The Midway State

The lights go out, all eyes turn to the stage in a sudden excitement and rush. Girls are screaming, guys are howling and the noise level crescendo's to a loud and unifying roar. The first few notes on the piano are hit, followed by the beat and rhythm. All eyes are glued in amazement, as they hear a sound they haven't heard in a while. A sound that a lot of people look for now a days. A sound they cant find, something rare. Which band am i talking about? The Midway State. This inspiring Toronto home grown band has proven to have what it takes. Their creeping up the charts and taking everyone by surprise. Their single "Never Again" is getting radio airplay as well as being featured on MTV Live, and the Much Music Countdown. They are apart of opening and closing festivities of the world known Toronto Film Festival, and for all fans, their playing a free show in Dundas Square on Saturday 13th. Nathan Ferraro, Daenen Bramberger, Mike Wise, and Mike Kirsh are their names, get to know them...because their not going anywhere anytime soon.

1. Were you guys friends before you decided to start a band?

Nf: Daenen and I quickly became friends through music in school. The amount of time we started spending together because of the band made our friendship inevitable. Mike and Mike became friends the same way in school as well. The four of us are all very close friends now because no one quite understands what were doing the same way. We relate to each other more than any one else can and that's created an incredible bond and friendship between us.

2. What made you decide you wanted to have music as a career?

Nf: It was never a real "decision". For me its always been a very natural progression and a series of kind of obvious steps. At this point in my life I really couldn't imagine doing anything else because I don't feel quite as passionate about anything else. Nothing gives me the inspiration or excitement that making music does.

3. Where does the name Midway State come from?

Nf: "the midway state" is a name that our original bass player came up with one night. We related to it then and we relate to it now because it describes a sense of naivety and talks a bit about not knowing the answers to everything in this life. Its kind of what being young is all about, ya know?

4. What was it like to record your music for the first time?

Nf: The first time we ever went into a studio we had only enough money to rent it out for 2 days. I believe it was $500 and we had to record 5 songs and mix them. We recorded the songs "live off the floor" which means all at once whereas now we record track by track, each instrument one at a time. I remember the experience being a lot of fun, even though we took it incredibly seriously even then.

5. A lot of people are relating your sound to Coldplay how do you feel about that?

Nf: I think Coldplay is one of the most classic bands of our time, I've been a huge fan of theirs growing up and still am. I've always looked up to Coldplay and so when people say that I take it as a compliment, even though I think our sounds are very different. I think people hear the piano and immediately relate us to them, but really, music doesn't work like that.

6. Does the Never Again Music video have any symbolic or personal meaning behind it?

Nf: The symbolism in Never Again has to do with rebuilding something you've broken and making it whole again. I've broken some important things in my life and when its something that's very important to you, you spend all your time finding a way to fix it. That's what the video is all about...

7. Which song is most important to you and why?

Nf: I wouldn't say one song on the record is necessarily the most important to me. My taste changes a lot and somedays I really dislike some of the songs we've made, but at other times, I really like certain things about them. We were playing "Where Did We Go" in rehearsal today and I think i'm kind of proud of the way its turned out. Its the most important to me tonight.

8. Which song is most fun to perform?

Nf: Fireflies

9. Do you do anything specific to prepare for a show?

Nf: Before a show I usually sing scales and warm up my voice. I do a bunch of exercises my singing teacher's taught me and I find just running a bit and generally getting warmed up and hyped up is important. On the Daughtry tour Mike Wise and myself would fight in the hallways for get hyped up. He usually won.

10. If you could pick any place in the world to play where would it be?

Nf: Hong Kong because since watching some of the the olympics in China, I really want to travel there, it seems incredible.

11. If you could pick any artist to share the stage with you who would it be?

Nf: Peter Gabriel

12. Do you feel like opening for Avril Lavigne has gotten your name known a lot more?

Nf: Definitely, Avril was awesome to have us on some shows with her. While our styles are very different I felt like her audience were open to what we were doing.

14. Do you think Toronto has influenced the sound of your music in any way?

Nf: Music is such a universal thing in a lot of ways. Its very 'global'. were lucky to be able to and love british and american and canadian and even icelandic music. the Internet makes thats very easy. I think my musical influences come more from the artists that I grew up on and that I listen to today, like Sigur Ros, or Peter Gabriel, or Green Day, or Emily Haines, than they do from the area we live it, you know?

15. Do you feel any pressure to sound or look a certain way?

Nf: No, not really. I pressure myself into trying to be as good as the other artists that I look up to. I feel like no matter what success really comes to us as musicians we'll always feel a need to be a lot better. There's really a lot of pressure on us every single minute as artists but we put it on ourselves because we want to create music that is fulfilling and that will last. Its a hard order to fill I find!

16. How did you react when you heard your music on the radio?

Nf: Hearing "Never Again" on the radio for the first time was amazing and exciting. Its kind of what you think it'd feel like in an almost cheesy way. I was in my car and the DJ announced and I swerved a tad... I called some people right away -

17. If you guys werent playing music what would you be doing right now?

Nf: Probably trying to find a way to play music...

18. Have you ever had any doubt in your abilities as musicians?

Nf: Yes, I doubt my abilities every single day, music is such a subjective thing that you never know if you are actually succeeding or anything like that. I keep making music because I really really really love it and i love writing songs most the time, but sometimes it gets hard. I pretty much just do it because I love it I guess, I have no idea how to be fully confident with our 'abilities' really.

19. What inspired you to write your first song

Nf: I think just seeing enough bands play live at my school and in my little town by the time I was 14 built up the inspiration to make me want to do it myself. I always get inspired by other artists and it makes me want to create more and more every day. Inspiration is such a cool thing, its that bit of magic I need to 'create' something worthwhile.

21.What do you want the world to know about the Midway State?

Nf: That we are a GREAT band! - and our new record is called Holes... and we'll be near you soon to play for you live!

22. My favourite songs on right now are Met a man on top of the hill and Nobody Understands. Can you vaguely tell us what their about?

Met A Man On Top Of The Hill is about deceit and lies and nothing good at all.
Nobody Understands is about loving someone who is so incredible and believing in them no matter what anyone else says.

Think Quick

1. Hot or Cold? hot
2. Rain or Snow? rain
3. Tea or Coffee? coffee
4. Most inpirational artist/artists? today, Tom Petty
5. Favourite book/author, Roald Dahl
6. Favourite Album - right now its So, Peter Gabriel
7. Hobby besides music? - Food
8. Sky Diving or Scooba Diving? Scooba
9. 3 things you cant live without? Food, Water, Air.
10. One word to describe The Midway State? sexyback