Kristian Bush

Kristian Bush
Kristian Merrill Bush (born March 14, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bush is one half of the country music duo Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles, and was a member of the folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim with Andrew Hyra. In addition to his work in these two groups, Bush released one solo album, Southern Gravity, via Streamsound Records in 2015, and four solo albums via Big Machine Records, 52 ATL x BNA, 52 | In The Key Of Summer, 52 | New Blue, and 52 | This Year in 2022 and 2023. In 2023 Bush also released an EP titled Drink Happy Thoughts on his own label Songs Of The Architect. In 2015, he was also featured in the game My Singing Monsters.
Early life
Kristian Bush was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is the great grandson of A.J. Bush, founder of Bush Brothers and Company; his part of the family sold their shares in the company when Bush was a child, although Kristian's cousin, Jay Bush, continues as company spokesman. Bush was raised outside of Knoxville in Sevierville, Tennessee, a small town at the base of the Smoky Mountains that was also the hometown of Dolly Parton. He was exposed to instruments from an early age, and picked up his first violin at age 4. During these early years, Bush, alongside younger brother Brandon, made his musical debut at the local Bush Beans Jamboree performing as Parton's opening act.
Throughout childhood, Bush was enrolled in violin lessons and classically trained under the Suzuki method at the University of Tennessee. The family eventually relocated to Knoxville and by age 11, Bush agreed to play one season in the Knoxville Youth Symphony, before earning the right to lay the violin down for good and start learning the guitar. As a teenager, Bush stuck with the guitar and began to create original music. It wasn't long before he was writing his own songs and recording homemade albums.
Bush attended Avon Old Farms Boarding School in Avon, Connecticut, graduating in 1988. He then attended Emory University in Atlanta, earning a degree in Creative Writing. During college, Bush began to connect with Atlanta's growing music scene, often begging his way into clubs, witnessing first-hand success from bands like R.E.M. and (fellow Emory students) the Indigo Girls.
Musical career
While attending Emory University, Bush was the lead singer and guitarist in the rock band Storyteller, with fellow Emory students Chris "Tex" Nolter (bass, guitar) and Jon Slatkin (drums). Storyteller covered the Replacement's "I Can't Wait”, Rod Stewart's "Maggie May”, The English Beat's "Mirror in the Bathroom", and Jane's Addiction's "Jane Says”, among other songs, and they performed at numerous bars, campus events and parties in Atlanta.
1990–2001: Billy Pilgrim
Shortly after completing college, Bush introduced himself to Atlanta songwriter Andrew Hyra and his sister Annie, who were performing at a club in Knoxville; the two had recently moved there after completing college. In 1990, Bush played guitar and sang backup vocals on Big Back Porch Songs, an album by the Hyras. Big Back Porch Songs was never released but Bush was given a copy. Bush released an album shortly afterwards, Politics and Pocketchange, which the Hyras were featured on. Bush and Andrew Hyra began performing together using connections that Bush made from his time in Storyteller, writing original songs in the meantime. The Hyras had made plans for future performances, but Annie had accepted a job in Miami, Florida; Bush replaced her.
After a year of performing, the two drove to Knoxville where they rented two days of studio time, where they recorded 14 original songs, assisted by their producer Danny Browns. The two released their first album together in 1991, St. Christopher's Crossing, independently under the credit Andrew Hyra and Kristian Bush. They continued performing shows in southeastern college towns, and Bush reached out to various talent agents with their demos; Jen Stark, an intern at Atlantic Records, recceived a copy, which resulted in commotion about them amongst the company. An indie label, Sister Ruby, expressed interest in the duo, and the two made another album for the label; it emphasized songs that weren't used for St. Christophers's Crossing, which were quieter songs that couldn't be played in loud clubs. The album was called Words Like Numbers. Bush cited a large improvement between the two albums, because "with St. Christopher's we didn't think, we just did it. This time we had several weeks to think about what we were recording." The album was a success in garnering attention; Atlantic Records held a release party for the two, and they were signed to the label that night. The duo name was officially changed to Billy Pilgrim, named after a character from Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five. Bush referred to their relationships as "blood brothers" having been so young and new to the industry.
