Jennifer Nettles

Singer Jennifer Nettles first rose to prominence as one half of the country-pop duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush. After initial recordings in the 1990s, she earned major recognition through Sugarland, securing three Grammy Awards, two of them tied to the track “Stay” from the 2006 album Enjoy the Ride. As a solo artist she has released several acclaimed projects, among them 2014’s That Girl and 2016’s Playing with Fire, each reflecting her blend of earthy country, R&B, and pop. In 2021 she explored new territory with Always Like New, an album of Broadway standards.

Born in Georgia in 1974, Nettles started singing seriously at the age of four. During her teenage years she performed with local groups whose influences spanned gospel, pop, classic rock, and grunge. Her first recording venture came as one member of the duo Soul Miner’s Daughter alongside songwriter Cory Jones. The pair issued two albums, 1996’s The Sacred and Profane and 1998’s Hallelujah, both of which drew strong critical attention and solid sales. They also appeared at prominent festivals, including Lilith Fair in 1999. Following the duo’s dissolution, Nettles formed her own band and put out three solo releases: 2000’s Story of Your Bones plus 2002’s Gravity: Drag Me Down and Rewind. The Jennifer Nettles Band earned significant radio play in major markets, and at the inaugural Independent Music Awards she was named Independent Artist of the Year.

In 2003 she helped establish Sugarland with Bush and songwriter Kristen Hall; Hall departed after the group’s 2004 debut Twice the Speed of Life. After five studio albums and one live set with Sugarland, Nettles paused band activity to start a family and record the solo album That Girl under producer Rick Rubin with an all-star supporting cast. Issued in January 2014, the project entered the country chart at number one and reached number five on the Billboard 200. She later moved to Big Machine Records for 2016’s Playing with Fire. Later that year came her first holiday collection, To Celebrate Christmas. Nettles rejoined Sugarland for 2018’s Bigger, which peaked at number two on the country chart. In 2019 she released the solo EP I Can Do Hard Things.

For 2021’s Always Like New, Nettles signed with Concord Records and delivered a set of Broadway covers whose arrangements were crafted by Alex Lacamoire; the album also includes a duet with Brandi Carlile on “It All Fades Away.”