Credit: Gloriana MySpace. Added on September 30, 2008.

Hey everyone! Tom here… 2008 has been a crazy year for us so far. From putting together our group, to going on tour, to getting signed by Emblem Music Group, to writing and recording for our debut record, it’s been quite a ride!

It all started in late 2007 when Mike and I decided to move to Nashville. We had been playing shows throughout the southeast for the past four years and we felt like we were ready for something bigger. So, we packed up our gear and headed for Music City USA! It was only a matter of weeks until we discovered one of Nashville’s best-kept secrets, Rachel Reinert. The three of us thought it would be really cool to start a group where everyone was a lead singer. We were all accustomed to singing three-part harmony, so our ‘sound’ started to take shape almost instantly.

Just when it seemed that things couldn’t get any better, they did! We started playing gigs at 3rd and Lindsley in downtown Nashville, where one night Ms. Cheyenne Kimball was in the audience. Well, I guess she liked what she heard, because she immediately approached us after the show. She told us that she had been on a little hiatus from performing, and was just starting to teach herself how to play the mandolin. That very night we made plans to all get together soon to jam. When we did, to say that sparks flew would be an understatement. We all immediately clicked on both a musical and personal level, and it became clear that together we might be able to create a new force in country music. Now all we needed was a way to get our music to the masses…

In early 07, Mike and I had been introduced to Matt Serletic, an amazing producer that was starting his own record label. I remembered that we had told him that we were considering moving to Nashville to start a new project. Matt had said to send him something whenever we got some demos together. So, we sent him a demo of a song that we as a band co-wrote with Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty) called ‘Time To Let Me Go.’ It was the first song that we ever wrote together! Matt ended up really liking the sound and the idea of a group with four lead singers and lots of four-part harmony. He decided to come to Nashville and invite 20-30 of the best writers in town to help us write material for a potential album. We couldn’t believe it was actually happening! We got to work with Jeffery Steele, Stephanie Bentley, Ben Glover, Joy Williams, John Paul White, Kevin Kadish, and Trey Bruce just to name a few. What an amazing experience that was! After writing a great arsenal of material, it was time for the next step- and this time, we were headed west….

It was Feb.08, and just as quickly as we had formed our group, the time had come to record some of our new songs. All four of us moved into an apartment in LA that was close to Matt’s recording studio. For two whole months, we worked intensely at arranging, practicing, and eventually recording our songs. It was extremely hard work, but the end product justified the means. Matt’s music ‘clout’ became extremely evident when we met the rhythm section that would be playing with us in the studio. We had Kenny Aronoff on drums, Jack Daly on bass, and Brian Sutton on guitar. Kenny had played for years with John Mellencamp. Jack Daly had been Lenny Kravits’ bass player. Brian Sutton had pretty much played with everyone who is anyone in country and bluegrass. And now, they were all gonna play with us? It was a dream come true for me personally- I had always wondered what it would be like to play with musicians of their caliber, and now I was actually getting a chance to make that dream a reality!

Throughout the two months of recording, we played weekly gigs at Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace, in Bakersfield, CA. The place was like the unofficial hall of fame for country music–it was awesome! I feel like those gigs really built the foundation of our live sound. We were so grateful to have a place to try out our new material in front of a live audience. On top of all of that, we got an amazing steak dinner every time we played! A real live audience AND a free steak- how can you beat that? If that was any sign of things to come, we were as stoked as a new band could possibly be. Most importantly, we were all getting to live our dream of existing solely to create and play music. I’ve gotta say thank you to the late great Buck Owens– without the Crystal Palace, Gloriana would not be what it is today!

OK- so now, we’ve got a group– we’ve got some recordings– we’ve got some experience playing live– what’s next? Well, it was time to make it official. Matt Serletic let us know that on behalf of Emblem Music Group they were very impressed with what we had done so far and they were ready to sign us to their label! I couldn’t believe it was actually happening—a moment that I had envisioned every day since I was a child– A RECORD DEAL! Everyone offered up their John Hancock’s and the deal was sealed. The first band on Emblem: Gloriana!

Since then we’ve been working hard to get our name out there. We’ve done countless shows in and around Nashville and we even piled into a minivan and did a short tour of the southeast. That experience was…a little cramped…but all in all, priceless. It has been so cool to get out there on the road and bring our music to the people. There is no better feeling than winning over an audience with brand new music that they’ve never heard before. To know that we’re actually starting to get fans around the country is insanely cool! To the fans that we may have acquired so far along the way: thank you so much for sticking around and listening to a band that you didn’t know. Thank you for believing in us–you are making our dreams come true!

Now that you’re all caught up on the history of our group, let’s talk about the future of Gloriana. There’s only one thing to say… the sky’s the limit! We promise to bring you great music, great shows, and an all around good time. We’re four kids, just like everyone else. We had a dream to play music for the masses; now we have you guys, and you have us. We couldn’t be happier!

-Tom