Our featured Tuned In band this week is Gloriana. This American Country Music Band is one of the hottest new groups in the music industry. They have won countless awards such as the AMA- Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and the ACM- Top New Vocal Group. They are also the opening act for the hottest music tour out there right now- Taylor Swift 2010.
Despite all of their success, the band remains grounded while maintaining belief in their values, hard work ethics, and dedication to their fans. This genuine approach has been met with an equal amount of sincere admiration from their growing fan base.
We caught up with them at The Wachovia Center shortly before they hit the stage to perform for a sold out crowd during the Philadelphia leg of their Taylor Swift 2010 tour.
6abc's Brian Taff sat down with the band in their tour bus. They spoke candidly to him about being on the hottest music tour, their growing success, and affection towards their fans.
You can catch the band performing right here on 6abc during Jimmy Kimmel Live this Wednesday April 14, 2010.
Please enjoy their biography courtesy of our friends at their music labels, Warner Music Nashville/ Emblem Records.
Amid the soaring four-part harmonies and electric stage presence, it's clear that Gloriana represents an exciting new and vibrant force in country music. The group--Tom Gossin, Mike Gossin, Rachel Reinert and Cheyenne Kimball--consists of four uniquely talented and enthusiastic young musicians joining forces to create a fresh, one-of-a-kind sound that reflects the best of today's Nashville.
From the outset, Gloriana has been winning supporters at all levels from Grammy-winning producer/label owner Matt Serletic and premiere Nashville songwriter Jeffrey Steele to the fans who've already had the chance to experience them live. Their self-titled debut album reflects both the sheer talent of its members and the level of commitment they have put into making every note count.
Gloriana got its start in the winter of 2007, when brothers Tom and Mike, who had moved to Nashville after sweating it out in clubs in North Carolina, discovered Rachel.
"We had never combined our duo with a female voice before," says Mike, "but singing with her gave us that high harmony and opened us up to something new."
It wasn't long after seeing the group perform at 3rd and Lindsley that Cheyenne fell in love with Gloriana. "When I saw them perform for the first time, it renewed my passion for music," said Cheyenne. So immediately after the show, she asked the trio if she could get together with them and jam. When they did, it was magic.
"The three of us definitely felt we had something special," says Rachel, "but when Cheyenne came into the picture, the four-part harmony completed us. Her skills on the mandolin, combined with the guys' guitar talent helped us to replicate the group's live sound. It felt complete."
From that point on, commitment was everything. "We spent the next six months getting our songs and our live sound together," says Tom. "We accomplished a lot, working non-stop, playing shows, making sure we were tight and ready to go."
The band sent a demo to Emblem Music Group, the new label founded by Matt Serletic, known for his work with Willie Nelson and Matchbox Twenty, among many others. Emblem is an evolution of Melisma Records, Serletic's Diamond and multi-Platinum award-winning label, with over 50 million album sales to its credit.
"The first time I heard Gloriana I was blown away," says Serletic. "I don't think that I've ever heard four distinctive, powerful singers combine to create such a unique, fresh sound. These talented young musicians were meant to make music together."
An intense creative process got underway. "Emblem helped to introduce us to some of the best that Nashville has to offer," says Rachel. Serletic began writing with one of Nashville's finest songwriters, Jeffrey Steele (Rascal Flatts, Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw, etc.) and co-wrote their high-energy debut single "Wild At Heart" with Josh Kear and Stephanie Bentley. At the same time Gloriana was collaborating with a talented array of Nashville songwriters including Trey Bruce, Kyle Cook, Ben Glover, Chuck Jones, Kevin Kadish, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and Danny Myrick.
The band members moved in together and secluded themselves to begin making their mark on the songs. "We spent an intense month putting our stamp on the songs," says Tom. "In our minds it's critical; it's what makes the music authentic, heartfelt and true."
One at a time, they worked up songs, and performed them before the best critics that any artist has…the fans.
"Playing for a live audience helped us to know what worked and what didn't work," said Cheyenne. "It really was valuable to do that before entering the studio."
"By the time we went into the studio we knew exactly what we were doing and how we wanted the songs to sound," adds Rachel. "Guess you could say that the fans helped us to make this record."
That sense of assurance and the hard work they put in are evident in every track of their debut CD. The feels vary from "The Way It Goes" and "How Far Do You Wanna Go?," which display the four-part harmonies, energy and big sound that make the group so exciting on stage, to "Lead Me On" and "All The Things (That Mean The Most)," songs whose passion and intimacy are undeniable.
"I know how much music has impacted all of our lives," said Tom. "It connects us all, it moves us and it can change a person," added Mike. "We hope that our music will do that for others for a long time to come."
You are now Tuned In to Gloriana.
On the web-
www.gloriana.com
www.emblem-music.com
www.warnermusicnashville.com
