Sugarland keeps making hits, now as a duo

And then there were two.

That was the overwhelming feeling of Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and her band mate Kristian Bush after longtime third member Kristen Hall left the group early last year.

On the surface, the timing of Hall’s departure couldn’t have come at a worse time. The pop country act had finally broken through to the mainstream with double-platinum success from its 2004 effort “Twice the Speed of Life” and its hit singles “Baby Girl” and “Something More.” While fans were shocked about Hall’s decision to bolt, it wasn’t completely out of left field for Nettles and Bush.

“You know, we did have a sense, because obviously you work so closely with each other, you’re aware with what’s going on,” said Nettles, calling from her Atlanta home. “It was obvious that she was unhappy on the road. It was no big secret, so it was definitely something that ended up being a good thing for everybody.”

Sugarland is on tour with Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Pat Green and Sara Evans. The tour comes to Cleveland Browns Stadium on Saturday.

For the complete story, see Thursday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.