The Midway State
Sometimes to get noticed you have to leave a place that’s comfortable for unfamiliar territory. Nathan Ferraro, lead singer, songwriter and pianist for THE MIDWAY STATE learned that lesson when he was just 16: “I have my dad to thank for it really, he bought us the van,” says Ferraro.
Keys to a $2,000 Chevy Beauville in hand, THE MIDWAY STATE ditched the prospect of summer jobs and left their little ski town two hours north of Toronto to trek all the way across the continent playing shows for anyone who would have them. “We played everywhere booking our own gigs,” says Nathan. They performed in biker bars, living rooms, coffee shops, and even the odd club when they got lucky. “We played with hardcore bands, emo bands, pretty much everything under the sun - we were always the first of five acts on a bill.” The guys slept in their van, ate dried noodles and granola bars and relied on new friends for showers and the occasional couch.
Nathan, the eldest of eight children, was always encouraged to develop his talent. “My parents saw that the only thing I did was write and play music,” he says. “By the time I was 15 I had this thing going where I challenged myself to write a song a day, I’ve still got boxes and boxes of tapes from those days. When I was younger I thought I wanted to be a doctor, but at one point I had to admit to myself that the only option for me in life was music. This is it for me. The day I realized that, I dropped out of University before my first day had even begun and I’ve been focused on this ever since.”
So instead of becoming Dr. Ferraro, as soon as Nathan was out of high school (where he won the excellence in music scholarship), he picked up and moved to Toronto with his best friend Daenen. “We stayed in an apartment for $75 a month each with two old band mates. There were four of us in bunk beds in one room,” he says, “but we knew it was where we had to be to move forward.” His instincts were right. In time their demo fell into the hands of multi-platinum, award winning producer Gavin Brown. Things clicked and THE MIDWAY STATE was soon recording their first EP, the well-received Met a Man on Top the Hill.
A few months after the EP was done, the band’s indie video found its way to a few US A&R people and ignited a spark. “That’s when everything changed. It wasn’t too long before we found ourselves talking with Jimmy Iovine about his work with artists like John Lennon and U2,” recalls Nathan. “You have to understand… where I grew up we had no cable TV, no internet. My house was so remote we didn’t even have a proper address. Before those trips Daenen and I had never even been on a plane or seen a palm tree. It was nuts. I feel blessed. We were very lucky”.
On their upcoming piano-driven pop/rock debut album, Holes (Remedy/ Interscope), Brown is once again in the producer’s seat. Recorded in the outskirts of Toronto at the legendary Metalworks Studios (David Bowie and Tina Turner laid down tracks there), Holes glistens with refined melodies, raw emotion and massive sing-a-long hooks.
Perhaps the band’s rich pop tapestry has something to do with Nathan’s synaesthesisa, a condition roughly defined as an overlapping of the senses. Put simply, Nathan sees distinct colors when hearing sounds and music. “Every song that really resonates with me comes coupled with a distinct color palette. When I listen to any song on Holes I see a different shade,” says Nathan. “‘Nobody Understands” is dark rose red, “Never Again’’ is a saturated royal blue. At least I think so,” he laughs, “the irony is I’m also red-green color blind, so who knows really!”
What truly sets THE MIDWAY STATE (which includes original member Daenen Bramberger, as well as newer additions guitarist Michael Wise and bassist Michael Kirsh) apart from so many artists is the band’s reliance on piano. “It’s such a good instrument to write on when you’re by yourself because it just sounds so big and lush,” explains Nathan. “The songs were all written on the piano so it plays a really important role in our sound.
As with Ferraro’s poetic lyrics, THE MIDWAY STATE’S musical influences are hard to pinpoint. Their sound is a unique concoction of assured songwriting built on Ferraro’s admiration of classic, gimmick-free artists. There is tenderness that runs through Holes that can arguably be attributed to Nathan’s earliest influences. “Carole King is my all-time favorite. I just fell in love with the way she crafts her songs,” he says. “Growing up, I listened to everything from Cat Stevens and Dire Straits to Neil Young and Peter Gabriel. I also love Coldplay, Snow Patrol. I just love music really. Whatever gets to me, it has nothing to do with genres and everything to do with the songs.”
Ferraro’s touring history reflects that appreciation for all types of music. Over the last year, THE MIDWAY STATE has played with a diverse range of artists from dramatic stylist Mika to the rootsy Rocco DeLuca & The Burden. “Sometimes we’d even tour with hardcore bands. People would see me bring a keyboard on the stage and be like, ‘Whoa, what is going on?’”. But the band has won over even the most resistant crowds. “In the end, I think people just relate to honesty and we try to give them that,” says Ferraro.
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