Each individual career of this Atlanta-based trio seemed headed in an opposite direction. Jennifer Nettles, a powerhouse singer with some serious twang was working steadily on the local club circuit. Kristen Hall, a singer/songwriter specializing in searing heartache, has two well-received solo albums. Kristian Bush, a local folk/rock hero, is one-half of Billy Pilgrim, a duo with a major record label deal.

Within minutes of getting together, the trio clicked, creating something completely different than anything any of them had done before. The songs are rootsy and lyrically sophisticated, but still catchy and accessible. Somehow these niche artists have found themselves making mass-appeal country music. Four months after getting together, Sugarland played their first gig and were astounded by the audience reaction. By their fourth gig, they were selling out 1000 seat venues. Two weeks later, they signed a contract with Mercury Records. "We were just trying to write stuff that was fun," Bush says, still a bit amazed by the trio’s fortunes.