(CSC) 1. Thanks for the visit. What’s the latest with all of you?

(Cheyenne)

Our album just came out which has been an amazing experience for us. It actually debuted at #1 on iTunes day of release which we never thought would happen. We are on the road with Taylor Swift, which has been amazing. We will be out with her until October and couldn’t be happier about it, she is fantastic!!

(CSC) 2. What style of music can listeners expect to hear with the release of your self-titled debut album and what was that experience like recording it?

(Mike)

It’s cool! We’re really, really excited for it to finally be released. We recorded half of the album in L.A. and the other half of it in Nashville. We had two different bands. There are two different kinds of feel to the album. One is the more traditional kind of sound and one is the newer kind of modern country sound that you hear in bands like Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. We are a harmony based band so basically the sound is all about harmonies and vocals. We all take turns singing and come together for the choruses. There are slower songs, faster songs and we’re really, really proud of the album. We’re excited for everybody to be able to have the chance to hear it!

(CSC) 3. With vast individual musical tastes, how has each one of you managed to incorporate your unique talents onto this album?

(Rachel)

For me personally, my parents were raised in the south and so I was influenced by a lot more traditional country, especially Patsy Cline. I grew up singing along to her. As I got older I kind of moved into that whole era of Shania Twain but the one common thing between the four of us is that we have a great love and respect for traditional country music. We also have plenty of other influences from other genres of music that we all wanted to tie into our music.

(Tom)

Yes there are many different influences we’ve had throughout the album. We actually did a songwriting camp for this album which was really, really cool. We were lucky enough to get with   twenty or thirty of Nashville’s best songwriters. We did a writing camp for two days right here in Nashville. What we did was we paired off in different groups of threes with the writers and we ended up coming up with sixty songs in one weekend. We picked the best thirteen for the album. One of our favorite songs on the album is a song called “Time To Let Me Go.” That’s the first song that we wrote together with Kyle Cook, who is actually the guitarist for Matchbox Twenty. That was the song that got us recognition from our record label and that what tied us into the record label.

(Cheyenne)

The cool thing about that song is that it’s got kind of got this older Johnny Cash kind of feel. It’s got up right bass on it, with a swing and snare brushes, snare drums. We’re excited about that one!

(CSC) 4. Your band consists of two men and two women, who both of you happen to be brothers, how did you find the other half of your band, and where does the name originate from?

(Tom)

Well Mike and I are brothers. We moved out here to Nashville about a year and a half ago. We’ve been playing music pretty much all year long, almost every day of the year for about ten years in the southeast. Mike and I were in a different number of bands. We also played as an acoustic duo. We wanted a bigger music scene so we moved out here to Nashville to start a group. We’ve always been big fans of harmony groups like the Beatles, Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac. So we were like you know let’s find some people who play that in Nashville and start some sort of harmony group.

We’ve never really sang with girls before so we thought why not, right? So we found Rachel on her music Myspace page about a month after we moved here and we just totally loved her voice. We were like ok, it’s a long shot but let’s send her an email and see if she’ll meet up with us and sing with us, to see if it works or whatever! She didn’t get too creeped out I guess by our message. She actually got together with us and we started singing together and we really clicked so we started performing around town as a three piece.

Then a couple of months later we were playing a show and 3rd and Lindsley here in town and Cheyenne happened to be in the audience. She was there checking out some live music and happened to see us. She came up to us after the show and said “I don’t know if you guys are looking for another member or not but I play mandolin and I can sing. If you’re into it I’ll come and jam with you sometime and see how it goes.” So about two weeks later we had her come over and play with us and the sound was bigger than we ever thought we could be. We were digging it. So from then on we’ve been a four piece and Gloriana was born!

(Mike)

There’s no crazy story about the name really other than the fact that it took us three or four months to come up with it. For some reason we were stumped. We’ve all been in different bands before, but this time it was a bit hard. We ended up playing around with the word Glory for awhile just because we liked how it sounded. We thought it could tie into this big wall, this harmonious vocal thing we have going on. We were just hanging out in the studio one night in the break room for a dinner and threw out Gloriana and everybody agreed on it and it stuck.

