Eli Young Band - Biography

Biography

Mike Eli and James Young met at the University of North Texas where they became dorm roommates their freshman year. They played guitar and eventually began writing and singing songs together; they formed the acoustic duo, Eli & Young, while attending the University of North Texas. Chris Thompson and Jon Jones joined them later on and they became the Eli Young Band.

They released their first album in 2002, self-titled "Eli Young Band". In 2005 they released "Level" on Carnival Records and opened shows for Miranda Lambert. National exposure on CMT and GAC helped them begin to build a following well outside of their touring base. They sold as many as 2,000 tickets a night in multiple markets. In late 2006 they releasedEli Young Band Live At the Jolly Fox located in Huntsville, Texas. Early in 2007, they signed a management deal with George Couri. Their plans included a rigorous tour schedule and key opening spots with Pat Green, Robert Earl Keen, and Jack Ingram.

While touring, they were also making songwriting a top priority and made time for writing trips and retreats at the Young family ranch. Energized with new songs, they were ready to began working on a new album in late 2007. Working with producers Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke (who have also produced for Lambert), they took time off from touring to record at Omni Studios in Nashville. Their third album, Jet Black & Jealous, was released in 2008. Its lead-off single, "When It Rains", spent thirty-seven weeks on the country charts and peaked at No. 34, but had built up fans at radio with top-rotation airplay in major markets including Denver, Kansas City, Seatle, and Southern California among others. A second chart single, "Always the Love Songs" (co-written by David Lee Murphy and George Ducas), scored the Eli Young Band their first top 10 hit, making No. 10.

In 2011, the Eli Young Band moved to Republic Nashville and released their fifth overall single, "Crazy Girl" as the lead single off "Life at Best". It became the band's first platinum-selling digital single, as well as their first No. 1 single, and also was the #1 most played song on all of country radio – for all of 2011.

The band received three nominations for the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards: Song of the Year, Top Vocal Group of the Year, and Single Record of the Year. On April 1, 2012 the band won the Academy of Country Music Award for Song of the Year on CBS television in front of 14 million people.

In July 2012, the band's second single from ""Life At Best"", "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart and the USA Today/Country Aircheck powered by Mediabase Chart. "Even It If Breaks Your Heart" is certified platinum by the RIAA. In the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards, the band was nominated for Best Duo/Group Performance for "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" and "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" was nominated for Best Country Song. The band is nominated in the 48th ACM Awards for Vocal Group of the Year and "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" is nominated for Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones, and Chris Thompson are all initiated members of the University of North Texas Sigma Nu Fraternity Chapter (Zeta Omicron). James Young married Abby Setzler in February 2012.

On January 21st, 2013 the band made an appearance on an episode of ABC's "The Bachelor". On February 13, 2013, the band performed "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.