‘Midland: Sonic Ranch’: The Origin of an Outlier Trio

Amidst Nashville’s Bro country chart-domination emerged Midland—an outlier trio of post-modern traditionalists. Hailing from Dripping Springs, Texas, the band was conceived shortly after lead singer/guitarist Mark Wystrach reconnected with bandleader/guitarist/singer Jess Carson at a mutual friend’s wedding. Bonding over bending influences and blended harmonies, the two embarked on a pilgrimage to the Lone Star State’s musical beacon Sonic Ranch with their videographer friend, the groom, Cameron Duddy. What they captured in the recording studio enchanted Duddy who joined as the third voice and bass player.

Resisting the ubiquitous nature of the genre, Midland attempts to retrieve the invaluable heirlooms of country music tradition and refurbish them beyond their original state.

Their retro-leaning approach stopped Music City in its tracks when their debut, On The Rocks, dropped in 2017. “Drinkin’ Problem” landed as an instant hit. The steel guitar-driven, blues-tinged track reveals a relatable irreverence. From the No.1 hit to the charted Let It Roll, released in 2019, the cosmic trio captured the hearts of a breadth of music fans, selling out shows and dominating the road.

Pre-dating this unimagined outcome, three friends gathered in the desert to make music together. On March 19, they return to their roots, premiering Midland: The Sonic Ranch Documentary. The footage captures behind-the-scenes in the studio, on breaks, working out parts, getting lost and hitting massive career highs—their path to becoming one of the most unlikely forces in modern country. Beyond their origin story, Midland: The Sonic Ranch includes an accompanying soundtrack for fans to absorb the music that inspired an adventure that’s taken the trio beyond their wildest dreams.

“Midland was not so much a band as an experiment fueled by an assortment of spirits, but mostly tequila and the possibilities painted in our imaginations. We had no record label or manager and we had never played a show together. These recordings capture three friends, at a live-in studio in the desert, trying to make a dream come true,” says Wystrach.  

CMT will premiere Midland: The Sonic Ranch documentary, directed by Duddy and Riverside Entertainment’s Brian Loschiavo on March 19 across ViacomCBS platforms, including CMT Music, MTV Live, PlutoTV’s ‘CMT Equal Play’ channel, with a global premiere on CMT Australia. 

“We were always about the music,” explains Carson, “and the way real people could create something different. We’re all vintage people, whether old concert t-shirts or rhinestone suits, and recognizing what’s beautiful in the past set us up for this sound that we found out we had, a sound that borrowed from Gary Stewart and Mickey Gilley, Merle Haggard, Dwight, Buck Owens. Once we knew that, we wanted to chase it across the skyline. Now people can see our journey.”

Watch the trailer for Midland: The Sonic Ranch documentary, below. Listen to the 10-track soundtrack, here. Tune into CMT’s premiere at 7 p.m. ET. Set a reminder on YouTube.

Photo by Harper Smith