Fair to Midland
Fair to Midland were an alternative metal/progressive rock band formed in S… Read Full Bio ↴Fair to Midland were an alternative metal/progressive rock band formed in Sulphur Springs, Texas in 1998. They dissolved without any official statement.
Anyone who thinks the phrase “it’s all been done before” carries real weight clearly has yet to encounter Fair to Midland. Dark, heavy, moving, cryptic, progressive art rock collides with flourishes of old-school country, Americana and Delta Blues in their sound. These Lonestar boys' genre-defying and boundary obliterating ocean of sound righteously upends the old phrase “fair to middling” from which their Texas-ified moniker was drawn.
Arrows & Anchors, the five-piece band’s first album in partnership with eOne Music, is meaner, sadder and altogether more desperate of an affair than its predecessors. “It’s a very bitter album,” offers vocalist Darroh Sudderth. “The last album had some light at the end of the tunnel in some of the subject matter. This one doesn’t have that quite so much.”
This particularly invigorating yet undeniably gut-wrenching collection of songs is the product of a string of years of career strife since the group last poked their head into magazines and record shops. Arrows and Anchors follows a change in record label, a change in management and one (“maybe two,” Sudderth laughs) changes in booking agent. All of that change and upheaval definitely played a role in the creative process; artistic lemonade from business lemons.
There has never been a lack of faith from the diehard admirers who have steadily adopted the band as their own in growing numbers since Fair to Midland’s initial pair of self-released albums, The Carbon Copy Silver Lining (2001) and inter.funda.stifle (2004). Both were explorations into the furthest reaches of the musical psyche that earned them praise from critics, fans and fellow musicians. Fair to Midland are a true “band’s band.”
So much so, in fact, that eclectic musical connoisseur and multiplatinum recording artist Serj Tankian, best known as the frontman for System of a Down, signed them to his Serjikal Strike imprint, which released The Drawn & Quartered EP (2006) and the band’s third full-length album, Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True (2007).
A killer live show and intensive roadwork as a headliner, at prestigious festivals such as Coachella, Download, Rock AM Ring and Rock IM Ring and together with bands like Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Flyleaf and Dir en Grey has brought the band’s skillful and adept approach to art rock infused prog-metal to international attention.
There are a few of their by now trademarked tongue-in-cheek dalliances to be sure but for the most part Arrows and Anchors is Fair to Midland’s most cynical offering. By the same turn, it’s a performance album with a laser-like focus on the raw passion and intensity. In an age of overly processed heavy music, the band partnered with producer Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Coheed and Cambria, Melvins) who sequestered them into his self-appointed House of Compression in Pasadena, California and wrenched out top-tier performances.
The recording captures an authenticity and a sincerity that’s lacking in most modern records. “We always want to work with someone who is interested and enthusiastic to work with us,” Sudderth explains. “Because at the end of the day they’re going to spend that much more time wanting to make the record their own, as well. We didn’t want to worry about everything being immaculate, pristine and polished. This is absolutely a performance-driven record.”
Arrows & Anchors is also a testament to Fair to Midland’s personal chemistry and unique collaborative perspective. Some songs were written together. Others were demoed out by a particular member – say keyboardist Matt Langley or his six string cohort, Cliff Campbell – right down to the programmed drums. “Or maybe I brought a completed song where I programmed whatever instruments I can’t play,” Sudderth elaborates. It was a very open process.
The bizarrely creative and inspired vocals and guitar work in Fair to Midland play against the counterintuitive and monstrously rhythmic backbeat of drummer Brett Stowers and bassist Jon Dicken. Matt Langley’s ethereal electronics enhance everything else. The group’s canvas is as expansive and breathtaking as the state of Texas itself.
Fair to Midland is one of the rare bands who expertly walk the fine line between accessibility and integrity, between open lines of communication and introverted psychic exploration. “We’re not gifted songwriters,” Sudderth says with genuine self-effacing humility. “So we have to be really resourceful and that’s a talent in and of itself. We do our best.”
Fair to Midland's current lineup consists of Darroh Sudderth (vocals, banjo, mandolin, bass), Cliff Campbell (guitar), Matt Langley (keys), Ryan Collier (bass), and Logan Kennedy (drums).
In November 2011, the band released their first DVD, Welcome to the Dirt, consisting mainly of band shots and fan footage of live shows. The DVD is distributed exclusively through their own merchandise site. The profit from this release helped fund a professional video recording of the band's show at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan on December 17. This footage will be released worldwide on DVD on March 27, 2012. Arrows & Anchors will was released on double vinyl on March 26, limited to 250 copies.
