Emerald Blue Music, Nashville, TN
Chaney DeLong and Bree Stevens, of the charming new duo Emerald Blue, are musical yin and yang, two complementary musical forces combining to form an even more dynamic duo, driven by dazzling harmonies. Bree’s shimmering, resonant soprano belies her easygoing demeanor, and it’s perfectly completed by Chaney’s intense, rich alto and bubbly personality. Together, the duo has forged a sound all their own.
Oklahoma-born and Texas-raised Bree was influenced from an early age by the bluegrass-tinged country and folk sounds of Nickel Creek, Alison Krauss and James Taylor. Louisiana-born and Texas-raised Chaney was steeped in the soulful country vocal stylings of groups like Brooks & Dunn. The girls spent years honing their crafts onstage though numerous theater performances, fronting bands, and singing the national anthem at sporting events.
Chaney and Bree met after chasing their musical ambitions to Nashville’s Belmont University. The two entertainers realized their vivacious onstage performances and resonant harmonies fill a void in the current country music landscape. “Not that many female duos have stuck together and made it,” Chaney says. “Bree’s range is out of this world and she’s so petite,” Chaney says. “She gets up there and blows you away. For me, my thing has always been performing. When you match those two, it is dynamic.”
“I can’t imagine myself being able to work so well with anyone else,” Bree adds. “When you are best friends, and you put music on top of that and you agree on something that is so foundational to each of your lives, it makes things so much easier. We balance each other musically.”
Together, Emerald Blue offers a formidable blend of soulful, tight-knit harmonies, relatable lyrics and two passionate performers. Their smooth and effortless vocals captivate during the haunting melody of “Perfectly Blue” (penned by Rya Ehle, Ryan Rygmyr and Mike Demay), and the polished, country-pop fearlessness of “You Can’t Hold Me Back” (penned by Jon Nite and Stacy Donahue). “We definitely have a softer, more intimate side to us, but I feel more than anything, we are firecrackers that can’t be held back,” Chaney says. “That’s why this song was so perfect for us.”