These boys have been blazing their lane in Country Music coming up on a near-15 year career now, with unforgettable hits like “Runaway”, “Circles”, “Angel Eyes”, — among a couple of others. Since their debut LP World Wide Open in 2009; (when once upon a time, they started as a trio with friend Brian Bandas before Brian departed from the group and the three disbanded, leaving Stephen Barker Lloes and Eric Gunderson to reform as a duo in 2012). Yet, the hardships would only continue as the duo,was then picked up by major label Sony Music Entertainment that same year, and release their Sophomore full-length self-titled effort. The album performed well to music critics with the duo’s then-only certified No. 1 single with “Angel Eyes”. Shortly after, the duo was dropped from Sony leaving them to carve their own path as starving artists with the independent LP Whiskey on my Breath in 2015.
Fast forward to 2023 and their new deal with Curb Records (Wynonna, Selah), Stephen and Eric dropped their newest album December 1st, (in a near-decade) with 2023’s Need to Breathe. The inspirational sound of the record stems solely from thei duo’s musical influences of classic Pop-Rock sounds of the 80’s/90’, which in hand, helps remain true to the strong sound their fans first embraced 15 years earlier. In al 2022 interview with Country Music article Taste of Country, Gunderson explains of the bands hiatus, “It’s not that we didn’t want to put out a collection of songs.. We just had to wait and, in a way, that gave us the time over the last couple of years to work on the music and make sure we got it right”.
To continue, the album features a total of 12 engaging tracks that pull at each one of listeners emotions. Alongside their new deal with Curb Records, Eric and Stephen as well inked a new deal with the global digital distribution company ONErpm. Gunderson adds, “…To put new music out through them was the next natural thing for us in the progression of deals we’ve had over the years”. Overall, Need to Breathe stays true to who the guys are as a duo and the music that fans can and are sure to enjoy for years to come.
Need to Breathe is available everywhere music is streamed and sold.
The Neiman Cruse Report 
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