Anyone who thinks the phrase “it’s all been done before” carries real weight clearly has yet to encounter Fair to Midland. Dark, heavy, moving, cryptic, progressive art rock collides with flourishes of old-school country, Americana and Delta Blues in their sound. These Lonestar boys' genre-defying and boundary obliterating ocean of sound righteously upends the old phrase “fair to middling” from which their Texas-ified moniker was drawn.
Arrows & Anchors, the five-piece band’s first album in partnership with eOne Music, is meaner, sadder and altogether more desperate of an affair than its predecessors. “It’s a very bitter album,” offers vocalist Darroh Sudderth. “The last album had some light at the end of the tunnel in some of the subject matter. This one doesn’t have that quite so much.”
This particularly invigorating yet undeniably gut-wrenching collection of songs is the product of a string of years of career strife since the group last poked their head into magazines and record shops. Arrows and Anchors follows a change in record label, a change in management and one (“maybe two,” Sudderth laughs) changes in booking agent. All of that change and upheaval definitely played a role in the creative process; artistic lemonade from business lemons.
There has never been a lack of faith from the diehard admirers who have steadily adopted the band as their own in growing numbers since Fair to Midland’s initial pair of self-released albums, The Carbon Copy Silver Lining (2001) and inter.funda.stifle (2004). Both were explorations into the furthest reaches of the musical psyche that earned them praise from critics, fans and fellow musicians. Fair to Midland are a true “band’s band.”
So much so, in fact, that eclectic musical connoisseur and multiplatinum recording artist Serj Tankian, best known as the frontman for System of a Down, signed them to his Serjikal Strike imprint, which released The Drawn & Quartered EP (2006) and the band’s third full-length album, Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True (2007).
A killer live show and intensive roadwork as a headliner, at prestigious festivals such as Coachella, Download, Rock AM Ring and Rock IM Ring and together with bands like Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Flyleaf and Dir en Grey has brought the band’s skillful and adept approach to art rock infused prog-metal to international attention.
There are a few of their by now trademarked tongue-in-cheek dalliances to be sure but for the most part Arrows and Anchors is Fair to Midland’s most cynical offering. By the same turn, it’s a performance album with a laser-like focus on the raw passion and intensity. In an age of overly processed heavy music, the band partnered with producer Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Coheed and Cambria, Melvins) who sequestered them into his self-appointed House of Compression in Pasadena, California and wrenched out top-tier performances.
The recording captures an authenticity and a sincerity that’s lacking in most modern records. “We always want to work with someone who is interested and enthusiastic to work with us,” Sudderth explains. “Because at the end of the day they’re going to spend that much more time wanting to make the record their own, as well. We didn’t want to worry about everything being immaculate, pristine and polished. This is absolutely a performance-driven record.”
Arrows & Anchors is also a testament to Fair to Midland’s personal chemistry and unique collaborative perspective. Some songs were written together. Others were demoed out by a particular member – say keyboardist Matt Langley or his six string cohort, Cliff Campbell – right down to the programmed drums. “Or maybe I brought a completed song where I programmed whatever instruments I can’t play,” Sudderth elaborates. It was a very open process.
The bizarrely creative and inspired vocals and guitar work in Fair to Midland play against the counterintuitive and monstrously rhythmic backbeat of drummer Brett Stowers and bassist Jon Dicken. Matt Langley’s ethereal electronics enhance everything else. The group’s canvas is as expansive and breathtaking as the state of Texas itself.
Fair to Midland is one of the rare bands who expertly walk the fine line between accessibility and integrity, between open lines of communication and introverted psychic exploration. “We’re not gifted songwriters,” Sudderth says with genuine self-effacing humility. “So we have to be really resourceful and that’s a talent in and of itself. We do our best.”
Fair to Midland's current lineup consists of Darroh Sudderth (vocals, banjo, mandolin, bass), Cliff Campbell (guitar), Matt Langley (keys), Ryan Collier (bass), and Logan Kennedy (drums).
In November 2011, the band released their first DVD, Welcome to the Dirt, consisting mainly of band shots and fan footage of live shows. The DVD is distributed exclusively through their own merchandise site. The profit from this release helped fund a professional video recording of the band's show at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan on December 17. This footage will be released worldwide on DVD on March 27, 2012. Arrows & Anchors will was released on double vinyl on March 26, limited to 250 copies.
