Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

At first, the three weren't sure what exactly they were writing for — but it soon became obvious that Charles and Hillary enjoyed a combustible chemistry as a vocal duo, and that Dave's instrumental prowess and harmony vocals filled out the picture. The influences each brought to the table ran the gamut from The Allman Brothers Band to Vince Gill, from The Eagles to Keith Urban, and from Gladys Knight to Travis Tritt. All those elements added up to something that was both youthfully modern and grounded in old-fashioned gut-level passion. "It's like a Neapolitan blend of all these flavors," says Dave. "It's a really great marriage, musically and lyrically."

It helped matters a great deal that the three also sparked on a personal level. Charles describes the group dynamic: "I'm the analytical perfectionist, Hillary brings the silliness and the emotion, and Dave is the calming glue. Everyone balances everybody else out."

Inspired by a just-for-fun photo shoot in vintage southern costumes, the trio settled on the last piece of the puzzle — a name for the band: Lady Antebellum. Purely ironic, their name represents the same sense of nostalgia found in the songs they sing.

The three began posting demos on their MySpace page, and visitor feedback was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. The reaction was just as instantaneous when Lady Antebellum began playing small gigs around Music City. "It took on a life of its own. There was no plan, we just kept churning out as many songs as we could," marvels Dave.

The crowds grew from there — and grew, and grew again. Within a few months, they went from playing for a few dozen people to singing on the Grand Ole Opry and opening for such popular country acts as Josh Turner, Phil Vassar, Rodney Atkins and Carrie Underwood. Early fans took it upon themselves to nickname the hot trio "Lady A."

By April 2007, they had signed a recording contract with Capitol Nashville and begun recording their debut album with megaproducer Paul Worley and Hillary's mentor, Victoria Shaw.

"It still overwhelms me. Driving to the studio, I had this epiphany, 'This is what I do for a living!" Hillary emotionally claims. "I'm a true believer that what's meant to be will fall into place. When the ride starts, you've just got to jump on."

Three young songwriter-musicians, with varied influences and backgrounds, whose blended vocals make a sound that is fresh and unique . . . even while it sounds like something you've known for a long time. For Lady Antebellum, the ride is about to begin.