With a live show that has been described as "90 Minutes of emotional fury", this foursome from Shreveport, LA is making waves in the music scene in unconventional ways. After two years on the road, Seven Hours to Southland finds themselves at a crossroads they didn't see coming. "If you would have told me that we would be recording our debut album with a multiplatinum and award winning artist and producer (Mark Slaughter of the band Slaughter), I would have laughed and written you off," says vocalist Derek Hicks. But that is what has cultivated in Nashville, TN and the big debut is finally being released in November of 2010.
Front man Derek Hicks grew up understanding that music isn’t about fame and fortune, but about the heart and the honesty that needs to be communicated through the power that music can bring. “I grew up watching my cousin Grady [of Cross Canadian Ragweed] pursue his dream and always hear him saying that it can’t be about the money or the fame and just to get out there and play, just play what you love and nobody can stop you,” says Hicks. It is this mentality that Seven Hours to Southland has adopted that is leading them to the success that they have achieved and the success they look forward to having.
Seven Hours to Southland consists of the foursome of front man and guitarist Derek Hicks, drummer Ragan Crawford, bassist and harmony vocalist Coby Michalek, and lead/pedal steel guitarist Kyle Roop. “The chemistry that is created when these four men hit the stage is truly an amazing thing to watch. You just know these guys are in this for all the right reasons, and the show leaves you worn out, but wanting more.” The guys understand the road ahead of them is one of a long journey but it’s the journey that makes it all worth it. Nothing ever good comes out of a lack of hard work, and these road dogs are willing to go anywhere, anytime for the chance to give a crowd a show like they've never seen before.