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Fair to Midland Lyrics
-The Beltway- At the rate I'm goin', Little hands will be all that…
01. Dance of the Manatee Take a little dive into the shallow or spy What do…
02. Kyla Cries Cologne Let me introduce you to a pair that strikes crude…
03 Vice Versa Mountains of molehills, A grapevine in my ear. Spots on th…
04. The Wife the Kids and the White Picket Fence Mail order brides, turtlenecks, and trophy wives, Had the w…
05. April Fools and Eggmen Rest assured they're weighing words in sympathetic ink And …
07. A Wolf Descends upon the Spanish Sahara If you're keeping score then you're bound to win, A birds…
08. Walls of Jericho What dreams splendidly weaved from an atom bomb Retrieved f…
09. Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes Too much patience, No resistance, Within shouting distance…
A Loophole in Limbo Into the middle we go Into the middle we go I smell…
A Seafarer's Knot Lucky are the leaves of the clover. She's diggin' for chemis…
A Seafarer`s Knot Lucky are the leaves of the clover She's diggin' for chemis…
A Wolf Descends Upon Spanish Sahara If you're keeping score then you're bound to win, A birds…
A Wolf Descends Upon The Spanish Sahara If you're keeping score then you're bound to win, A birds…
Abigail If there's a nurse that takes your ears in rations Sets…
Amarillo Sleeps on My Pillow Stay close if you want to keep up But don't dare…
Amarillo Sleeps On My Pillow 2 Stay close if you want to keep up But don't dare…
An Occurance During the Restoration Process WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WAHAHA…
April Fools & Eggmen Rest assured they're weighing words in sympathetic ink And t…
As I Was Travelling (And as I was traveling I realized there were no…
Beto II Reach. go on. Hands don't match, Go and find the bars that…
Bright Bulbs & Sharp Tools Now heaven knows I've got one short damn fuse So come…
Coppertank Island Ladies and gentlemen We are in a little bit of a…
Dance Of The Manatee Take a little dive into the shallow and spy; what…
Gaining One North Star, Bring luck. Call the nurse I'm dropping in a…
Golden Parachutes Here they come, shaking in their boots They'll be skipping s…
granny niblo Here is the deal, you must find guesses in this…
Heavens to Murgatroyd Now soon enough, Someone's gonna come along, Could be your h…
Informative Timeline While I'm young I'm gonna waste my breath, Watch as they…
inter mission This town is made of starfish I need a seahorse…
Kyla Cries Cologne Let me introduce you to a pair that strikes crude…
Manatee Take a little dive into the shallow and spy; what…
Musical Chairs You should be counting your blessings From the sky Your eagl…
My Mentor Among the sounds of all the secrets here in private…
Orphan Anthem '86 We're gone but not better. A lighted match can burn the…
Pen- -. BOOM! WAYHAYAYAYAYHAYAYAYAYAYAY BOOM! WAYHAYAYAYAYHAYAYAY…
Pour The Coal To 'er He headed out to rub elbows with oysters today, What a…
prambles in 3rd Person I let them circle 'round and defeat me…
quince You could've been raised in Africa. We lacked in our vigor,…
Rikki Tikki Tavi Listen to me Listen to me AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Rikki-Tikki, Ri…
Say When The sideways man walks on his hands, Can't keep from draggin…
See Saw In chorus we stagger. Closed eyes Bring more light inside. S…
Short-Haired Tornado If you croak I hope ya know I'm gonna toss…
Stale Penny If you listen close, Make sure you ignore what they say, Rea…
Stiffback Tell the world how I'll miss it's small atmosphere, And wond…
Tall Tales Too much patience, No resistance, Within shouting distance, …
Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes Too much patience, No resistance, Within shouting distanc…
The Greener Grass When you cry Try not to smile You could fill up a…
the walls of jericho What dreams splendidly weaved from an atom bomb retrieved fr…
The Wife The Kids And The Wh Mail order brides, turtlenecks, and trophy wives, Had the w…
The Wife, the Kids, and the White Picket Fence Mail-order brides, Turtlenecks and trophy wives. Had the way…
Timbuktu Pack up with what's worthy, lock it up in the…
Uh-Oh I went right back home You would have done the same And…
Upgrade^Brigade Glow, but don't shine A fuse for a blueprint, devices my…
Vice Mountains of molehills, A grapevine in my ear. Spots on the …
ViceVersa Mountains of molehills, a grapevine in my ear Spots on the…
Walls Of Jericho Splendidly weaved from an atom bomb Retrieved from a telepro…
When The Bough Breaks I'll give you a home…
Whiskey From hand to heart and hands to head These gritty teeth…
Whiskey and Ritalin From hand to heart and hands to head These gritty teeth…
With This Easel And there we go instead a tease that mocks the…
Wolf Descends Upon the Spanish If you're keeping score then you're bound to win, A birds…