Eli Young Band

Eli Young Band Says They’re Just the "Vehicle"

While Eli Young Band picked up their first CMA nomination Wednesday, for Vocal Group, the guys happen to have a little experience when it comes to the Song of the Year category. In April, “Crazy Girl” took home the Song of the Year trophy at the Academy of County Music Awards.

The CMA nod is for Eli Young Band’s latest number one, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” Guitarist Jon Jonesgives props to writers Will Hoge and Eric Paslay, saying, “It’s been a great ride for us and we’re fortunate to have been the vehicle that brought this amazing song with such heart to country fans.”

As for their initial nomination for Vocal Group, Jon says the band is “in great company among friends,” alongside current title-holders Lady Antebellum, as well as Little Big Town, The Band Perry and Zac Brown Band.

Eli Young Band will find out if they’ll get a CMA trophy to match the ACM award when the winners are announced at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 1.

Crawford performer Eli Young Band on slow climb

You can consider Eli Young Band an overnight success -- if you live in Alaska, where night seems to last a decade. The members of this Texas country band met in college in 2000 and slogged the bar circuit in its home state and the South for years before "Crazy Girl" reached No. 1 in 2011 and seemingly made them instant stars.

"It was really always about slowly building," said Jon Jones, the band's bassist. "But there was a point, when we were about to graduate from college, that we needed to go out and make money to survive.

"We started to get a little momentum in Texas and Oklahoma and just made a decision to stick with it and give it all we have. After we made that decision, there hasn't been any low points. We all committed to it together, and that's what carried us throughout."

This is how close they are: They all attended a baby shower for Mike Eli and his wife.

"We had a dual gender baby shower and all chipped in and got a really nice stroller. We really are like family," Jones said.

Eli took a short break from singing "Crazy Girl" to welcome his baby girl, Kline. The group has been touring with Rascal Flatts, but plays with Thompson Square -- another breakthrough act -- on Tuesday at Meadville.

"The week that got their first No. 1 ("Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not") we were playing a show with them," Jones recalled. "It was before we had ours."

Now they have two. "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," the ringing guitar follow-up to "Crazy Girl," also hit No. 1. "It made us appreciate it even more," Jones said. "It's been a roller coaster ever since, and things are moving in the right direction."

Can they make it three in a row? "Say Goodnight," the next single from "Life at Best," will be released to radio on Aug. 27.

 

Eli Young to perform tonight

The PFI/PBR Party in the Parking Lot promises to be a summer bash to remember, according to organizers. Kicking off Friday Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m., the show features music by the Eli Young Band, the Farm and Jason Plummer.
“This is by far the biggest benefit we’ve ever done,” PFI Western Store owner, Randy Little said. “With the Eli Young Band performing, it’s going to be a rocking concert.”
All proceeds from the event benefit the Rider Relief Fund for athletes injured in the sport of bull riding.
“Every week there are bull riders getting stomped on and people don’t always realize it,” Little said. “It’s vital for professional bull riding to have a relief fund supporting them.”
Little is chairman of the board of directors for the Rider Relief Fund, a nonprofit organization registered in Colorado. Little and his wife Johnelle deserve recognition for their caring and generous contribution to the fund, said Lynn Dahnke, the fund’s executive director who is in Springfield today for show.
Tickets are $20 in advance at PFI, 2816 S. Ingram Mill Road, or $25 the day of the show. All tickets are general admission and seating is first come, first serve. Chairs are provided.
“Anyone who wants to enjoy a good evening with proceeds going to a good cause should come out Friday,” Little said.

 

Eli Young Band’s Crowds Get Loud

Eli Young Band’s Crowds Get Loud

 

