Song Premiere: Chuck Ragan, “Meet You In The Middle”

We’re proud to premiere “Meet You In The Middle,” the new single from road warrior Chuck Ragan, from his upcoming album Covering Ground. You may know Ragan as the frontman for Florida punk heroes Hot Water Music, but his Americana-fueled solo records scratch a slightly different itch.

We’ve also got a bonus for you — we’re giving away three custom Chuck Ragan Hohner full-sized Special 20 harmonicas (mini versions of the harps will accompany every pre-order of Covering Ground). To win one of Ragan’s harps, enter below.

Listen to “Meet You In The Middle” (featuring The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon on backing vocals) and read about the inspiration for the tune below.

Chuck Ragan – Meet You in the Middle by Reybee

What inspired “Meet You In The Middle?”

I wrote “Meet You In The Middle” somewhere in the UK on tour last year when I was overseas with The Gaslight Anthem in the fall of 2010. It’s about finding love when you least expect it or love finding you and knocking you into place. It’s about finding that freedom with the one you love the most and giving them your all to grow old and grey with them. Simply put, it was inspired by the hardships of being away from the ones we love the most while touring and staying connected the best we can to meet them half way.

How long did it take to write?

That one came rather quick. The majority of it came to be backstage before the show. The rest of it fell into place throughout the tour.

How was the experience of recording the song?

It felt good to record it but at the same time, everything that the song is about was ringing true. I’d been on the road non stop before heading straight into the studio to record. After that I had a short break before leaving again. All of that travel takes a toll on everyone involved whether at home or on the road. It was humbling to record it and something that I felt was more of a self lesson and realization than anything. We all need to practice what we preach a little more than we do from time to time.

Tell us about the harmonicas you use.

The Hohner Special 20’s that I play have always been a go-to harp for me. They sound great and bend nicely. When we give it everything we’ve got, we all sweat quite a bit and that’s always hard on instruments. The 20’s have a plastic comb that tends to last longer on the road for me since everything sees a lot of miles. It has a great all-around tone for what I like to do with them, and I have to say that not much compares.