Boyd, Wakefield, James form Texas Hill
Wakefield and Boyd competed on separate seasons of NBC's 'The Voice" and James on ABC's 'American Idol." Boyd won season seven of "The Voice" and has released three albums. Wakefield was a runner-up on season 10 and released an album, "Gods & Ghosts," on Average Joe's in 2018. James released a CD on BNA Records in 2012 and later an independent album.
The trio released their debut single "Darkest Sky." Written by Ryan Beaver, Mike Walker, and James LeBlanc, "Darkest Sky" is the first of several releases from the new group - who expect to release a six-song EP this summer.
"We all saw the benefit of bringing three different audiences together from a touring perspective, but none of us were committed to the band until we sat down and actually started making music together," James told Billboard. "Up to that point, it was just wishful thinking. The first day that we really worked up a few songs to test the waters really sealed the deal for us. Hearing our voices blend together was something that got us all excited and, from that point on, we have all been 100% percent resolved to make it happen."
"When we were talking about what to call ourselves we needed to find something we all had in common. Casey and Craig are both from Texas, and I'm from the cornerstone of southern music...New Hampshire (ha). When I was a kid I lived on top of a mountain on a road called Texas Hill Road. My brother and I were always drawn to Southern music as kids, and after high school, he started a band called Texas Hill. The band broke up... My brother passed away before we got to start another band together, so when I brought the idea to Casey and Craig, I hoped they'd be into it. I thought it would be a cool way for my brother to live on in a small way," Wakefield told Billboard.
The group first tested the Texas Hill concept (then unnamed) with a series of co-headlining shows in late 2019.
More news
- 05/15/14: James announces frisbee golf tourney, debuts new music
- 06/13/12: Casey James releases new single
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