He’s a new voice…. an honest new voice. That would be Heartland Country-Rocker, Logan Mize.
Just listen to his no-nonsense single “Used Up,” a hit-the-road anthem for every guy who’s endured a crushing breakup. Mize delivers it with raw candor, and gritty passion. It’s no wonder the song was recently a “Highway Find” on Sirius XM’s The Highway. You can catch the lyric video on his website, loganmize.com.
Mize spent a good part of 2013 behind the camera in a couple of high profile turns on the small screen. The Kansas native found himself guest starring in two nationally-watched TV appearances that undoubtedly introduced him to new audiences.
He ended up in a widely viewed “Fabric Of Our Life” cotton commercial with Hayden Panettiere of ABC-TV’s lauded Nashville. Mize and his band are shown performing on stage at Music City’s legendary Station Inn. But there’s more: Mize played himself and sang, also with his band, in a recent episode of The CW’s hit drama Hart of Dixie starring Rachel Bilson.
Mize, 28, saw both tube assignments as great ways to trumpet his debut national CD release, 2012’s Nobody In Nashville, an auspicious 10 song collection that highlights Mize’s rugged voice, his earthy songs and his ability to merge mainstream country with front porch rock ‘n’ roll.
‘I was just happy to get the gigs,” Mize said about the TV exposure. “I was naturally excited about something new. Hayden’s commercial was a lot of fun. We just played a little set while they were shooting her scenes, and of course she became a superfan.” (laughing)
About Hart of Dixie, he has this to say: “I just played myself in the series. I had no lines but I was in a battle of the bands club scene and I won the battle of the bands.”
Making Nobody In Nashville, which is the follow-up to Mize’s very independent, regional 2009 self-titled first effort, was a musically organic experience. The disc was released on Big Yellow Dog Music, the imprint of his publishing company. It is an earthy project that puts the emphasis on Mize’s voice, guitar playing and songs. Unpolished gems include “State Of Your Heart,” “Hey Carolina,” “Sunflowers,” “Good Life” and the autobiographical “Rock N Roll Band.”
“It wasn’t auto-tuned or anything,” Mize said about Nobody In Nashville. “The vocals are really raw. There are parts where I cringe a little bit. It’s a really dry sounding record, but I like it because it’s really simple.”
There are no artifices. Mize’s real guy-next-door demeanor is exactly the reason why Nobody In Nashville garnered immediate attention from Roughstock, The Boot, Billboard.com, Keepin’ It Country, and M Music & Musicians magazine. He also has a fan in country and pop superstar LeAnn Rimes, who not only tweeted about Mize’s new single, “Used Up,” but also invited him to open her recent shows in Europe. Award-winning country vocal group Little Big Town also blew up Twitter with praise for Mize’s “Used Up.”
No stranger to touring, Mize delivers a blistering live show with his commanding onstage presence. He has opened shows for headlining household names such as Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels Band, Blake Shelton, Billy Currington and Pat Green to name a few.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, Mize grew up in nearby Clearwater where he immersed himself in an eclectic mix of music ranging from Elton John to Alan Jackson.
“If it sounded good to me, I would listen to it,” Mize said about his eclectic musical tastes. “I am a song guy. There is no bias. I like it all.”
His arms-open-wide philosophy extends into family, naturally. Mize, who is married to country singer-songwriter Jill Martin and has a 2-year-old son Lincoln, slowly soaked himself in the history of his great uncle Billy Mize. The elder Mize, now 84, is considered a pioneer in the Bakersfield country sound that emerged in California and was popularized by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Mize didn’t learn of his revered kin until he was in his early 20s.
“When I found out about him I really researched the Bakersfield sound. Buck Owens was in Billy’s band. He also got Merle Haggard recognized. He even co-founded the ACM (Academy of Country Music)” remarked Mize.
