this for over 10 years. Classic country feels more relevant now than anytime since we started this band. So I think this album is very self-preferential to our journey.”

That sense of history runs throughout the album, especially in the way Midland references legendary venues and old-school country mythology. Asked which venue carries the most unforgettable Midland memory, Carson immediately points to Austin institution Broken Spoke. “That was our Northstar for so long, the legendary Austin Honky Tonk that we wanted to play,” he recalls. “We finally got our chance doing the dinner shows and eventually worked our way up to headlining the dance hall. The owner, James White, would come up and do a song with us; it's a very, very special memory.”

Stages leans heavily into both Texas and California country influences, and Carson already has a soundtrack in mind for the imaginary road trip between the two states. “Maybe Vaquero is the one that plays crossing into Texas,” he says. “That's a really fun one to sing for all of us and kind of a throwback to the old singing cowboys; it's kind of like a campfire song. And then maybe Marlboro Man is the one that plays crossing into California. It has that scope, the widescreen cinematic view.”

Despite Midland’s polished image and effortless cool, Carson admits the band’s early years were far less refined. “The first few years were definitely the messiest for us,” he laughs. “We hadn't learned how to moderate on the road, and pretty much every night was a party. I've got lots of wild videos on my phone that maybe someday we'll see the light of day.”

That balance between heartbreak, honky-tonk energy and self-awareness is part of what gives Stages its appeal. Carson insists there’s no wrong way to experience the record. “It's all of those honestly,” he says when asked about the ideal listening environment. “It's meant to connect with you wherever you're at in life and in the world. Of course for us, a Honky Tonk will always feel like the most natural place for our music.”

Midland’s aesthetic has always flirted with nostalgia, but Carson says the key is making sure the substance matches the style. “We're entertainers first and foremost, so I think dressing up will always be a legitimate part of what we do,” he explains. “And I think that's fine so long as you have the songs and the chops to back it up.”



One of the album’s standout moments is Up In Texas, which features country icon Clint Black. For Carson, getting Black involved felt surreal. “That was such a huge honour to have him featured on that song,” he says. “We've got some shows together coming up, and we've been fortunate enough to strike up a friendship with him. You couldn't find a nicer and more humble guy.”

The setting of the recording process also played a major role in shaping the album. Midland recorded at the legendary Sonic Ranch studio in West Texas, and Carson believes the environment seeped directly into the songs. “It absolutely shaped that album,” he says. “I think it shapes every album that gets recorded there; it would be impossible for it not to. Being out there in the desert in West Texas, at a place that barely has any phone service. It's an absolutely magical place to make a record.”

That atmosphere feeds directly into the cinematic streak running through Stages. Carson believes Marlboro Man captures it best. “I think we all feel like Marlboro Man is the most cinematic,” he says. “I feel like we managed to capture a lot of that in the music video which we shot down in southern Arizona on the Mexican border, where Mark grew up. That video feels like a movie trailer to me, like a part of a larger story.”

Elsewhere, the band taps into pure honky-tonk energy with Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey, a track originally associated with The SteelDrivers and Gary Allan. “That song felt like it was in our sweet spot for that type of up-tempo Honky Tonk song,” Carson explains. “We always have to make sure the album has a few of those that we get to play live, it keeps us entertained.”

The closing track Vaquero brings the album to a reflective finish, even if the band didn’t initially plan it that way. “I don't know if we knew it was going to be the final track, but we knew we had to make sure it had its own spotlight because it's such a special song,” Carson says. “The aging cowboy—it's an image we identify with more and more as time goes by.”

After years spent moving from pickup trucks to tour buses and from tiny bars to major stages, Carson says Midland has inevitably changed, although not entirely. “We've done a lot of growing up; our habits on the road have changed to some degree. We've calmed down some,” he says. “But really we are the same three guys. And we spend so much time together that the changes we go through tend to influence each other. We've matured some, but we're still pretty immature.”

When asked which songs best represent each band member’s personality, Carson has the answers ready. “Maybe Mark is Marlboro Man, I think the reasons are pretty easy to see,” he jokes. “I think he might have even done a Marlboro Man campaign back in the day. I'll say Cameron is Shooting Memories With Tequila because that song feels like a party. And maybe I'm Drunk Enough because that song feels like it's from the old American songbook which is my favourite period of songwriting.”

As for the texture and imagery that kept resurfacing while making the record, Carson gives a simple answer: Probably tequila.

And finally, perhaps the most important question of all—which song from Stages is most likely to inspire a regrettable late-night decision? Carson doesn’t hesitate. “I would say Drunk Enough is going to wind up inspiring a late-night text to your ex.”