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.

Upgrade^Brigade
Fair to Midland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Glow, but don't shine
A fuse for a blueprint, devices my hands built
Fought for these roads
Walked the rain in my raincoat
Drown in the flash flood

For we are alive
Give, givin' in, not used to Al Fresco

Does the sun know...

[Chorus:]
Today I forgot the zeros and ones?
Told you to conquer the rush
Sunday I remembered paper beats rock
Reached a mile high if I reached a foot

Leop-leopard skin is not above or beyond
No more a prince than a frog is
Fought for these roads
Not a check or a litmus
Taken bites to avenge us

For we are alive
Give, givin' in, not used to Al Fresco
Does the sun know...

[Chorus]

I'm figuring out the one thing he's not
Is above or beyond
And no one's packing up, taking off
Or waving goodbye for me all alone

[Chorus]

Yeah

Overall Meaning

The song Upgrade^Brigade by Fair to Midland is a contemplative piece that encourages listeners to reflect on the struggles and challenges faced on life's journey. The opening lines "Glow, but don't shine, a fuse for a blueprint, devices my hands built, fought for these roads, walked the rain in my raincoat, drown in the flash flood" suggest that the singer has encountered obstacles on their journey, but despite the setbacks, they continue to move forward. The singer seems to take pride in their own ability to adapt and overcome adversity.

The lines "For we are alive, give, givin' in, not used to Al Fresco, does the sun know..." suggest that the singer is experiencing a moment of existential contemplation. They are acknowledging the fleeting nature of life and the difficulty of fully understanding the world around them. The chorus then follows, with the lines "Today I forgot the zeros and ones? Told you to conquer the rush, Sunday I remembered paper beats rock, reached a mile high if I reached a foot." The singer seems to be reflecting on the impact of technology and modern living, and how important it is to focus on the real and tangible things in life.

Overall, Upgrade^Brigade is a song that encourages listeners to embrace the challenges of life with resilience and determination, and to appreciate the small and simple moments that make life worth living.

Line by Line Meaning

Glow, but don't shine
Be noticeable, but not too noticeable

A fuse for a blueprint, devices my hands built
Creating something intricate and explosive with my own two hands

Fought for these roads
Overcame obstacles to get where I am now

Walked the rain in my raincoat
Enduring hardships and challenges, but still remaining protected through it all

Drown in the flash flood
Overwhelmed and overcome by the intensity of a situation

For we are alive
We are all alive and able to experience life

Give, givin' in, not used to Al Fresco
Giving in to something new and unfamiliar

Does the sun know...
Asking if the universe is aware of our struggles and accomplishments

Today I forgot the zeros and ones?
Did I forget the basics of programming and logic?

Told you to conquer the rush
Encouraging someone to overcome the feeling of urgency and stress

Sunday I remembered paper beats rock
Remembering a childhood game that has a simple solution

Reached a mile high if I reached a foot
Feeling accomplished even if the progress is small

Leop-leopard skin is not above or beyond
Just because something is unique or extravagant, that doesn't make it superior

No more a prince than a frog is
Disproving the idea that someone is better than another based on their status or appearance

Not a check or a litmus
Not a test or an evaluation

Taken bites to avenge us
Fighting back and taking revenge for past injustices against us

I'm figuring out the one thing he's not
Trying to understand what someone or something lacks

And no one's packing up, taking off
No one is leaving or giving up

Or waving goodbye for me all alone
Leaving behind those who are alone and looking for companionship

Yeah
An affirming and enthusiastic exclamation

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW SUDDERTH, BRETT STOWERS, CLIFFORD CAMPBELL, JOHN MATTHEW LANGLEY, JON DICKEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS