About
Court Yard Hounds
Thursday, July 14th
Court Yard Hounds
www.courtyardhounds.com/us/home
The Court Yard Hounds were formed by sisters and Dixie Chicks members, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison in 2009. The Dixie Chicks lead vocalist Natalie Maines was not ready to break from the group’s 3 year hiatus, so Maguire and Robison formed Court Yard Hounds as a side project. Maguire says, “Sony’s looking at this like an artist launch and we’re looking at it like a new chapter in music… We definitely are going to tour this and make another record. I know this isn’t just a one-time, get-it-off-our-chests, get-these-songs-recorded-and-go-back-to-our-lives thing.”
The duo released their self-titled record on May 4, 2010 with Columbia Records. After years backing Maines, this album marked the first time Robison has acted as lead vocalist. Many of the songs on the record are deeply personal about Emily’s experience divorcing her country music husband, Charlie Robison in 2008. Their first performance as Court Yard Hounds was at the American Music Associations South by Southwest Mardi Gras show in Austin, Texas on March 18, 2010. Court Yard Hounds debut album has sold over 250,000 copies in the United States. The Dixie Chicks lead vocalist is still on an indefinite break and Maguire and Robison plan to release another Court Yard Hounds album in 2011. According to Rolling Stone, “Natalie Maines' feistiness is missed, but Robison, who wrote most of the songs, has a way with a hook - and those harmonies make even the weepiest weepers go down smooth.”
The Dixie Chicks were formed in Dallas, Texas in 1989 and have gone on to become one of the top-selling all female bands. They boast a dozen Grammy Awards and a 2007 Juno Award for International Album of the Year for Taking The Long Way. March 25, 2011 lead singer Natalie Maines launched a Whorders eBay Store. The Dixie Chicks have sold over 26 million records.