Landing a spot on your favorite “reality” show is a dream come true, but what happens when the season ends and the other reality—life—sets in?
Fan favorites Craig Wayne Boyd, season 7 winner of “The Voice,” Adam Wakefield, season 10 runner up, and Casey James, “American Idol” season 9 third-place finalist, decided to combine their musical talents and form a country supergroup, Texas Hill.
Since the beginning of Scenes, Adam Wakefield has appeared on our platform numerous times. Here he is with his girlfriend, the incredible singer-songwriter, Jenny Leigh, and another friend on fiddle, Lauren.
The three artists have all been touring and performing as solo artists, but they came to realize that together they might create something even more magical.
“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.
“Hearing our voices blend together was something that got us all excited and, from that point on, we have all been 100% resolved to make it happen.”
With all three stars hitting success on the Billboard charts, it was only a matter of time before Texas Hill was born. The name Texas Hill pays homage to Wakefield’s late brother, as well as where the three stars originated.
“Casey and Craig are both from Texas. When I was a kid I lived on a road called Texas Hill Road [in New Hampshire]. My brother and I were always drawn to Southern music as kids, and after high school, he started a band called Texas Hill. I was going to join them after school instead of going to college,” Wakefield says. “The band broke up before I graduated and I went to music school instead. My brother passed away before we got to start another band together, so when I brought the idea to Casey and Craig. I thought it would be a cool way for my brother to live on in a small way. Ultimately, when I told the fellas that it would make my mom happy it was a done deal. Nothing trumps the mom card.”
Their soul-stirring single, “Darkest Sky” proves just why these three were a match made in country music heaven- it’s guaranteed to send shivers up your spine.
“I had been spending some time down in Muscle Shoals writing with one of my favorite writers and artists, James LeBlanc. After one of the writing sessions, James played me ‘Darkest Sky.’ I asked for a copy of it and listened to it all the way back from Muscle Shoals to Nashville,” Boyd tells Billboard.
“I sent it to the boys because I felt like it was definitely a message that we could relate to in our own lives and careers —not knowing that the world would be taken by a pandemic a few months later—and it fit right into how we feel about it all.”
Although the trio couldn’t be happier about their new endeavor, each also intents to continue with a solo career.
“Each of us having our own personal outlet that we have full control over is a key element to keeping any of us from pushing the band too hard in our own direction. It’s a very important element in the way that this band does things,” says James.
The members of Texas Hill were hard at work on their debut EP until Nashville’s Ocean Way Studios was shut down due to the pandemic. The band will continue to record the rest of the album once they’re able to get back into the studio.
“The songs we’ve already recorded have a live feel to them and we don’t want to jeopardize that,” says Wakefield.
Like many, Texas Hill had to put a temporary halt on touring, but plan to hit the road once the pandemic subsides. Until then, be on the lookout for digital shows and new releases.
Hats off to Texas Hill, we can’t wait to see what lies ahead!
