The Time Is Right for Heartland

Heartland photo courtesy of Lofton Creek Records.

March 15, 2007 — It took 12 years, but a group of friends from Huntsville, Ala., never gave up on their dream of making it in country music, and now Heartland is poised for stardom.

The Huntsville Times reports that Heartland built a large following in the '90s and had a shot at a national tour, but family commitments and day jobs got in the way, so they split up and joined other bands before reforming the group three years ago. After signing with Lofton Creek Records in 2006, they had a No. 1 hit with "I Loved Her First," and the group was recently nominated by the Academy of Country Music for Top New Duo or Vocal Group and also Single Record of the Year for the song.

"It's been great to see some rewards for all of the years of sacrifice, not only by us, but by our families and friends as well," guitarist Craig Anderson said. "We have been to places and seen things that never in our wildest imaginations would we think would come true. We've been blessed and finally had a little luck come our way just at the right time."

The band's success is partly a testament to the dedication, perseverance and support of their families. They worked jobs ranging from electrician to credit union manger and played every bar, club and dive they could, never giving up on their dream. Now, finally, it's paying off.

Mike Borchetta, a veteran of the music business who has worked with Tim McGraw, Barbra Streisand, Alabama and the Beach Boys, signed Heartland to its record deal last year. "We knew we had something special, but we didn't know how special," he said. "They just had something you can't buy, plus they're great musicians. I tell you, this group has the potential to be a mega-million-dollar act."