The duo released the self-titled album Billy Pilgrim in 1994, in association with producer Hugh Padgham, who had a group of London musicians overdub the master with additional instruments. Although the album itself received little attention, "Get Me Out Of Here" and "Insomniac", two songs on the album were, receiving heavy airplay on AAA radio. In 1995 they opened on a worldwide tour for Melissa Etheridge, but copies for Billy Pilgrim weren't made in time to be promoted throughout it. To increase their momentum, Atlantic Records made the two record another album in December 1994; unprepared, they scrambled to write new material two weeks ahead of the date of recording. They were paired with a group of veteran musicians who emphasized sounds that took away from their original music. Their second album, Bloom, released in 1995. The lead single "Sweet Louisiana Sound" was a critical and commercial success, making a full rotation on VH1. At their peak they "traveled all over the world together, just with two acoustic guitars and two voices."
Sales for Bloom were underwhelming, and with increasing focus on Hooty and the Blowfish, Atlanta Records dropped the duo in 1996. The two toured sporadically, working on an album for a 1996 release, which never surfaced. Hyra moved to California but still kept in contact with Bush. Billy Pilgrim went silent temporarily as did Bush; he occasionally played at Eddie's Attic, and did production work Ellis Paul, Beth Wood, and Evan and Jaron. Bush announced the two were making separate solo albums in 1997, but such albums never released. Bush and Hyra collaborated for a "farewell" tour, and although they simply meant they were taking a hiatus, news spread they were disbanding.
In 1999, Bush took interest in the newly developing format of online music distribution. He began releasing demos, outtakes, and live performances from Billy Pilgrim on the website MP3.com. He appreciated that he was able to release music easily without anyone else's approval. Bush partnered with MP3.com to release an old live performance of Billy Pilgrim at Eddie's Attic in 1998, Live from Wildhack, MT, on the website. The performance also contained unreleased songs. Billy Pilgrim released Snow Globe, a Christmas album, in November 1999, and 9/23/00, another live performance from Eddie's Attic, released towards the end of the year.
All the money earned from the downloads on MP3.com Bush used to fund the next album and its physical release. The album, Billy In the Time Machine, was recorded in four separate sessions over the course of eight months. Bush cited U2s The Joshua Tree and Thom Yorke as inspiration for the album. It was scheduled to be released May 12, 2001. The final works the two made together before unofficially disbanding were compiled into masters tapes, but burned in a fire in late 2000. One copy was salvaged and made into a CD, of which 500 copies were made and distributed at their final performance in 2001 at Eddie's Attic. The band was never declared disbanded but the two lost contact with each other.
2002–2012: Sugarland
At the same time Bush was performing occasionally at Eddie's Attic, so was singer-songwriter Jennifer Nettles; she had began performing there at their open mic competitions, and was eventually given a recurring performing gig. Nettles had recently concluded her time in other bands, and met Atlanta singer-songwriter Kristen Hall at a bar and discussed their country music endeavors together. Bush met the two at the same time. In 2003, Bush met with the two at a Starbucks to discuss starting a band together; the trio officially formed Sugarland the next day. The name was suggested by Hall; it's derived from the town of Sugar Land, Texas, and was picked since it's name reflected the "sweet" tone of the band.
They found success performing live in Knoxville. Bush bought his first cowboy hat on eBay in 2003 to prove to his friends he was taking the new endeavor seriously. eventually grabbing the attention of Mercury Nashville in 2004, and landed a recording deal with them to release an album. At least one of the three artists wrote or co-wrote all 11 songs on their first album, Twice the Speed of Life. All three worked on the lead single "Baby Girl". Bush described the experience as his "second first record", understanding the experience and knowing the pressure associated with the first attempt. The trio treated the album like a side project to their other musical endeavors, but understood the quality of it over time.
