Tommy Prine Finds Peace in Polarity with “Standing in the Middle”
By Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine
Rising singer-songwriter Tommy Prine, fresh off the momentum of his acclaimed debut album This Far South, continues to establish his unique voice with the release of his single, “Standing in the Middle.” A poignant reflection on gratitude, homesickness, and emotional presence, the track serves as the newest offering from his highly anticipated EP, Love Circle. “Standing in the Middle” is a masterclass in emotional duality, proving that for Prine, the peace is often found not in choosing a side, but in embracing the whole whirlwind.
The Sound of Emotional Duality
Musically, “Standing in the Middle” is built on warm, inviting instrumentation that perfectly complements Prine’s signature lyrical honesty. The production eschews heavy-handed flourishes for a clean, acoustic-driven warmth that feels immediate and intimate. The gentle, almost lilting rhythm and melodic guitar work create a comforting sonic landscape—a soft blanket for the song’s more complicated emotions. This warm instrumentation underscores the core theme: finding peace within emotional turmoil, not after it.
The track’s subtle, yet powerful arrangement allows the focus to remain firmly on Prine’s voice and lyrics. The delivery is winsome and sincere, carrying a world-weary wisdom that belies his years while retaining a youthful hopefulness. It’s a beautifully rendered piece of modern Americana/folk that honors the tradition while carving out a distinct space for Prine’s own artistry.
Lyrical Honesty: A Gold Medal for Feeling
The brilliance of “Standing in the Middle” lies in its lyrical exploration of what Prine himself describes as a feeling of “gratefulness about feeling all things, even the not-so-great things.”
The song was born from a very specific and relatable moment: being homesick while on the road and watching the Olympics. This unexpected confluence of touring grind and global triumph sparked a profound revelation. As Prine recounts, he realized he was “lucky to have something so special in my life that I miss it that much. Lucky like I just won the Gold Medal and I’m following suit with all other Olympic winners, taking a bite out of it!”
This central metaphor is beautifully translated into the song’s key lines:
“Somewhere to miss, someone to hold A set of eyes to wander down the streets of growing old Now I’m standing in the middle, biting down on solid gold”
“Biting down on solid gold” is the crux of the song’s meaning. It’s the moment of profound, visceral realization that the ache of missing home is just the flip side of the priceless gift of having a home (and a person) worth missing.
The lyrics beautifully capture the impossible yearning to be in two places at once:
“If I could be out on the road and back at home as well I’d be a lucky man, but I understand in due time, time will tell”
This duality—the desire for motion (“out on the road”) and the need for stillness (“back at home”)—is not presented as a failure of choice, but as the natural state of a life deeply connected to people and purpose. The “middle” he stands in is the fertile ground between joy and ache, a space where gratitude can flourish, even if it’s complicated by a sense of loss or longing.
The Emerging Voice of Tommy Prine
“Standing in the Middle” solidifies Tommy Prine’s growth not just as a songwriter, but as a human navigating the complexities of a public, touring life while maintaining a private, meaningful one. It’s an intimate, heartfelt piece that resonates with anyone who has ever wrestled with the high cost of a “good time”—the emotional toll of passion and devotion.
In a world that often demands emotional clarity and decisive action, Prine offers a song about the strength found in emotional presence. It’s an embrace of the present moment, whatever its color—be it the joy of the stage or the blue shade of missing his family.
As the second single from the upcoming Love Circle EP, “Standing in the Middle” promises a collection of songs that continue Prine’s trajectory of deeply introspective, raw, and musically adventurous work. This single confirms that Tommy Prine is an artist to watch, forging a legacy not in the shadow of his father’s, but in the honest light of his own unique, and wonderfully complicated, human experience.