There’s always a beginning. A “first.” A first kiss, first car, first house… a first is unforgettable, and irreplaceable. The absolute original.
After the unforeseen departure of band-mate Cheyenne Kimball in 2011, Gloriana is returning back to their beginning as a trio. Brothers Tom and Mike Gossin, along with Rachel Reinert, were the first members of the band, the roots of Gloriana. And we all know there’s nothing quite like the original.
Photo by: Kristen Barlow
“None of us have ever considered doing anything else,” says Reinert. “So while it’s a dream job, it is also the only option.”
Chasing a musical salvation in Nashville, both Gossin brothers (New York) and Reinert (Florida) relocated and signed under Emblem Music Group.
“Nashville is a really great home-base for us, as obviously the industry is here, and it totally feels like a family” says Reinert. “It’s definitely what country music is all about: a melting pot where all different types of people can come and instantly be treated like they grew up there.”
By the winter of 2009, their first single, “Wild At Heart”, accelerated to the highest-selling country single debut of the year [peaking at #15 Hot Country Songs on Billboard.] Radiating from their startling fresh fame, Gloriana joined forces with powerhouse Taylor Swift in preparation for her second album, Fearless, as openers on her sold-out Fearless Tour 2009.
In retrospect, Reinert says, “we were very green at the time, and it was like a crash course in touring.”
Humbled by the behind-the-scenes experience of such an extravagant production, Gloriana was dually grateful for Swift’s dedicated, stadium-filled explosive audience. “It absolutely opened a lot of doors, and put us in front of her fans who were amazing and very accepting of us.”
Wild At Heart, a 4-track EP, furthermore introduced Gloriana in May 2009, before their first full-length self-titled album followed in August [Billboard’s #2 Top Country Album, and #3 on Billboard 200.] The band succeeded to release two more singles, “How Far Do You Wanna Go?” and “The World Is Ours Tonight”, after reissuing Gloriana in May of 2010.
“We have had so many opportunities, none of us ever dreamed we’d have already,” says Reinert. “We have a lot of milestones we hope to reach, and are just so happy being able to continue making music and playing for our fans.”
After triumphantly conquering two highly-coveted newcomer awards, AMA’s (American Music Awards) Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award ‘09, and ACM’s (Academy of Country Music) Top New Vocal Group ’10, Gloriana wrapped the summer of 2010 starry-eyed, as “Wild At Heart” was certified-Gold.
“Wanna Take You Home” launched in March of 2011, as the first single off A Thousand Miles Left Behind. Now, knowing the road as well as an old friend, Reinert says, “we’ve been touring consistently together for nearly four years now, so we have our road family and our routines pretty much down.” But besides “figuring out how to live with 10 other people on a bus,” lately it’s, “now just a matter of which towns have good or bad cell service” that’s the conflict.
Many a miles from their first album, Gloriana is not gazing back in their rear view mirror. Since Kimball’s unexplained band abandonment in July of 2011, their Fall release of “(Kissed You) Good Night” rapidly became their highest-charting single [#2 Hot Country Songs on Billboard], as well as certified-gold. Written by Tom Gossin, the music video for “(Kissed You) Good Night” had a stronger storyline and dialogue than previous single videos. Real-life couple, artist Tyler Hilton and actress Megan Park were cast as leads, as “Tyler [Hilton] is a friend of ours, having also opened for us at a few shows, and our fans really responded well to him,” says Reinert. “We knew they would be great. We are so glad they said yes.”
ABC Family premiered the music video in January, and Gloriana performed the featured single on ABC’s reality-hit The Bachelorette in May of 2012. “We are all so grateful to actually be able to do it [music] on this scale,” says Reinert.
July 31, 2012 finally marked the official debut off Gloriana’s second album, A Thousand Miles Left Behind.
“The main difference in the two albums is that we co-wrote every song on A Thousand Miles Left Behind,” says Reinert. “So each song is a personal account of things we’ve been through in the past three years. We’re very proud of that, and feel the songs perfectly reflect where we are as a band.”
There’s no denying that the Gossin brothers, and Reinert are sparkling on the dirt road to success.
“The beauty of Country Music is that it’s universal” says Reinert. “Stories are told through songs that everyone can relate to, as it signifies a sense of community that can be felt in the small towns and big cities.”
Whether your soul’s itching for a boot-stompin’ track, or your heart’s achin’ for a gut-wrenching ballad, Gloriana’s got you covered. As best explained, “Country music feels like home,” says Reinert. “It’s earnest… and fun… and it’s real, and, if we can evoke those feelings in our fans through our music, then we have succeeded.
Back to their roots is all they needed. The “firsts” of the group are undoubtedly home.
“I can hear that old sweet song, a simple melody calling me back home. Where the love grows pure and strong, that’s where my heart… that’s where my heart belongs.” – Where My Heart Belongs by Gloriana
Written by: Julianne Cassidy
