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.
Orphan Anthem '86
Fair to Midland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lighted match can burn the cabin down he built.
It's not long but it matters.
Your suit and tie are much too tight in Farmersville.
My daughter's a goldmine, combing the hair of the white waves.
A fountain of saphires under the bridges of Utah.
Instilled in us ethics not by god, but by our choice.
Tell them all to chop me off with left handed scissors rusting when you're touched.
On marble covered mountains, you're the brimstone
When surrounded by comfort cotton floors are of no use.
We see in our forecast what we lack in our pockets.
Encompassed by standards and we give ourselves all the credit.
I can't put my finger on it, but I can see it.
Tell them all to chalk me out with oval arms and hopscotch eyelids.
On marble covered mountains, you're my cargo.
In Fair to Midland's song Orphan Anthem '86, the lyrics tell the story of someone reflecting on their life choices and the values they were raised with. The first two lines, "We're gone but not better. A lighted match can burn the cabin down he built," suggest a sense of regret and a recognition that the things we create can be destroyed in an instant. The next line, "It's not long but it matters," underscores the importance of the choices we make in our short time on Earth. The following line, "Your suit and tie are much too tight in Farmersville," suggests a discomfort with societal norms and expectations.
The next stanza depicts a father's pride in his daughter's beauty and describes her as a "goldmine" and a "fountain of sapphires." The line "Instilled in us ethics not by god, but by our choice" suggests a rejection of traditional religious morality and an emphasis on personal responsibility. The last stanza speaks to a feeling of discontent with material success and a recognition that true fulfillment comes from living according to one's own values. The final line, "On marble covered mountains, you're my cargo," is ambiguous but suggests that the subject feels burdened or held back by external expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
We're gone but not better.
We've left but things haven't improved.
A lighted match can burn the cabin down he built.
Someone's hard work can be destroyed easily.
It's not long but it matters.
The length of time doesn't lessen the importance.
Your suit and tie are much too tight in Farmersville.
You're overdressed for this small town.
My daughter's a goldmine, combing the hair of the white waves.
My daughter is a valuable asset, enjoying the beauty of the ocean.
A fountain of sapphires under the bridges of Utah.
A treasure trove hidden away in plain sight.
Instilled in us ethics not by god, but by our choice.
We choose to live by our own moral code.
I can't even imagine, but I can see it.
I can't fathom it, but I believe it to be true.
Tell them all to chop me off with left-handed scissors rusting when you're touched.
I'd rather undergo a painful, futile endeavor than live without passion.
On marble covered mountains, you're the brimstone.
You're the one thing that can cause destruction, amidst all the beauty.
When surrounded by comfort, cotton floors are of no use.
Material possessions lose their importance when true comfort is present.
We see in our forecast what we lack in our pockets.
Our financial situation affects our future outlook.
Encompassed by standards and we give ourselves all the credit.
We hold ourselves to high standards and take credit for our own successes.
I can't put my finger on it, but I can see it.
I can sense something even if I can't fully explain it.
Tell them all to chalk me out with oval arms and hopscotch eyelids.
I want to be remembered for my unique, creative spirit.
On marble covered mountains, you're my cargo.
You're the most valuable thing I have, in the most unlikely place.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW SUDDERTH, BRETT STOWERS, CLIFFORD CAMPBELL, JOHN MATTHEW LANGLEY, JON DICKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MarcusAurelius
A truly beautiful song. I'll never come across another band that could fuse metal/folk/country quite like these guys did. They will be missed the world over.
Curtis Layton
I listen to them every day
Justin Solowoniuk
I'll never understand how this track didn't made it to Fables... That first 30 seconds is soo surreal. Classic Fair to Midland surreal.
RIP FTM ;_;
Matthijs Pals
This version I think...
Justin Solowoniuk
Ohhhh, is it remastered or just this version?
Matthijs Pals
@shady4091 It did :) but as a bonus track. I finally bought the album a few weeks ago, and was so happy when this song started playing after say when.
Rakel Rose
This is the song that gave me the courage to continue living
Soma Cruz
Grazie @croix89
Grenigga
Soma Cruz l'ho scoperta adesso sta canzone grazie alle storie instagram di croix89 lel
gknight800
+Soma Cruz anche io devo ringraziare croix89 per averli scoperti...mitici!