The Midway State : Biography

Sometimes to get noticed you have to leave a place that’scomfortable for unfamiliar territory. Nathan Ferraro, lead singer, songwriterand pianist for THE MIDWAY STATE learned that lesson when he was just 16: “I have my dadto thank for it really, he bought us the van,” says Ferraro.

Keys to a $2,000 Chevy Beauville in hand, THE MIDWAYSTATE ditched theprospect of summer jobs and left their little ski town two hours north ofToronto to trek all the way across the continent playing shows for anyone whowould have them. “We played everywhere booking our own gigs,” says Nathan. Theyperformed in biker bars, living rooms, coffee shops, and even the odd club whenthey got lucky. “We played with hardcore bands, emo bands, pretty mucheverything under the sun - we were always the first of five acts on a bill.” Theguys slept in their van, ate dried noodles and granola bars and relied on newfriends for showers and the occasional couch.

Nathan, the eldest of eight children, was alwaysencouraged to develop his talent. “My parents saw that the only thing I did waswrite and play music,” he says. “By the time I was 15 I had this thing goingwhere I challenged myself to write a song a day, I’ve still got boxes and boxesof 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 lifewas music. This is it for me. The day I realized that, I dropped out ofUniversity before my first day had even begun and I’ve been focused on thisever since.”

So instead of becoming Dr. Ferraro, as soon as Nathan wasout of high school (where he won the excellence in music scholarship), hepicked up and moved to Toronto with his best friend Daenen. “We stayed in anapartment for $75 a month each with two old band mates. There were four of usin bunk beds in one room,” he says, “but we knew it was where we had to be tomove forward.” His instincts were right. In time their demo fell into the handsof multi-platinum, award winning producer Gavin Brown. Things clicked and THEMIDWAY STATE wassoon recording their first EP, the well-received Met a Man on Top theHill.

A few months after the EP was done, the band’s indie videofound its way to a few US A&R people and ignited a spark. “That’s wheneverything changed. It wasn’t too long before we found ourselves talking withJimmy Iovine about his work with artists like John Lennon and U2,” recallsNathan. “You have to understand… where I grew up we had no cable TV, nointernet. My house was so remote we didn’t even have a proper address. Beforethose trips Daenen and I had never even been on a plane or seen a palm tree. Itwas nuts. I feel blessed. We were very lucky”.

On their upcoming piano-driven pop/rock debut album, Holes (Remedy/ Interscope), Brown isonce again in the producer’s seat. Recorded in the outskirts of Toronto at thelegendary Metalworks Studios (David Bowie and Tina Turner laid down tracksthere), Holes glistenswith refined melodies, raw emotion and massive sing-a-long hooks.

Perhaps the band’s rich pop tapestry has something to dowith Nathan’s synaesthesisa, a condition roughly defined as an overlapping ofthe senses. Put simply, Nathan sees distinct colors when hearing sounds and music. “Everysong 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. “‘NobodyUnderstands” is dark rose red, “Never Again’’ is a saturated royal blue. Atleast I think so,” he laughs, “the irony is I’m also red-green color blind, sowho knows really!”

What truly sets THE MIDWAY STATE (which includes original member DaenenBramberger, aswell as newer additions guitarist Michael Wise and bassist Michael Kirsh) apart from so many artists isthe band’s reliance on piano. “It’s such a good instrument to write on whenyou’re by yourself because it just sounds so big and lush,” explainsNathan. “The songs were allwritten 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 topinpoint. Their sound is a unique concoction of assured songwriting built onFerraro’s admiration of classic, gimmick-free artists. There is tenderness thatruns 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 shecrafts her songs,” he says. “Growing up, I listened to everything from CatStevens 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 todo with genres and everything to do with the songs.”

Ferraro’s touring history reflects that appreciation forall types of music. Over the last year, THE MIDWAY STATE has played with adiverse range of artists from dramatic stylist Mika to the rootsy Rocco DeLuca& The Burden. “Sometimes we’d even tour with hardcore bands. People wouldsee 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 thinkpeople just relate to honesty and we try to give them that,” says Ferraro.