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.
quince
Fair to Midland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We lacked in our vigor, been an "x" on the calendar.
Losing our cool in Antarctica, so I put my coat on 'ya,
The breeze was light burgundy.
I have an army suited and ready for you to simply take a bite and steer.
We're more than prepared to fight this unfair.
All you need do is tease your taste and steer.
Your crimes are not mine or theirs, weary from the wear you invent.
I forget for some time, I've been underground and dug to the sound of your breath.
The first verse of "Quince" by Fair to Midland begins with the intriguing line "You could've been raised in Africa." This sets the mood for the rest of the song, which seems to be a reflection on the human experience and the many ways in which we are all connected despite our differences. The second line of the verse, "We lacked in our vigor, been an 'x' on the calendar," seems to suggest a sense of disappointment or missed opportunities. The singer goes on to describe feeling "weary from the wear" of someone else's crimes or mistakes, but also acknowledges a deep connection to that person, as evidenced by the line "I've been underground and dug to the sound of your breath."
The second verse of the song introduces the idea of an army that is "suited and ready" to fight against unfairness, but also encourages the listener to "tease your taste and steer." This line is open to interpretation, but could be seen as a metaphor for taking control of one's own life and navigating difficult situations with grace and skill. The final lines of the verse offer a poignant reminder that, despite our differences and struggles, we are all human and therefore connected in some way.
Overall, "Quince" is a complex and thought-provoking song that invites reflection on the many ways in which we are all connected as human beings, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
You could've been raised in Africa.
It doesn't make a difference where you come from, because we're all equally vulnerable to weakness and faults.
We lacked in our vigor, been an "x" on the calendar.
Our energy and motivation have been low, and we can't seem to find a way to improve our current situation.
Losing our cool in Antarctica, so I put my coat on 'ya, The breeze was light burgundy.
We were struggling to keep our composure in a cold and desolate environment, so I tried to comfort you in any small way I could.
I have an army suited and ready for you to simply take a bite and steer.
I am well-prepared to take on any challenges that may come my way, and I'm willing to put my trust in you to help me make the correct decisions.
We're more than prepared to fight this unfair.
We're determined to overcome any obstacles that hinder our journey towards success, no matter how unjust they may be.
All you need do is tease your taste and steer.
Just take a small step forward and try something new. We'll be right there with you, providing guidance and support.
Your crimes are not mine or theirs, weary from the wear you invent.
I'm not responsible for any wrongdoings or mistakes that you may have made. Your self-doubt and anxiety have worn us down to the point of exhaustion.
I forget for some time, I've been underground and dug to the sound of your breath.
I've been so focused on helping you and keeping you alive that I've neglected my own well-being. I've been living in the shadows, just trying to hear the sound of your breathing.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW SUDDERTH, BRETT STOWERS, CLIFFORD CAMPBELL, JOHN MATTHEW LANGLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jaredvillhelm2002
12 years later here I am once more pondering my life, listening to the same song for the unknown time.
@tylerrandolph580
I’ve never had so much relation to a comment in my life lol
@Daltonn0810
i dont think i ever heard such musical genuis
@derikks98
Heard this for the first time i think 8 or 9 years ago, at night, thinking about a person that now has nothing to do with my life. That moment.. it was one of the best experiences ive ever had in my life.
@TheGrayDawn
God....this band is almost perfect in every aspect...
@cineman7936
First time I heard this song I was stoned out my mind I swear I felt like I was swimming when the opening riffs came on for quince
@OldManLokin
3:40 is one of the coolest parts. Love this band
@BillToady
Stifle verb (used with object) 1. to quell, crush, or end by force 2. to suppress, curb, or withhold 3. to kill by impeding respiration; smother. verb (used without object) 4. to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere. 5. to become stifled or suffocated. pretty much what you were already saying something along the lines of "crushing the insides of the fundamentals"
@WATEmusic
listening in 2016. Edit: now 2018
@adrianaa2767
2019 here