Biography
Three years following the 2006 release of Taking the Long Way, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire felt prepared to record another Dixie Chicks project, yet Natalie Maines declined to join the sessions. The sisters therefore formed the duo Court Yard Hounds on their own. Robison assumed frontwoman duties while the pair enlisted many longtime associates from the Dixie Chicks circle, among them Maines’ father Lloyd on guitar, for their self-titled debut album. The resulting music stayed close to the expansive country-pop sound associated with Dixie Chicks, though the absence of Maines lent a gentler, mellower tone; even so, the songs remained clearly connected to that lineage, with Robison supplying a reflective sensibility that distinguished the new act. Court Yard Hounds made their initial public appearance at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas during March 2010, and the album arrived in early May of that year through Open Wide/Columbia Records. While promoting the debut, Robison and Maguire rejoined Maines that summer so the Dixie Chicks could serve as opening act for the Eagles across an American tour.
Court Yard Hounds issued their follow-up, Amelita, on July 16, 2013. The record surfaced only eight weeks after Maines issued her solo effort Mother, yet both projects received support that summer when Maines and the duo toured briefly together in Canada under the Dixie Chicks name.
Court Yard Hounds issued their follow-up, Amelita, on July 16, 2013. The record surfaced only eight weeks after Maines issued her solo effort Mother, yet both projects received support that summer when Maines and the duo toured briefly together in Canada under the Dixie Chicks name.
Albums
Singles
