The Court Yard Hounds Address Their Country/Pop Sound

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To the Court Yard Hounds, controversy is not a new thing. The duo, along with such stars as Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and Carrie Underwood, have received both criticism and accolades for their pop/Country style.
 
The Dixie Chicks members Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, who make up Court Yard Hounds, have dealt with this struggle their entire careers and have turned it into a source of inspiration.
 
“To me there’s always been that pop vs. Country thing,” Maguire said.  “When we were coming up in the ranks, Shania Twain had No. 1 hits. I remember her being so criticized and so beloved at the same time and thinking that struggle is good. Country Music has always tried to survive, and they tend to hold on tightly to their own. And I understand that — especially coming from bluegrass music. When we were a bluegrass band and we got electric bass, whoa! Hate mail! There were festivals where you couldn’t plug in. They would not hire a band that were electrified in any way. So that’s always been there.”
 
The newest Court Yard Hounds album has enough pop influence that it never made the Billboard Country Albums chart.  The Dixie Chicks have no current plans to release a new album.
 
“When you’re coming off five Grammys and an album that was so packed with emotion for us and was such a statement, it’s kind of hard to find that next thing to say as the Dixie Chicks,” Maguire said. “So I think we’re waiting on that, and it will present itself at some point. Then we’ll go back in and do something. But until that time, we’re not willing to force it.”
 
The Court Yard Hounds will continue to tour throughout the summer. They are slated to appear at eight of the remaining Lilith Fair shows, beginning on July 15 in Kansas City. The Court Yard Hounds will perform alongside entertainers such as Emmylou Harris, Mary J. Blige, Heart, Suzanne Vega, Miranda Lambert and Lilith Fair organizer Sara McLachlan.
 
Source: GAC