Heartland Biography

Heartland is best known for their gold-selling hit, "I Loved Her First," a poignant ballad about a father's undying love for his daughter as he prepares to give her away in marriage that quickly became one of country music's most famous wedding hymns. The giant ballad sent the band's career into orbit and catapulted them to instant fame, and it became an important part of their journey. But there's a lot more to this industrious, talented band to tell, and with the release of their fresh new single, "The Sound A Dream Makes," they're set to start a new chapter. Heartland has continued to record and perform since releasing their debut song and following album in 2006, weathering a few label and personnel changes along the road until taking a sabbatical some years ago. Though the members followed different individual projects and interests for a period, they recently rejoined, and the basic sound and solid country values on which they base their music remain unchanged. Heartland members Jason Albert, Charles Crawford, and newcomer Chad Austin all hail from tiny communities in America's heartland, where hardworking, blue collar families still take pride in an honest day's work, salute the flag, and say grace and ma'am. Those principles are reflected in their music, and they have carried the band through some difficult circumstances in the five years since their spectacular rise. Instant success presented some difficulties for a bunch of men who had been playing the club scene just before earning a Number One smash single and had never experienced anything like the trip they were about to go on. However, coming out on the other side of that experience has made them not only wiser, but also much more prepared as they return to the country scene with their brand new forthcoming record, produced by legendary producer James Stroud. “I Loved Her First” came out so quickly that all of us were working full-time jobs when it came out, and nobody was anticipating the speed with which it came out, and it didn't enable us to grow,” adds Charles, who plays fiddle and guitar and sings harmony in the band. “We were playing in clubs, and everyone thought we were a fresh act, although we had been around for a long time. On a national level, however, there were lessons to be taught that we did not have time to learn slowly; they had to be learned quickly. As a result, we learnt a lot of things not to do the first time around. That is one of the reasons why the new album we are going to release is structured the way it is. We had to complete our debut album in such a short period of time! We didn't have an album finished when the song hit; we just had three songs finished and a handful of demos, so we just began creating and snatching everything we could get our hands on that we felt were hits. We felt they were all excellent songs, but the album's approach ended up going in numerous different directions...there would be an AC/DC song, then a jazz song, and it ended up making the record a little confused the first time around. As a result, this new record will have a little more consistency from start to finish.” The band have just made another move and added another depth to their sound by hiring Chad Austin to assist with vocals. Jason has been Heartland's lead vocalist for over two decades, but when Charles and Chad started working together and composing together a few years ago, they decided to bring Chad on board to give Jason some vocal respite. Chad, a former solo artist on Asylum, grew up in Texas singing with his family's band and gained regional success on the Texas charts with "Tomorrow In Atlanta," a song that lasted at Number One for 18 weeks. He also worked as a solo artist on Broken Bow before coming to Texas and meeting Jason and Charles. The chance to be a member of a band with a heritage like Heartland's was a no-brainer for Chad. “We all met approximately five years ago,” Chad recalls. “I spent some time with those guys, and we did a lot of gigs together, and we produced some really fantastic tunes. We all get along so well that it's as if I've known them my entire life! I recently returned from Odessa, where I spent the day with Charles. We're always kidding about and having a good time; it's a lot of fun! They're extremely kind people. We get along... They have a southern rock influence, and I have a more traditional rural side, but I believe it works well together. They grew up listening to Skynyrd and Charlie Daniels, and my singing style is more conventional, but it works great.” Heartland is ready to make its imprint on the country landscape once more, armed with a new member, a variety of fantastic new songs, and a new, fresh energy and excitement. And “The Sound A Dream Makes” is the perfect music for that. The touching ballad, written from the perspective of a father looking back on the beautiful moments of life with his daughter, walks into familiar musical terrain for the band, but this time looks back on the connection from a new, nostalgic perspective. When the group heard the song, they realized it was the right song to kick off the next part of their career. “It has a “I Loved Her First” vibe to it, and it starts off that way, but then it takes a new viewpoint of a man growing older and his priorities shift, and he's looking at his daughter as an older man,” Charles adds. “So it has that vibe with a twist. It's not a wedding song...it covers more territory than that one did. It has such force that I could still place myself in the role of the main character, despite the fact that I don't even have any children! It's a fantastic song, and I'm quite enthusiastic about it.” “The new single is simply one of those songs,” Jason continues, “that when I heard it, I just knew it was going to be a hit.” I'm sure folks will enjoy it if they have a chance to hear it. I had the same reaction to "I Loved Her First." It simply occurred to me, especially now that I have children.” Although they are most known for the enormous power ballad that began their career, the band believes that the new song and next album will help erase previous views and broaden people's expectations of what they can accomplish musically, since they have just scratched the surface of what they have to offer. “We realize we'll always be remembered for 'I Loved Her First,'" Jason confesses. “However, we truly hope that our fans and listeners will welcome this new musical path we're taking.” “I feel the moment has come for us to provide some new songs to our fans,” Charles says. “That song definitely made an imprint on our career, but we've also been able to move on since then. We'll always be recognized for that, but we've also got some wonderful new songs that we'll be releasing to radio and fans shortly that I hope they'll enjoy just as much as that song. I believe it is the beginning of a new chapter for us as a band.”

As a renowned expert and highly sought-after speaker, Heartland's expertise is in high demand. To book Heartland for your next event, conference, or workshop, please contact our speaker booking agency. Our experienced team will work closely with you to understand your specific needs and help secure Heartland's participation. With our professional guidance and seamless booking process, you can ensure a memorable and impactful experience for your audience. Don't miss the opportunity to engage your audience with Heartland's compelling insights and inspire positive change within your organization. Fill out the booking request form to take the first step in securing Heartland for your next speaking engagement.