(Rachel)

It doesn’t really mean anything. We just really liked the way that it sounded. We just wanted something that represented our four part harmony. Like Mike said we were just kind of playing around with the word Glory.

(Mike)

It rolls off the tongue nice! (Laughs) 

(CSC) 5. You started out playing small venues around town, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned from playing to intimate audiences?

(Cheyenne)

Wow! Since we are a new band and we’re learning every single time we do anything whether it’s an interview, playing a show, or meeting people we learn something new. I think just being able to get out there and play for people and share our music with them and see what they think about it is a learning experience for us. Would you guys agree? We’re learning everyday and we’re still such a baby band that you know it’s always fun to get out in front of these people. There are amazing crowds wherever we go. We opened up for LeAnn Rimes, Zac Brown, Jason Michael Carroll, Craig Morgan and Brooks and Dunn. They’re all just completely diverse crowds. They are very supportive of us already and we’ve made amazing fans so far. So it’s a great experience for us.

(CSC) 6. You’re hitting the road big time this year with Taylor Swift, what does each one of you plan to bring forth at your live shows as you make a name for yourselves in the business?

(Cheyenne)

Well we all know that we each have our own particular roll in this band. I’m the mandolin player and I sing, so we basically put everything into our band with what we do so we can be great as a unit. We were just having this conversation yesterday that if we didn’t have Mike we wouldn’t be Gloriana, or if Rachel wasn’t in the band, we wouldn’t be Gloriana. So we just perfect our each individual roll so that we can be great as a group.

(Rachel)

I agree with Cheyenne; I just think that being the best that we possibly can be. Me personally, I’ve been singing since I was five years old. My vocals are what I really try to take pride in being the best that I can possibly be at that. Beyond that I think just basically reaching out to as many people as we possibly can and inspiring people with our music in a way that has inspired me and made a difference in my life. 

(Mike)

I’m going to bring some amazing guitar licks. Some face melting solos, you can quote on this too by the way! I’d also like to incorporate some pyrotechnics and bring in some circus animals too at some point on the tour. I don’t know how cool Taylor Swift is going to be about that. (Laughs) No, you know just really step up the game live; just try and play and sing our best.

(Tom)

I think one thing for this tour that I’m excited most about is that we’re going out and we’re playing without a band. We’re going to play acoustic. It’s just the two guitars and the Mandolin and our voices and some Tambourine. With all the young bands out there, we really take pride in our live thing and the fact that we can do it without a band and kind of not hide behind drums and base or a big production. So we’re going to go out completely stripped down and do our show acoustic. I’m really stoked about that. I’m going to make it rain! (Laughs)

(CSC) 7. What do you enjoy most about being out on the road together 24/7?

(Tom)

Nothing!! (Laughs)  

(Mike)

I’d have to say just playing in front of people man! It’s really exciting just getting out there and seeing the reaction of people. Just to get out there and play in front of them, get to meet them and see everybody’s reaction that has really been positive to us. That’s really exciting for me. I’m just really looking forward to that, a lot!

(Rachel)

I’m really looking forward to the traveling. I love living spontaneously. I love being adventurous. I love living in different places. I also look forward to meeting people and finally getting our first tour bus in April.

(Cheyenne)

I’m a lot like Rachel in the fact that I don’t like to be in one place for too long. I get really bored and stir crazy. So, just the fact that I get to travel and see the country is just really amazing. I can’t wait until we make it out of the country to places like Europe and all those countries because I’ve always wanted to go over there; it’ll be awhile. (Laughs)

(Tom)

I want to take back my answer because that wasn’t true! There are a lot of things that I like about being on the road. The best thing for me is the hotel rooms, I’m rating shower heads across the country. (Laughs) The best one so far is Holiday Inn Express. They have great shower heads; a lot of options. There are different classes. The little message thing, yes! Those big silver ones look like big sunflowers. I really like those but when they’re bad they’re really bad. I’m waiting for a hotel with the rainfall ones. That’s what I had at home. I love those. The worst place I went to was La Quinta; they had like the old school, just basic.

(CSC) 8. What’s one thing that you can’t live without when traveling?

