Music News

Sugarland hits the road and gets interactive with fans

By Patrick Luce Mar 1, 2012, 14:40 GMT

Sugarland returning to the road and giving the fans the power of picking the set list. @Photo provided by Sandbox Entertainment.

Reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Duo of the Year Sugarland has announced plans to hit the road for their sixth consecutive headlining tour - dubbed ‘In the Hands of the Fans.’

The tour kicks off in April and will see the fans in control of the set list the duo plays in each city. The 25+ dates will feature openers Lauren Alaina and Canaan Smith in select cities.
 
In a press release, Jennifer Nettles stated: “This year's tour is based around the concept of putting the show into the hands of the fans. THEY will make the requests that will help form the set list and guide the show. Through texts, handwritten signs, the Internet (Twitter, Facebook, etc) phone calls made during the show and selections directly from the stage, the fans will become the conductors as well as the audience. If it's on one of our records or if we've played it on a stage it is fair game.”

Sugarland has reached more than 15 million in worldwide sales and achieved eight #1 singles since exploding onto the music scene in ‘04 with ‘Twice The Speed Of Life.’ ‘Enjoy the Ride’ followed in ’06 and ‘Love On The Inside’ in ’08 - which launched the duo to superstardom.

Sugarland has co-written all tracks from all three albums and co-produced the last two. ‘Live On The Inside,’ a CD/DVD set, and ‘Gold And Green,’ a holiday collection, both debuted in ’09. In 2010 The ‘Incredible Machine’ was released (also co-written and co-produced by the duo) at #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and to date has sold over 1.2 million copies.

Sugarland has received trophies from the Grammys, AMA’s, ACM, CMT and CMA awards. Nettles has performed at the Kennedy Center Honors with musical tributes to Bruce Springsteen and Neil Diamond and the duo has collaborated live with heavy-hitters like Adele, Rihanna and Lady Gaga among others. 

They have been seen all over the media spectrum with appearances on Oprah, Good Morning America, Ellen, CNN Heroes, Chelsea Lately and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Sugarland has performed in numerous European countries and have headlined multiple U.S. tours that continue to sell out venues across the country.
 
Singer/songwriter Canaan Smith will release his debut album via Mercury Records in 2012. His touching debut single “We Got Us” is at radio now. Canaan was one of the cast members of the 15th season of the hit CBS series The Amazing Race and his elimination with then girlfriend, Mika, was one of the most dramatic moments in that show’s history.

Also, the colonial Williamsburg, Virginian wrote the top 10 single “Runaway,” for the band Love and Theft as well as “Me Without You” on the band’s debut album, World Wide Open. He also wrote the Billy Ray Cyrus/Amy Grant duet “Stripes and Stars.” Craig Morgan recently recorded Canaan’s song “Up All Night Down In the South.” Furthermore, Canaan was recently named one of twelve artists to watch in 2012 by Country Weekly magazine.
 
Lauren Alaina, a Rossville, GA native, and the American Idol Season 10 runner up, released her debut album ‘Wildflower’ in the fall of 2011 and it landed at No. 2 on the Billboard’s Top Country Album chart and an impressive No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200.

She became the youngest female artist to debut this high on the Billboard charts since LeAnn Rimes' debut 15 years ago and is the best-selling country female debut since 1996.  Lauren is currently on the road with two other Georgia native’s Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan as part of the “My Kinda Party” tour.
 
‘In the Hands of the Fans’ tour dates include:
 
4/5 Toledo, OH                      
4/6 Youngstown, OH
4/10 Niagara, ON
4/11 Niagara, ON
4/13 Pikeville, KY
4/14 Louisville, KY
4/19 Thackerville, OK
4/20 Thackerville, OK
4/21 Mississippi State, MS
4/26 Virginia Beach, VA
4/27 Charlotte, NC
4/28 Raleigh, NC
5/25 Rancho Mirage, CA
5/31 San Diego, CA
6/1 Mountain Valley, CA
6/21 Oshkosh, WI
6/22 Cadott, WI
6/23 Chicago, IL
7/21 Harrington, DE
7/22 Bristow, VA
7/27 Tampa, FL
7/28 Valdosta, GA
7/29 West Palm Beach, FL
8/3 Cincinnati, OH
8/10 Sturgis, SD
8/17 Brownsville, OR
8/18 Stateline, NV