Eli Young Band is enjoying a lot of success lately, including recently celebrating their second No. 1 single, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” One of the coolest things for the band has been hearing the crowds singing along louder and louder with each passing show.
“There was one thing that we really noticed pretty early on with “Crazy Girl” was the crowd singing this song back and how gradually they got louder and louder and louder,” Mike Eli said. “There was actually a point where we had to change the way we started the song because the crowd was so loud that we couldn’t hear the count off to start the song.”
Now their fans are singing “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” back to them just as loud. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world,” Mike said. “When you’re a band and you put everything you’ve got into recording these records, to be able to hear them come back and sing your music that loud, it’s a feeling you can’t really explain. It’s incredible.”
The band is hoping to make it three in a row when their next single, “Say Goodnight,” hits radio on August 27. It’s one of the few songs on their latest album the band didn’t write. It was co-written by John Paul White of The Civil Wars.
“We fell in love with it and are really happy with the way it came out,” Jon Jones said. “It’s a kind of song we’ve never recorded before and so I think we got to stretch ourselves a little bit, which is important, and sometimes that’s gotta be an outside song.”
Eli Young Band is currently on the road with Rascal Flatts’ Changed Tour

 

Country Countdown: Zac Brown, Eli Young Bands Top Charts 

 

With 234,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Zac Brown Band ropes its second No. 1 on Country Albums and the Billboard 200, as "Uncaged" arrives with the group's best one-week sum to date. Their previous best was noted when You Get What You Give opened with 153,000 two years ago. The handsome debut was goosed by appearances on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and a July 13 stop at "Today" on NBC.

At least one retailer offered "Uncaged" for $3.99 during its first week out. Only one country album, Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away," has sold more in any given week this year (267,000 sold, May 19). Zac Brown Band boasts a total of three albums in the top 20 on the Billboard 200 this week, the first time a country act has had that many in the top 20 since Garth Brooks had a trio on Nov. 7, 1992.
Meanwhile, Eli Young Band celebrates its second No. 1 -- seven weeks faster than its first -- as "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," steps 2-1 in its 31st week on Country Songs. The group first topped the radio tally with "Crazy Girl," which reigned in its 38th week on the chart dated Nov. 19, 2011. With 36,000 downloads during the SoundScan tracking week, "Heart" ranks at No. 10 in its 21st week on Country Digital Songs following a No. 7 peak two weeks ago (666,000 total downloads). Both of the band's No. 1 radio hits are from their third full-length album, Life at Best, which bullets at No. 30 in its 48th week (4,000 sold) on Country Albums (279,000 total sales).

Little Big Town's "Pontoon" spends a second week at No. 1 on Country Digital Songs (84,000 sold), and vaults 20-15 in its 10th week on Country Songs. The track is the quartet's fastest-rising single to date on the radio chart, surpassing the 19 weeks it took "Little White Church" to reach the top 15 two years ago. The summertime anthem is the lead single from the group's fifth album, "Tornado," set for release on Sept. 11. Also noteworthy on Country Songs is the 15th top 10 achievement for "The Voice" vocal coach Blake Shelton, as "Over" jumps 11-9 -- eleven of the artist's previous top 10's also did time at No. 1. Shelton's "Red River Blue" set gets a 107% sales spike and shoots 24-17 on Country Albums.

Keep an eye on Billboard's country singles charts next week, as Jason Aldean is likely to post career-high bows with "Take a Little Ride" on Country Songs and Country Digital Songs. The new tune is from Aldean's fifth studio album, due this fall.

 

Eli Young Band’s Even If It Breaks Your Heart Hits No. 1

Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” Hits No. 1

 

Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” has reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart and the USA Today/Country Aircheck powered by Mediabase Chart. The song took 26 weeks to climb the charts, 10 weeks faster than their award-winning hit “Crazy Girl.” The track was penned by Eric Paslay and Will Hoge.
“It means the world to us to have back to back number ones,” Jon Jones said. “This one is especially meaningful to us because the song resonated with us like nothing before. The song is our story and that it has been embraced by country fans and country radio is proof that dreams really do come true.“
“The message that is in ‘Even If It Breaks Your Heart’ lives in every one us,” Jimmy Harnen, President of Republic Nashville, “said. “We all have dreams that we strive to achieve regardless of how challenging the journey. In many respects this song is reflective of EYB’s drive, hard work and incredible talent to be where they are today! Back-to-back No. 1 singles with ‘Crazy Girl’ and ‘Even If It Breaks Your Heart,’ sold out shows, platinum and gold records and millions of fans. I have said it before and I will say it again, this could not happen to a nicer or more deserving group of people.”
Eli Young Band is nominated for three Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakthrough Group (all genre), Choice Country Song and Choice Country Group. The awards will air this Sunday, July 22 on FOX at 8/7 p.m. CT.  The band is currently on the road with Rascal Flatts’ Changed Tour.