(Mike)

The girls can’t live without hairspray. As for me it would be my cell phone, I’m always texting.

(Rachel)

I can’t live without my makeup. If I wasn’t in music I would totally be a makeup artist. I just love it. It’s funny because someone set off a fire alarm in one of the hotels that we were staying in one time in the middle of the night and everyone of course had to get up and evacuate. I kind of shed a little tear. (Laughs) I asked Cheyenne “Do we take our stuff too or do we leave it?”  She said “You have to leave it” and I said “I don’t know what I’ll do.” I freaked out a little bit. But then I didn’t feel as bad when we went down there and it was a false alarm. Twenty minutes later the guys come rolling down fully clothed with all their belongings, laptops, and bags. I was like “You guys what if this had been a real fire?” They said “I don’t care. If were going down at least I know I’ll look good and I’ll have my computer with me.” (Laughs) Tom’s said “Are you kidding me? I can’t leave these jeans. These jeans are awesome!” (Laughs)

(Cheyenne)

Ha-ha. That’s exactly what he said actually. I can’t live without my over fifty pound weight limit suitcase.

(Tom)

I love you mom! I can’t live without my hat. I have this knit hat. Like this hair isn’t happening in five minutes. To build this wall you’ve got to start from the ground up! I have two hats actually.

(CSC) 9. What are you looking forward to about making your Opry debut?

(Tom)

I’m super excited. You know it’s a place every legend in country music has played. It’s our first time, so you know we’ve had a lot of firsts this year as far as making a major record, having a video and singing on the radio. So this is the next one in line and I’m super stoked. I’m going to wear a tie. That’s how stoked I am; a black tie, a skinny black tie, white shirt, black vest and Brazilian jeans!! I can’t forget the pointy boots and fancy underwear either. (Laughs)

(Rachel)

For me, I have been dreaming about playing at the Opry since I was a little girl.

I used to listen to it all the time. I started watching it on TV. I have always dreamt about playing the Opry. So now we’re finally going to have the opportunity and it really does feel surreal. The OPRY-tunity I guess you could say! Like Tom said it’s been a lot of firsts for us this year. So this is one of the major ones that I was hoping that we would get to do. We finally have and I’m so excited. It’s been a long dream of mine. It is truly an honor.

(Cheyenne)

I’m a little bit overwhelmed. I don’t really think its hit me yet. I tell people and they’re like “Oh my goodness! That’s insane!” I don’t really think that I get that we’re going to be able to play there. The little ding, ding, ding hasn’t gone off in my head yet!

(Mike)

I’m really excited about the show at the Opry. We just broke your recorder I believe. Ok it’s still going. I can sum it all up in three little letters that have carried across the times of our world by just saying, “OMG!”

(CSC) 10. If you were to prioritize your career goals for the next few years, what’s ONE thing that each one of you would like to accomplish?

(Tom)

 I like writing songs and I’d like to write a song that would go all the way to #1.

(Mike)

I’d like to take over the world.

(Rachel)

I’d like for us to get a Grammy.

(Cheyenne)

I want us to headline our own tour. 

(CSC) 11. In closing, tell us what you’re plans are to become the next biggest act in Country Music!!

(Mike)

You know what, honestly? We don’t really have plans. We’re just kind of going at this day by day and playing music. We are trying to affect people in a positive way and show our tunes to people. I guess what I’m trying to say is, even if we didn’t have any success at all within the business, we would still be playing and making music together. That is what is most important to us… not having status or anything else like that. I still want to take over the world.

(Tom)

Yeah we just take it day by day like Mike was saying. At the end of the day when we all look at each other, we say “Did we have fun today?” And if we say yes then it was a good day. If we say no than we try to have fun the next day. That’s what it’s all about for us, having a good time. That’s all we’re looking for. Aint’ nothing else!

(Rachel)

I’m with Tom on that. I was just going to say the same thing. That’s the one thing that we try to accomplish every day. Having fun and laughing. Just enjoying ourselves and following our dreams.

(Cheyenne)

More hair products and more make-up!

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Check out Gloriana's official website here: http://www.Gloriana.com