Little Big Town charts own course through country music landscape

The group's 2005 disc 'The Road to Here' has hit gold.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
After nearly a decade together, Little Big Town is quickly becoming the little band that could.
Unlike other Nash Vegas acts currently falling under the country label, this foursome -- Kimberly Roads, Phillip Sweet, Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook -- stands out for what it is not: a polished band long on clich & eacute;s and short on originality.
"I think it's our harmonies," said Westbrook, calling from Statesboro, Ga. "It's not your typical thing. There's not a lot of people out there like us so I think the uniqueness of the group is the thing that will make people go, 'Oh wow.'"
"Wow" is right, with the quartet's latest disc, 2005's "The Road To Here," having recently crossed the gold plateau (500,000 albums sold) with massive radio single "Boondocks." It's fitting the track was the band's first breakthrough hit considering at various times it features all four singers in the lead.
It wasn't too long ago that Little Big Town appeared destined to be another casualty of overzealous big label micromanagement. Its polished 2002 self-titled debut completely ignored the band's strengths -- strong melodies backed by goose-bump harmonies. The band suffered for it with weak sales severing its big-label ties, while personal issues left the group's future hanging in the balance.
The members eventually regrouped, recorded "The Road To Here" and landed on a smaller label, Equity Music Group.
A different focus
"That's a part of it, you just make mistakes," Westbrook said. "It's just different from the situation we're in right now. We're at a small label. Our vision has really become focused on who we are and what we want to do, and that's the whole purpose. This label doesn't want to develop anybody. They want you to come in and do what you do, so that's a great thing for us. We were ready for that."
Apparently, so were the Academy of Country Music voters, which recently nominated Little Big Town for Top Vocal Group and Top New Duo or Vocal Group.
In addition, John Mellencamp pegged the Nashville-based band to open up a week's worth of his shows, including a Youngstown date Tuesday at Chevrolet Centre.
Well-matched
While Mellencamp is definitely a rock act, there's a sense his music comes from the country, which makes Little Big Town a perfect opener.
"He heard our music and really likes it," Westbrook said. "That's just crazy, man. It's an honor for us. Of course we all grew up loving his music and I think there are probably a lot of similarities or at least things that cross over into country."
In talking to Westbrook, you get the sense the storm has passed and the band is just soaking up the spotlight.
"It's just been a great couple of weeks," Westbrook said. "We just all keep on looking at each other and going, 'What the heck is going on?' Things are good. I have no complaints."