Texas Hill Aren’t Just Three Guys From TV
Craig Wayne Boyd, Casey James and Adam Wakefield each spent time on a TV singing competition, but that's not why they formed their trio Texas Hill.
There's a kinship that comes with having sung for America's votes on primetime television, the three former The Voice and American Idol contestants admit, but their decision to collaborate "is based on the music, 100 percent," says James, who finished third on Season 9 of Idol.
"The one thing that was good about those shows is that it brought exposure to all of us and where we were at in life," reflects Boyd, The Voice's Season 7 winner. But, adds The Voice Season 10 runner-up Wakefield, "You go down this wormhole of where it's all about you and it's not about [a] band as much; it's not about the music as much."
Ready to be part of something bigger than themselves, Boyd, James and Wakefield revealed their work as Texas Hill and their plans for an EP in June, though they've been creating together since 2019. "I think [realizing this was a good idea] pretty much happened Day 1," James recalls.
"It took us about eight months to come up with the name," Wakefield says, by way of explaining why it took them so long to introduce themselves.
Interjects Boyd, "And we went back to the very first [option]."
Also, Texas Hill didn't want to rush into anything; instead, they opted to write, play and record together, and keep building their friendship. They wanted to, Wakefield says, "really have a clear picture of the sound and the vibe of the band before we decided to announce it."
The Texas Hill EP opens with the gang vocals of "Four Roses," a heartbroken drinking song penned by the trio and Shannon Lawson. The three enlisted Morgan Myles for a writing session that produced "Easy on the Eyes," while "Love Me When I'm Leaving" is a solo write that Wakefield brought to the table; Boyd co-wrote "Sugar Cane" with Brad Crisler and James LeBlanc; and the EP-closing "Darkest Sky" is an outside cut.
"We're really focused on trying to make sure we can do as much harmony singing as possible," the group notes, so pitched songs and tracks from their own back catalogs are all on the table to record, in addition to what they write together, so long as it meets that qualification.
Texas Hill describe their current state of productivity as "a song factory." They've worked up about two dozen songs and have recorded many of them, with their sights set on a full-length release in early 2021. For now, however, Texas Hill is available to download and stream.
Texas Hill's Texas Hill EP Tracklist:
1. "Four Roses" (Craig Wayne Boyd/Casey James/Shannon Lawson/Adam Wakefield)
2. "Easy on the Eyes" (Craig Wayne Boyd/Casey James/Morgan Myles/Adam Wakefield)
3. "Love Me When I’m Leaving" (Adam Wakefield)
4. "Sugar Cane" (Craig Wayne Boyd/Brad Crisler/James LeBlanc)
5. "Darkest Sky" (Ryan Beaver/James LeBlanc/Mike Walker)
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