Court Yard Hounds announce new album ‘Amelita’

Emily Robison and Martie Maguire — aka the Court Yard Hounds — are returning with their sophomore set “Amelita” on July 16, via Columbia.

The sisters describe themselves as “ex-Dixie Chicks” in a release, also noting that “Amelita” will be a bit more fun than their first self-titled album, out in 2010.

“I think we”ve approached it differently because we felt like okay, we are a band. We aren”t just two ex-Dixie Chicks anymore, we”re a band and we like our sound and we”re going to continue to do this and hopefully get better at it, and share something new this time around,” said Maguire.

The first single from “Amelita” is “Sunshine,” a co-write with Jonatha Brooke, Alex Dezen and Strayer. The album is produced by Jim Scott.

Robison”s divorce in 2008 was a bit of inspiration on the set. “I”ve been freed of all of those time-heals-everything kind of things. Now, I”ve opened up to other ideas and ways of looking at life and the world,” Robison said. “I think it”s not only a more hopeful album, but it”s more … well fun.”

The announcement comes after a spring that their (former?) bandmate Natalie Maines introduced her debut solo album “Mother.” The Dixie Chicks have four dates on slate July. The group has been describe as on a hiatus, though “ex” seems to be a bit stronger language.

“The Dixie Chicks still exist. The music still exists. I am open to playing live shows. It”s fun,” Natalie Maines told the SFGate earlier this year. “I always thought people broke up so they could make money on their comeback tour. That just always seemed like kind of a shady showbiz move to me. So unless they want to get a new lead singer or there”s some big change, I don”t see any purpose in that. To me, we”re the Dixie Chicks. We”ll always be the Dixie Chicks.”

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