Sugarland broke through in 2004 with the release of their debut single "Baby Girl", the first single from their multi-platinum debut album Twice the Speed of Life. The trio became a duo in 2006, when they also released their second album, Enjoy the Ride. This album produced their first two No. 1 singles (in the U.S.), "Want To" and "Settlin'", and won the duo a Grammy for "Stay". In 2008 they released their third album, titled Love on the Inside. This album produced three more No. 1 singles with "All I Want to Do", "Already Gone"and "It Happens". Their fourth album, The Incredible Machine was released on October 19, 2010 in both a standard and deluxe edition. Upon The Incredible Machine being certified platinum, Sugarland has sold in excess of 14 million records. Nettles and Bush also write all of the band's songs. In October of 2012, they were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
They have surpassed sales of over 22 million albums worldwide, achieved five No. 1 singles and won numerous awards, including trophies from the Grammys, American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, CMT Music Awards and CMA Awards.
2011–2016: Solo career
To date, Bush has won six BMI Awards for his songwriting abilities, and in 2011 he founded the music publishing company and songwriting collective Songs of the Architect. Recent producing and songwriting collaborations include Ellis Paul, Laura Bell Bundy, Matt Nathanson, the dB’s, Martin Johnson of Boys Like Girls, Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, and up-and-comers including Kristina Train, Larkin Poe, Canaan Smith, Lauren Alaina, Jaida Dreyer and Alana Springsteen.
Bush made his solo debut in March 2013 at the inaugural C2C: Country to Country Festival at the O2 Arena in London, England; his first single as a solo act, "Love or Money," debuted on iTunes in Europe the following week, along with an official lyric video released on YouTube for fans back home in the States. He often takes part in the Country Music Association's Songwriters Series, which has included various appearances across the United States, as well as time spent abroad with the CMA's first-ever international initiative showcasing Nashville songwriters and their work to foreign audiences in clubs and theaters. Bush is also a frequent panelist and speaker at events for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
In July 2013, Bush collaborated with Canada-based computer and video game developer Big Blue Bubble, to become the latest character, and first celebrity guest in the hit online game, My Singing Monsters. Bush became a fan of the game after being introduced to it by his 11-year-old son. He then took his liking of the game to his Twitter account, and was soon connected with head developer Dave Kerr. Bush received an invitation to guest star and made his debut as the all-new "Shugabush" monster on July 29, 2013. Bush provides his own mandolin and vocal recordings for the character. A new island was also added to the game, called Shugabush Island, with a song that highly resembled Bush's " Love Or Money ".
On October 10, 2013, "Love or Money" was remixed by longtime Sugarland producer Byron Gallimore and released to iTunes in the United States. After the collaboration, Gallimore asked to hear more of Bush's solo music, and subsequently signed him to his own label, Streamsound Records.
Bush's debut solo single, "Trailer Hitch", was released on July 28, 2014. His first solo album, Southern Gravity, was released on April 7, 2015. He wrote over 300 songs for the project, which he refers to as a “mainstream country record that is meant to be played on the radio.”
On February 5, 2016, it was announced that Bush has signed a new publishing, producing, and label deal with Broken Bow Records, where he will record under their imprint Wheelhouse Records.
"Forever Now (Say Yes)", written and performed by Bush, became the new theme song for the TLC reality series Say Yes to the Dress when their 14th season premiered on March 4, 2016. Bush also makes a guest appearance on the show later in the season.
2017–present: Sugarland reformation, Dark Water, and 52
At the 51st Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2017, Sugarland officially reunited following a five year hiatus and announced that they were working on new music together. Their first full-band shows were at the C2C: Country to Country festival in March 2018. Their sixth studio album, Bigger was released on June 8, 2019.
Bush collaborated with playwright Janece Shaffer on Troubadour, a romantic comedy set in 1950s Nashville (featuring original songs by Bush) that was scheduled to make its debut at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia on January 28, 2017. In March 2017, he returned to the C2C: Country to Country festival, headlining the CMA songwriters series.
