Court Yard Hounds

All Music Guide:

Three years after 2006’s Taking the Long Way, sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire were ready to cut a new Dixie Chicks album, but Natalie Maines wasn’t prepared to participate, so the siblings struck out on their own as the duo Court Yard Hounds. Robison stepped into the role as frontwoman for the group, and the pair retained the service of much of the Dixie Chicks extended family -- including Maines’ father Lloyd as a guitarist -- during the recording of their eponymous debut. Given this pedigree, it follows that Court Yard Hounds sound similar to Dixie Chicks' far-reaching country-pop -- perhaps a little softer and sweeter due to the absence of Maines, but recognizably within the same family, and Robison winds up giving the group its own introspective identity. The Court Yard Hounds' first showcase was at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas in March of 2010, and their eponymous album appeared in early May 2010 on Open Wide/Columbia Records. In addition to releasing their debut, Robison and Maguire reunited with Maines in the summer of 2010 as the Dixie Chicks opened for the Eagles on an American tour.

Three years later, Court Yard Hounds returned with a second album called Amelita. Released on July 16, 2013, it appeared just two months after Natalie Maines' solo debut Mother, but Maines and Court Yard Hounds supported their respective records by mounting a brief Canadian tour as Dixie Chicks that summer.

Wikipedia:

Court Yard Hounds is an American country music and folk duo, founded by sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. They, along with Natalie Maines, make up the Dixie Chicks. The sisters decided to record a side project under a different name. Court Yard Hounds, featuring Robison for the first time as lead vocalist released a debut album for Columbia Records, the same label for which the Dixie Chicks has recorded, on May 4, 2010. The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart, initially selling 61,000 copies. It has sold approximately 825,000 copies in the United States.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).

Career[edit]

Dixie Chicks[edit]

Emily and Martie Erwin, now Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, founded the Dixie Chicks in 1989 with Robin Lynn Macy (lead vocals) and Laura Lynch. They released two independent albums before Macy left, and their third album was released with Lynch on lead vocals. In 1995, Lynch left and was replaced by Natalie Maines. The group was then signed to Monument Records and released two hit albums, before departing from Monument in 2000 and founding their own label, Open Wide Records, in association with Columbia Records. They then released their third album Home to critical acclaim. During a London concert ten days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, lead vocalist Maines stated, " Just so you know, we're on the good side with y'all, we don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas" (the trio's home state). The statement offended some people who thought it rude and unpatriotic, and the ensuing controversy cost the group half of their concert audience attendance in the United States and led to accusations of the three women being "un-American", as well as hate mail, death threats, and the public destruction of their albums in protest. Following a small hiatus followed by a live album and a documentary highlighting the whirlwind following Maines' comment, The Dixie Chicks released Taking the Long Way in 2006 which has since sold over 3 million copies and ultimately won five Grammy Awards. The Dixie Chicks have been on hiatus since 2008.

Formation of Court Yard Hounds[edit]

Court Yard Hounds was formed in 2009 when Maguire and Robison wanted to return to the studio however Maines was still reluctant to do so.

The duo's project was announced in January 2010 and the album features Emily on lead vocals. Robison has said that the album is "very personal" and she will also be joined by singer-songwriter Jakob Dylan on a track called "See You in the Spring". The band is signed to Columbia Records and released their self-titled debut album on May 4, 2010. Their first public appearance as Court Yard Hounds was on March 18, 2010 at the Americana Music Association's SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas. With Robison on lead vocals she is backed up by her sister Martie, with other band members consisting of Natalie Maines' father, Lloyd Maines, on guitar, and other members from the Dixie Chicks' backing band; the debut album was also recorded in Maguire's home studio.

According to Maguire and Robison, the Dixie Chicks have not parted ways. And still continue to make appearances including touring with the Eagles and Keith Urban in 2010 and appearing at selected events, such as the Calgary Stampede, in 2013.

Court Yard Hounds' second studio album, Amelita, was released on July 16, 2013. "Sunshine," the album's lead single, was released on June 10, 2013.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).