Eli Young Band

With their music’s sunny vibe and positive energy, the Eli Young Band have always boasted a brighter, broader appeal than many of their country-music kin. That’s why the Texan group and the king of the Parrotheads were a match made in Margaritaville when Jimmy Buffett joined the Eli Young Band for a new rendition of “Saltwater Gospel”, a holiday-ready song that appeared on their 2017 album, Fingerprints, and became a country-radio favourite in 2020. The hit demonstrated the breezy melodicism that’s been fundamental to the fruitful musical partnership of lead singer Mike Eli and guitarist James Young ever since they began making music together at the University of North Texas in the ‘90s. After opening for stars like Miranda Lambert and Rascal Flatts and recording three albums for Carnival Records, the Eli Young Band’s breakthrough came in 2011 with “Crazy Girl”, a Billboard chart-topper whose mix of heartland rock and country-pop established the affable Texans as one of the genre’s most popular acts. On later hits, like 2014’s “Drunk Last Night” and 2018’s “Love Ain’t”, the Eli Young Band continued to supply a soundtrack for good times whether they’re happening down on the ranch, out at the bar or even on a beach full of Buffett fans.