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nelo

Austin-based nelo's smooth and compulsive 21st century pop sound has broad commercial appeal, with just enough Texas in it to keep things sharp and sturdy. The band has its origins in Dallas, TX, where guitarist and songwriter Matt Ragland, guitarist Stephen Goodson, drummer Chris Hill, and tenor sax player David Long played together while still in high school. By 2002, with lead singer Reid Umstattd and multi-instrumentalist (bass, trumpet, trombone, organ) Mike St. Clair now on board, the full six-piece was in place. The band itself marks 2005, the year the whole group relocated together to Athens, GA, as a formal starting point. With an infectious set of original songs and the pop sense to pull them off, nelo (the name rhymes with "hello") were soon a favorite on the Georgia club circuit. But they still retained a strong Texas fan base as well, and found themselves touring small and medium venues in both states, making things happen on two fronts at once. Producer Freddy Fletcher, who happens to be country singer Willie Nelson's nephew, caught nelo at one of their Texas shows and was impressed enough to bring the band into Nelson's Padernales Studio in Austin, TX, and start recording an album. The band left Athens and moved back to Austin to work on the project, which was eventually released in 2008 by Houston-based Justice Records. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi

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