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.
April Fools and Eggmen
Fair to Midland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they don't waste their time suspending disbelief
They face the facts with thinking caps, they map out and display
But that's not the only way
Common sense won't pay the rent and doesn't grow on trees
But splitting hairs can get you anything you need
Who would have thought connecting dots might get you to the point?
Take the bait and save however much it takes
Before you've made your wish, however much it takes
Rest assured they're weighing words in sympathetic ink
And I don't waste my time suspending disbelief
Masterminds want bottom lines to map out and display
If I have every bit of faith I won't be turning in my grave
Take the bait and save however much it takes
Before you've made your wish, however much it takes
Take your own advice before you take a side
Run for middle ground
Take the bait and save however much it takes
Before you've made your wish, however much it takes
Before you lie in bed, however much it takes
The lyrics to Fair to Midland's song April Fools and Eggmen are a commentary on the nature of truth and belief. The first stanza describes those who "weigh words in sympathetic ink" and "face the facts with thinking caps," suggesting that there are those who approach truth with an objective mindset, looking at facts and evidence with clear-eyed rationality. However, the second stanza complicates this picture, arguing that "common sense won't pay the rent" and that "splitting hairs" can get you what you need. The implication is that there are alternate ways of approaching the world that do not rely strictly on truth or reason.
The chorus suggests that there is a cost to our beliefs, and that we must "take the bait and save however much it takes" before we have even made our wish. This could be read as a caution against blindly following our desires and impulses without fully considering the consequences. However, the song also seems to suggest that there is value in faith and belief, even when it is not strictly backed up by evidence. The final lines, "Before you lie in bed, however much it takes," suggest that at the end of the day, we must live with our beliefs and desires, and that we must be careful in how we choose to approach them.
Line by Line Meaning
Rest assured they're weighing words in sympathetic ink
Trust that they're being careful with their words and considering all angles
And they don't waste their time suspending disbelief
They don't ignore reality or believe things blindly
They face the facts with thinking caps, they map out and display
They approach problems logically and develop solutions
But that's not the only way
There are other ways to approach a problem
Common sense won't pay the rent and doesn't grow on trees
Having good judgment isn't enough to make money or solve all problems
But splitting hairs can get you anything you need
Analyzing small details can lead to success
Who would have thought connecting dots might get you to the point?
Linking different pieces of information can lead to important conclusions
But charities and remedy, almost as much as modesty
Helping others and being humble are just as valuable as success
Take the bait and save however much it takes
Do whatever it takes to achieve your goals
Before you've made your wish, however much it takes
Invest in yourself before relying on luck
Masterminds want bottom lines to map out and display
Smart people want clear goals to work towards
If I have every bit of faith I won't be turning in my grave
If I believe in myself, I won't regret anything when I die
Take your own advice before you take a side
Think for yourself before aligning with a particular group or ideology
Run for middle ground
Find a balance between different viewpoints or options
Before you lie in bed, however much it takes
Make sure you've done everything you can before giving up
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW SUDDERTH, BRETT STOWERS, CLIFFORD CAMPBELL, JOHN MATTHEW LANGLEY, JON DICKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind