Midland Celebrates First No. 1 Hit, “Drinkin’ Problem,” With Nashville Party

Pictured (L-R): Midland’s Jess Carson, Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy

Nashville’s music industry members had no problems opening a cold one to toast the Big Machine Records trio Midland’s first No. 1 song, “Drinkin’ Problem,” earlier this week during a shindig at Nashville’s The Sutler Saloon.

On Oct. 11, The Sutler Saloon was packed to celebrate Midland members Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, as well as their “Drinkin’ Problem” co-writers Shane McAnally (GMR) and Josh Osborne (ASCAP). The Gold-certified song marks the Midland members’ first No. 1 both as songwriters and artists.

BMI’s Bradley Collins and ASCAP’s Beth Brinker hosted the event. Brinker surprised ASCAP writers with Yeti coolers, while BMI’s Collins offered a BMI guitar, which is offered to BMI writers who celebrate their first No. 1 song.

Pinnacle Bank’s David Smith announced a donation to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital on behalf of the writers.

“Drinkin’ Problem” is McAnally’s 25th No. 1 song, and Osborne’s 14th No. 1 hit.

Among those celebrating the No. 1 hit were BMLG’s Scott Borchetta and Sandi Spika Borchetta, Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, SMACKSong’s Michael McAnally Baum, producer Dann Huff, engineer Justin Niebank, Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen, Country Aircheck’s Paul Williams and CRB’s Holly Freeman.

Pictured (Bac row, L-R): Black River’s Dave Pacula, Spirit Music’s Daniel Hill, BRND MGMT’s Matt Graham, Sandbox’s Jason Owen, BMLG’s Scott Borchetta, Dann Huff, Warner Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, SMACKSongs’ Michael Baum. Pictured (Front row, L-R): ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Josh Osborne, Midland, Shane McAnally, SMACKSongs’ Robin Palmer, BMI’s Bradley Collins

“There are a lot of people here that have shaped our destiny,” said Duddy. “Someone said yesterday—I believe it was me, so to quote myself—in a year it looked like we had ran a marathon with our faces. The BMLG promo team, your work ethic has inspired us in ways you’ll never understand. It was boot camp from the beginning.”

“This industry is a family and the fact that we’ve been allowed into this family is the biggest honor of our lives,” said Carson. “People ask us what have been some of the things that have happened this year that have had an impact and it’s hard to even take stock. This train doesn’t stop but it’s the people we are surrounded by and people that elevate us and brought us to this place that I’m just so grateful for. Scott for taking a chance on us. Dann in the studio is the maestro, he hears everything. Josh, like our soul brother and family to us. We speak the same language. Shane, I want to be like Shane and I want to someday be where he’s at and have the respect that he’s got. Thank you to everybody.

“They say to work with people who are more talented and smarter than you are, and that’s what I did in getting together with Jess and Cameron,” said Wystrach. “I’ve been learning ever since. That’s what this band has done collectively. We literally have the dream team. Nobody’s tried to screw with our vision or say, ‘This isn’t right.’ Everybody thought there was something special and I know someday I’ll look back in my life and say that this is one of the best things in my life, getting to work with these guys and build this family. There is a bit of a rule: Would you want to invite these people home for family dinner? And it’s true there is not a person on this stage I wouldn’t want to invite home to my family’s ranch in Arizona and we’d have the time of our lives because we have shared interests and passions and work interests and a love for music.”

Pictured (Back Row, L-R): BMLG’s Scott Borchetta, BMR’s Nicole Hunt, AJ Calvin, Erik Powell, Jim Weatherson and Kris Lamb. Pictured (Front row, L-R): Josh Osborne, Midland, Shane McAnally, Dann Huff