On May 31, 2019, Bush released a new EP, Summertime Six Pack.
Bush has also co-written with actress and singer Rita Wilson on three of her albums; Rita Wilson, Bigger Picture, and Halfway to Home. He will be touring will Wilson in 2019.
In 2019 Bush formed a new band with his brother Brandon, and friend Benji Shanks called Dark Water. He calls the band "an amazing experience", and he "can't wait for people to hear it."
Throughout 2022 and 2023, Bush released four albums consisting of 52 songs to celebrate his 52nd birthday. The music consisted of unreleased works dating back to as early as 2006, which he was inspired to release after creating a YouTube channel to release old recordings of performances from Billy Pilgrim. 52 | ATL x BNA released on March 25, 2022, and consisted of music that blended country music from Nashville, Tennessee and R&B from Atlanta, Georgia. 52 | In The Key Of Summer released on June 24, 2022, featuring music that focused on the summer season. 52 | New Blue was released on September 30, 2022, and consisted of songs that reflected Bush's folk rock music of the 1990s and Billy Pilgrim. The final album of the collection, 52 | This Year, released on March 10, 2023 and consisted of music that focused on true love and a reflection of Bush's career in the music industry.
Radio
On BBC Radio 2 Country, Bush presented 'Country Duos', selecting some of his favourite country songs. He presented coverage of the 2017 CMA Music Festival on BBC Radio 2.
Personal life
Bush has a son and a daughter from his marriage, which ended in 2011.
Bush's brother Brandon is a former member of the rock group Train, and also tours with Sugarland and Kristian's solo project as a keyboardist.
Awards and accolades
2012 Named Distinguished Alumnus, Avon Old Farms School
2011 CMA Awards Vocal Duo of the Year - Sugarland
2011 CMT Music Awards Duo Video of the Year - Sugarland, "Stuck Like Glue"
2011 ACM Awards Top Vocal Duo - Sugarland
2010 CMA Awards Vocal Duo of the Year - Sugarland
2009 CMA Awards Vocal Duo of the Year - Sugarland
2009 CMT Music Awards Duo Video of the Year - Sugarland, "All I Want To Do"
2009 ACM Awards Top Vocal Duo - Sugarland
2009 Grammy Awards Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group - Sugarland, "Stay"
2009 Grammy Awards Best Country Song - Sugarland, "Stay"
2008 CMA Awards Vocal Duo of the Year - Sugarland
2008 CMT Music Awards Duo Video of the Year - Sugarland, "Stay"
2008 ACM Awards Single of the Year - Sugarland, "Stay"
2007 CMA Awards Vocal Duo of the Year - Sugarland
2007 CMT Awards Duo Video of the Year - Sugarland, "Want To"
2006 ACM Awards Top New Duo or Vocal Group - Sugarland
2005 American Music Awards Favorite Breakthrough New Artist - Sugarland
Discography
Solo releases
Paint It All (2002)
"Love or Money" [single] (2013)
"Trailer Hitch" [single] (2014)
Billy Pilgrim
St. Christopher's Crossing (1992)
Words Like Numbers (1993)
Billy Pilgrim (1994)
Bloom (1995)
In the Time Machine (2001)
Sugarland
Premium Quality Tunes (2003)
Sugar in the Raw (2003)
Twice the Speed of Life (2004)
Enjoy the Ride (2006)
Love on the Inside (2008)
Live on the Inside (2009)
Gold and Green (2009)
The Incredible Machine (2010)
Studio albums
Singles
Music videos
References
External links
Kristian Bush Website
Kristian Bush talks about music and Southern Gravity on Ben Sorensen's REAL Country
1970 births
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singer-songwriters
American country singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
American mandolinists
BBR Music Group artists
Big Machine Records artists
Country musicians from Tennessee
Grammy Award winners
Living people
People from Sevierville, Tennessee
Sugarland members
Streamsound Records artists
Avon Old Farms alumni
Singer-songwriters from Tennessee