When Cameron Duddy, Jess Carson, and Mark Wystrach formed Midland, they didn’t necessarily imagine the success that would follow—but that didn’t stop them from dressing for it. It arrived quickly when the Texas-based trio scored a massive country hit with their first single, the 2017 honky-tonk anthem “Drinkin’ Problem.” Their retro-inspired wardrobe and smooth, Laurel Canyon-influenced harmonies stood out in the testosterone-heavy country scene of the time. A decade later, the classic sound and style they helped revitalize has taken center stage in country music and, in the words of Duddy, they’re “just riding along with this thing,” while the world plays catch-up.

Their newest album, Barely Blue (produced by Bob Cobb, the Grammy-winning guru behind seminal works by Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, and Brandi Carlisle) proves that Midland is just hitting their stride, combining the memorable lyrics that first made them famous with a deeper musical maturity. But they’re still up for a good time, evidenced by their first country-themed sea cruise, dubbed The Last Resort, where they proved themselves to be one of music’s most sociable acts. In that spirit, we asked them to take our new Range 6X Blackout Edition and capture its after-hours style in action at the legendary San Antonio honky-tonk The Lonesome Rose.

How would define Midland to the uninitiated?

CAMERON DUDDY [bass, vocals]: When we started, we were kind of at the tip of the spear and bringing back a neo-traditional country music sound. Our music reflects the fact that we started the band in Texas, not living inside Nashville. It allowed us to stay focused instead of chasing trends.

Describe what was going on in Nashville at the time?

CAMERON: I think we’ll look back on it and call the “bro country” phase. We were the only guys in Nashville trying to get a record deal wearing cowboy hats.

What inspired the Barely Blue? Was there anything new in your approach this time?

JESS CARSON [guitar, vocals]: We start every album trying to outwrite the last album. The songs and stories are very personal, a combination of the three of us. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the title of the album has a color. The songs we chose fit on a palette.

MARK WYSTRACH [lead vocals, guitar]: This was our first time working with Dave Cobb in his home studio, that definitely informs the album. I really love the way that Jess and Cameron recorded the harmonies, stacking them, it added a new level of lushness. It’s a little bit more experimental.

Great harmonies have always been a big part of your sound. Do you have a favorite warm-up song?

CAMERON: We used to do “Seven Bridges Road” because we were obsessed with the Eagles. Still are. But we only have three guys.

JESS: We’re not the Eagles. But we wanna be.

Why do you think country music continues to endure as a genre and grow in popularity?

CAMERON: Country music is an American export and it really can’t be fully authentically co-opted overseas. I feel like that has something to do with the lifeblood of it.

MARK: I think there’s a sincerity in country music. Merle Haggard always said that it conveys the human experience. At its core, there’s an earnestness that exists. Jess and I were talking about Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, ‘90s rock lyrics. A lot of those songs lyrically are completely abstract. They’re more about painting a mood, but they’re not telling you a story. In country music, there is always a story.

JESS: They may not always be brand new stories, but in writing that’s the trick, you shift the lens just enough to where it feels like you haven’t heard it before or it’s from a different take.

Speaking of stories, you guys recently hosted your first country music cruise “The Last Resort,” how did that go down?

MARK: It took years of planning and it took years off our life, but it was a huge success. We had a bunch of our colleagues, Orville Peck, Silverada, Jaime Wyatt, Nikki Lane. It was an insane group of talented musicians. It was amazing watching it unfold in real time.

You guys aren’t afraid to go all-out style-wise, with the Nudie-style suits and bolo ties. Do you feel like dressing a certain way is reflective of your music, or even enhances it?

MARK: I think it’s bullshit if anybody tells you that it’s not part of the whole approach. We’ve known each other for two decades and we’ve always been guys that were interested in fashion and expressing ourselves with our clothing. It’s just an expansion of who you are.

And now, western style is definitely having a moment, there and everywhere.

CAMERON: Things are cyclical. We have been in it and will remain in it when it inevitably falls out of fashion. But there’s something timeless about the American cowboy and that look with the hat and the jeans and the boots. I think because it represents the kind of grit, fortitude and self-reliance. Those are the things you think about, when you think about the cowboy motif in country music.

Do you have any first or fond memories of Stetson?

JESS: I started thrifting when I was really young. I found a vintage Stetson t-shirt and I remember bringing it back and my dad saying “Oh…Stetson makes a great hat.” It always stuck with me, he had this reverence for it.

MARK: I grew up on a cattle ranch out in the country and hats were an extension of your persona. Different cowboys wore different kinds of hats. In the summer in southern Arizona everyone wore straw hats, but when they got cleaned up to go to the steakhouse, they wore their 10X beaver Stetsons.