Sugarland is an American country music duo composed of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (background vocals, lead vocals, mandolin, acoustic guitar). Sugarland was founded in 2003 by Bush and Kristen Hall (acoustic guitar, background vocals), and became a trio when Jennifer Nettles was brought in as lead singer.

Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2004, Sugarland broke through that year with the release of their debut single PlayBaby Girl, the first single from their multi-platinum debut album Twice the Speed of Life. This album produced three more chart singles PlaySomething More, PlayJust Might (Make Me Believe), and PlayDown In Mississippi (Up To No Good).

In 2005 Hall left to pursue her solo career. Reduced to a duo, Sugarland recorded its second album, 2006’s Enjoy The Ride, which was certified Multi-Platinum like its predecessor. This album also produced Sugarland’s first two Number One hits with PlayWant To and PlaySettlin’, as well as additional Top Ten hits with PlayEveryday America and PlayStay. Nettles also served as a duet partner in 2006 on Bon Jovi’s first country single PlayWho Says You Can’t Go Home (also a Number One on the country charts), and in 2007 Sugarland received the Country Music Association’s Duo of the Year award. PlayAll I Want To Do was issued in June 2008 as the lead-off to their third studio album, Love On The Inside, and in August 2008 it became their third Billboard Number One. PlayAlready Gone followed in September of the same year and in January 2009 became their fourth Billboard Number One.

Sugarland’s debut album, Twice the Speed of Life, was released Oct. 26, 2004. Serving as its lead-off single was the song PlayBaby Girl, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and set a record for the longest chart run since the inception of Nielsen SoundScan in 1990. It was also the highest-peaking debut single for a group in 13 years. The album received Multi-Platinum certification for sales of two million copies. In late 2005, the duo performed with Bon Jovi on Country Music Television’s musical fusion show, Crossroads. Nettles sang with Bon Jovi on their single PlayWho Says You Can’t Go Home. The song later went on to become a #1 hit on the country charts. They toured the U.S. and Canada performing with Brad Paisley in 2005 and in 2006-2007 with Kenny Chesney on his “Flip Flop Summer Tour.”

Kristen Hall left the group in 2006. According to a statment released on January 17, 2006 by Nettles and Bush, Hall left the group to “stay home and write songs.”

Sugarland was nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy and performed the song PlaySomething More at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2006. They also performed at the 2006 CMT Music Awards, where they received multiple nominations including Group/Duo Video of the Year for PlayJust Might (Make Me Believe), Breakthrough Video of the Year for PlaySomething More, and Collaborative Video of the Year for “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”. On November 7, 2006, the duo released their second album Enjoy The Ride. It sold 211,000 during its first week and opened at #4 on the US Top 200 and at #2 on the Top Country Albums charts. The first two singles from this album — PlayWant To and Settlin — both reached Number One on the country music charts, while PlayEveryday America and PlayStay were both Top Ten hits. A limited edition of the CD, sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, was released in late 2007 and included a 5-song Christmas EP. The EP contained one original song - Little Wood Guitar - written by Bush and Ellis Paul. USA Today included the song in a list of new Christmas songs released in 2007 “that might have some staying power.”

In 2007, Sugarland performed at multiple award ceremonies, including the 2007 CMT Awards and the 2007 ACM awards. They performed a cover of Beyoncé Knowles’ “Irreplaceable” at the American Music Awards. Knowles joined Sugarland on stage starting with the second verse. The performance drew some poor reviews with the Village Voice calling it “a well-intentioned mess,” although other critics also noted that the crowd enjoyed the performance.

They also appeared on the The Tonight Show, and late in the year they headlined their first concert tour: the Change for Change Tour along with opening acts Little Big Town and Jake Owen. At the 41st CMA Awards, the group won the award for Vocal Duo of the Year.

In February 2007 Nettles and Bush began recording Love On The Inside as a follow up to Enjoy The Ride. Leading off this album was PlayAll I Want To Do. Released on May 19, the song debuted at #27 on the country charts, the highest debut for the duo. It became their third Number One single in August 2008. The “Deluxe Fan Edition” of Love On The Inside was released on July 22, 2008, with the regular edition released one week later. The fan edition includes the duo’s collaboration with Little Big Town and Jake Owen, a cover of The Dream Academy’s 1985 hit “Life in a Northern Town.” It also introduces four other bonus tracks, including “Fall Into Me,” “Operation: Working Vacation,” “Wishing,” and a cover of Matt Nathanson’s “Come On Get Higher.”[16]

The duo is starting the Love on the Inside Tour on September 13 in Asheville, North Carolina and it will conclude after 25 performances on November 16 in Bossier City, Louisiana. They will be joined by special guests Ashton Shepherd and Kellie Pickler. It will be their second headlining tour.