Midwest Skies! – Outstanding Energy, Clear Talent and a Strong Consistency Across their Tracks

After meeting up in 2007 at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, Midwest Skies! officially came together in the summer of 2009, opening for a tour package that consisted of The Secret Handshake/The Bigger Lights/The Dangerous Summer.

In January of 2010, Midwest Skies! received the opportunity to record their first demos at Mattress Factory Studios in Chicago, Illinois with producer Martin Atkins (American Bandstand, Nine Inch Nails, Public Image LTD.) and engineer Steve Moore.

Their debut EP, THE GLORY DAYS, was released in spring of 2011, recorded at Mackinaw Harvest Studios in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and so began their first tour in support of the EP. Following that, they recorded GHOSTS OF 46th at The Foxboro Studios in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2012. After touring in support of that album extensively, performing huge shows such as the 105.3 HOT NEW YEARS EVE PARTY for 30,000 people, they spent some time recording their most recent EP, WISH YOU WERE HERE, at Always Be Genius Studios in Crown Point, Indiana.

You can tell a lot about a band by the company their sound keeps. Midwest Skies! circle of sound includes Sum41, Fallout Boy and Blink 182, giving us a fair hint of what to expect on WISH YOU WERE HERE.

This EP has it all – outstanding energy, clear talent, and a strong consistency across tracks. Their brand of punk-rock beats with powerpop melodics, make many other bands in this genre sound like a bunch of sappy love song makers. Midwest Skies! music is upbeat. Their instrumentals are amazingly done, and the lyrics are true to most people’s lives.

If you’re a fan of any kind of rock music, then you’ll love Midwest Skies! Their songs abound with hard guitar riffs, driving rhythms and strong melodic hooks. The minute you get into the first song, and single from the EP, LIKE YOU, LIKE ME, you’ll be crazy about them. This is high-paced, riff-packed and anthemic; play it loud for an adrenaline rush.

I listened to the whole EP through and didn’t feel tempted to skip a track or anything. In fact the songs just get ‘bigger, better and catchier’ as you move ahead! The last 2 tracks, WON’T BE THE SAME and WISH YOU WERE HERE, will blast a hole through your bedroom wall if you turn up the volume enough.

Overall Midwest Skies! have a great sound and really know how to make some good music that is awesome to listen to and actually has some meaning to it. For all the punk rockers out there pick up this EP. And for all you non-punk rockers pick it up too, because WISH YOU WERE HERE rocks!

James Johnson: Guitar/Vocals, Ryan Ykimoff: Bass/Vocals and Josh DC Jones: Drums aka Midwest Skies! are talented, honest musicians and anyone who picks up their new EP is guaranteed to love the music !