Tom and Mike Gossin Rachel Reinert Cheyenne Kimball Amid the soaring four-part harmonies and electric stage presence, it’s clear that Gloriana represents an exciting new force in country music. The group–Tom Gossin, Mike Gossin, Rachel Reinert and Cheyenne Kimball–consists of four uniquely talented musicians joining forces to create a fresh, one-of-a-kind sound that reflects the best of today’s Nashville. From the outset, Gloriana has been winning supporters at all levels–from Grammywinning producer/label executive Matt Serletic and premiere Nashville songwriter Jeffrey Steele to the fans who’ve heard them in venues ranging from Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield to the clubs of the Deep South. Now, with the release of their selftitled debut album, they’re ready to take their cutting-edge country nationwide. The project reflects both the sheer talent of Gloriana’s members and the level of commitment they have put into making every note count.

In the winter of 2007, Gloriana got its start when brothers Tom and Mike, who had moved to Nashville after sweating it out in clubs in North Carolina, discovered Rachel through her MySpace page. “We had never combined our duo with a female voice before,” says Mike, “but singing with her was awesome. It gave us that high harmony and the sound was amazing.” It wasn’t long before Cheyenne saw them perform at a top Nashville club and fell in love with the band’s sound. Immediately after the show, Cheyenne asked the trio if she could get together with them and jam. When they did, there was magic. “The three of us definitely felt we had something special,” says Rachel, “but when Cheyenne came into the picture, it was really complete. The four-part harmony felt right, and the sound was spectacular.” From that point on, commitment was everything. “We spent the next six months getting our songs and our live sound together,” says Mike. “We accomplished a lot, working non-stop, playing shows, making sure we were tight and ready to go.”

The band sent a demo to Emblem Records, the new label founded by Matt Serletic, known for his work with Willie Nelson and Matchbox20 among many others. Emblem is an evolution of Melisma Records, Serletic’s Diamond and multi-Platinum award-winning label, with over 50 million album sales to its credit. “The first time I heard Gloriana I was blown away,” says Serletic. “I’ve never heard four distinctive, powerful singers combine to create such a unique, fresh sound. These talented, young musicians were meant to make music together.” Mike recalls, “they called back and said they loved the voices and the idea They saw the potential right away, and we knew at that point what we needed was dynamite music.”

An intense creative process got underway when Serletic’s clout and musical credits opened the next door: “He was able to introduce us to all the best Nashville has to offer,” says Rachel. Serletic began writing with one of Nashville’s finest songwriters, Jeffrey Steele, who has written hits for Rascal Flatts, Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw and Diamond Rio, among many others. At the same time, Gloriana was writing with and being pitched songs by such noteworthy songwriters as Brett James, Trey Bruce, Stephanie Bentley, Aimee Mayo, Wayne Kirkparick, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear, Chris Lindsley, Danny Myrick, Chuck Jones, Kevin Kadish, Kyle Cook and Ben Glover.

The band members then secluded themselves to begin working on arrangements. “We spent an intense month putting our stamp on the songs these great Nashville songwriters had written,” says Tom, “and having that much of a hand in creating it makes us believe in the project that much more.” “We’d get home and our brains would be fried,” laughs Rachel, “but that’s where we really shaped the sound that became Gloriana.” One at a time, they worked up songs, taking a weekly gig at the Crystal Palace to test them in front of a country-music-lovin’ crowd. “We were playing for a full house,” says Cheyenne, “and it really forced us to know the songs, to get good fast. It shot us through the roof.” “Having put in the rehearsal time,” adds Rachel, “by the time we went into the studio we knew exactly what we were doing and how we wanted to sound. There was no guesswork. It was solid at that point.”

That sense of assurance and the hard work they put in are evident in every track of their debut CD. Mixed by Justin Niebank at John and Martina McBride’s Blackbird Studios, Gloriana is a showcase for the group’s stunning vocal blend in service to great songwriting set off with cutting-edge production. The feels vary from “The Way It Goes” and “How Far Do You Wanna Go,” which display the harmonies, energy and big sound that make the group so exciting on stage, to “Lead Me On” and “All The Things (ThatMean The Most),” songs whose passion and intimacy are undeniable. Despite the individual strengths of all four Gloriana members, the sound is brilliantly collective. “We’ve all been in solo situations before,” says Tom, “but we really have the group mentality. Nobody came in with an ego. There are four great musicians and singers, and whatever’s the best for the group, that’s what we do.”

Each drew strength from a lifetime spent pursuing the dream and the discipline of music. Tom and Mike grew up in Utica, New York, where they were taking classical piano by the time they were 5 years old. Tom began studying with a local jazz musician at 10 and picked up the guitar at 12. He had his own band in high school, and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, with two bandmates after graduation, seeking a warmer climate and a welcoming place to play music. He was a guitar major at the University of North Carolina Wilmington until a teacher encouraged his dream of songwriting and performing, and he dropped out and began playing music 200-250 nights a year, makingindependent records to sell at gigs. Mike, who began playing drums at 8 and guitar at 12, had his own group in high school as well, winning a citywide battle of the bands before leaving for Wilmington to join Tom. He fronted his own band, then joined a group with Tom and their older brother Steve, filming a short-lived reality series. When Steve went his own way, Tom and Mike formed a duo and eventually made their way to Nashville, where they met Rachel.

Rachel was born in Sarasota, Florida, spent her early years in Marietta, Georgia, and went to high school in Santa Ana, California. Falling in love with music at an early age, she went to a performing arts school beginning in 7th grade, then picked up the guitar and began turning her poetry into songs. A teacher who recognized her potential helped her record demos, and a friend with a Nashville connection opened doors that led to a publishing deal. She traveled back and forth to Nashville and finally moved there, developing her craft by co-writing and performing at writers’ nights until joining forces with Tom and Mike.

Cheyenne was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, but spent much of her childhood in Frisco, Texas. She was playing in the Dallas area at 10 and entered NBC’s America’s Most Talented Kid at 12, winning the national competition. She signed a record deal at 13, released an album, toured nationally and had her own MTV reality show. During an early trip to Nashville, she met and wrote with John Rich, and she moved to Nashville permanently at 17. It was Cheyenne’s approach of Tom, Mike and Rachel after a gig at 3rd & Lindsley that set Gloriana in motion and kicked off the intense period of writing, arranging and live performance that turned them from kindred spirits into a tight and crowd-tested musical unit.

That process bonded them in their love of music, their appreciation for classic country, and their desire to take both to a new and exciting place. With their debut project on Emblem Music, the four members of Gloriana have done just that.