Three years after 2006’s Taking the Long Way, sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire were ready to cut a new Dixie Chicks album but Natalie Maines wasn’t prepared to participate, so the siblings struck out on their own as the duo Court Yard Hounds. Robison stepped into the role as frontwoman for the group, and the pair retained the service of much of the Dixie Chicks' extended family during the recording of their eponymous debut. The Court Yard Hounds' first showcase was at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas in March of 2010, and their eponymous album appeared in early May 2010 on Open Wide/Columbia Records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine