Sugarland

Sugarland began as a trio of singer/songwriters from the Atlanta, GA, area, each of whom had some level of renown as a solo performer. Lead singer Jennifer Nettles had previously fronted Soul Miner's Daughter, and her gospel background and deep soul approach to country music makes her an ideal lead voice in the trio. Songwriter Kristen Hall had already released two solo albums on Windham Hill Records, while Kristian Bush was half (with Andrew Hyra) of the critically acclaimed duo Billy Pilgrim, which had also released a pair of albums. The trio began working together in 2002, self-releasing an EP of demo recordings (available online or at Sugarland shows) called Premium Quality Tunes that same year. After a series of phenomenal live shows began to build a buzz around the group, they were signed to Mercury Records, which released a two-song single ("Baby Girl" b/w "Stand Back Up") early in 2004, following it up with a Garth Fundis-produced full-length album, Twice the Speed of Life, that same year. A second full-length, Enjoy the Ride, was released by Mercury Nashville in 2006 and was a huge success, garnering attention in both pop and country quarters. Hall, obviously a gifted songwriter, was credited with working on only a single track on Enjoy the Ride, and her abrupt departure from the group in 2006, leaving Sugarland a duo, raised a few eyebrows.