 

Eli Young Band, Justin Moore

Eli Young Band, Justin Moore & Thomas Rhett Reveal July 4th Plans

The 4^th of July is the perfect holiday to bring together family and fun. Eli Young Band’s Mike Eli remembers the holiday as being a big party while growing up, thanks to his very large family. “My mom’s side of the family, she had nine brothers and sisters, there were 10 of them so family get-togethers were huge,” he said.
Every year, Mike’s grandparents hosted a party on Independence Day. “My grandparents always had everyone over for 4th of July and so 4th of July was always a huge event, especially because there were so many of us,” he said. “There were a lot of cousins, so that house was full of people, that’s for sure.”
This year, Eli Young Band will be the center of one of the many, many patriotic celebrations taking place across the country on July 4th. They will be headlining the Independence Day celebration in Rogersville, Tennessee.
Anyone looking for Justin Moore this 4^th of July will likely find him on the lake. “Summer’s my favorite time of the year,” he said. “I hate cold weather and so summer is awesome, the best time of the year for me. My favorite way to spend a day in the summer is on the lake, whether I‘m fishin‘ or tubin‘ or just kind of hanging out on the boat having a cold Bud Light.”
Growing up, Thomas Rhett spent his 4^th of Julys with his family on Amelia Island, just off the coast of northern Florida. He confessed that he used to get in a little bit of mischief during his summers on the island. “There was a year in Florida that it was really dry and they banned fireworks,” he said. “But we’d bought fireworks in Nashville anyway and we shot’em off and the cops came and we lied about it. They were searching houses and houses.”
Thomas lets the professionals handle the fireworks these days. “We usually go downtown [in Nashville],” he said. “Ever since I got in high school we’d go downtown and watch’em from the bridge.”

Eli Young Band Work to Help End Hunger

Rascal Flatts, Edens Edge & Eli Young Band Work to Help End Hunger

Several Big Machine Label Group Artists like Rascal Flatts, Edens Edge and Eli Young Band are teaming up with General Mills this summer to help in the fight against hunger. The partnership will help Feeding America secure meals through Outnumber Hunger Live, an extension of the Outnumber Hunger initiative which has already helped secure more than 6 million meals for local food banks.
Through the end of October, Outnumber Hunger will make a donation to Feeding America at each of the 35-plus stops on Rascal Flatts´Changed Tour which features Edens Edge and Eli Young Band as special guests. At each stop, a donation of $625 will be made to Feeding America, enough to secure 5,000 meals for that local food bank. An Outnumber Hunger tour bus will be present at each stop.
“People in every community across America—nearly 49 million individuals—are struggling with hunger,” Mike Eli of Eli Young Band said. “With ‘Outnumber Hunger Live,’ we hope that we can help these local communities and continue to raise awareness of this issue in our country.”
“The Outnumber Hunger program helps make a difference in the hunger crisis in America,” Vicki B. Escarra, president and CEO, Feeding America, said. “We appreciate that General Mills and Big Machine Label Group’s artists continue to lend their voices to this effort.”
“In our home state of Arkansas, nearly 18 percent of the residents struggle with hunger,” Hannah Blaylock of Edens Edge said. “That’s more than half a million people. That’s why Outnumber Hunger Live is an important part of our tour.”
According to the USDA, approximately one in six Americans struggles with hunger. This struggle often affects hardworking families who have to decide whether to pay bills or buy food. Outnumber Hunger Live aims to continue to raise awareness and help make a difference in the fight against hunger in local communities.
The Outnumber Hunger initiative launched in March with several Big Machine Label Group artists, including Rascal Flatts, Reba and Martina McBride. The artists appeared on millions of specially-marked General Mills products alongside Outnumber Hunger codes. By entering the codes at www.OutnumberHunger.com, people can help Feeding America secure five meals on behalf of their local food banks. For every code entered by March 1, 2013, General Mills will donate $0.65 to Feeding America up to a total maximum donation of $2,100,000.
To learn more about how you can help make a difference in your local community, visit www.OutnumberHunger.com. For updates on the Outnumber Hunger Live tour, including appearance dates, exclusive photos and videos, visit Facebook.com/HelpOutnumberHunger.