More ideeli Scoop with the Court Yard Hounds

Our new favorite band the Court Yard Hounds (featuring sisters and Dixie Chicks members Martie Maguire and Emily Robison) not only have a rockin' debut album, but killer style to spare. Inspired by everyone from Emmylou Harris to Isabel Marant, the sisters will be touring this summer sporting glam-meets-country looks masterminded by über stylist Stacy Skinner. Having worked with everyone from Mario Testino to Annie Leibovitz, Skinner's eye is a highly-trained secret weapon, so we're thrilled that she curated today's ideeli sale inspired by the CYH sensibility.

To celebrate our groovy sale, we went behind the scenes with Robison for the ideeli Scoop on the necessity of Cetaphil body cream, Joni Mitchell’s style, and the best and worst (matching safety-pin outfits!!!) awards show looks.

What are your style inspirations?
We love a lot of different styles and they change quite often, but right now we are channeling artists like Emmylou Harris in the 70's, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell and the style they had. I am also loving Isabel Marant's line of clothing. It's classic but can be mixed with a rockin' pair of jeans, a cool boot and be amazing!
How would you define the Courtyard Hounds' style?
That's a tough one...we will be working on that in the months to come and be making an effort to try and make a clear distinction between what we would wear as Dixie Chicks and what we would wear as Court Yard Hounds...the music is different, the vibe is different and we feel the style we project should reflect those differences. It will be a lot of trial and error, but we really try and focus on what looks best on our bodies and not what is the latest trend.
What's in your bag that you can't live without?
My iPhone, La Perla underwear, Cetaphil body cream.
What are some of the best and worst stage looks you've worn over the years?
Oh, where do I begin with the worst...there are so many to pick from ;) If I had to narrow down the worst it would be the first Grammy Awards we went to with the matching safety pin outfits...we kept getting stuck together. The other worst would be ACM's in 1999 where we wore tie-die matching outfits....Martie looked like Mrs. Roper from Three's Company. I think one of our best looks was the 2007 Grammy Awards...we loved those dresses! It is always satisfying when the hair/makeup and wardrobe all come together for a special night.

The ideeli Scoop with the Court Yard Hounds

How do we love the new band the Court Yard Hounds? Let us count the ways. Made up of sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire—you may remember them from a little group called the Dixie Chicks—CYH’s first album drops today and its rootsy, freewheeling vibe is putting us in the mood for easy breezy summer days. (Especially the first single, “The Coast,” whose soaring refrain is reminiscent of Sheryl Crow’s classic “All I Wanna Do.”) Robison serves as lead vocalist with Maguire providing unmistakable sister harmonies on everything from wrenching ballads to out and out rockers.

ideeli is so thrilled with CYH and their new tunes that we’re offering a Giveaway today that will allow one lucky ideeli member to experience a V.I.P. CYH extravaganza, including tickets to a show, a backstage meet and greet with the sisters, and a clothing makeover by the band's stylist.

To celebrate our rockin’ Giveaway, we’ve gone behind the scenes with Robison for the ideeli Scoop (be sure to check in next week for juicy Part II) on getting back to nature, songwriting, and not holding a grudge.

What was the inspiration for starting Court Yard Hounds?
The inspiration for CYH was due to a succession of events...first being restless and a bit bored on the extended hiatus of the "Chicks," and feeling like we needed a musical outlet. Second, I had been writing a lot of songs and asked Martie her opinion of them...when she encouraged me to sing them myself, it started the ball rolling and we decided to go into the studio together and record.
As a duo, what's your songwriting process like?
As sisters, we tend to finish each other's sentences anyway, but it extends to songwriting where we share a lot of the same sensibilities in music. Brutal honesty is also important when it comes to the creative process. We can knock down each others's ideas if they are bad and not hold a grudge.
What are your go-to outfits when not touring?
For me, it’s J Brand jeans and a soft Alexander Wang T-shirt and Havaianas...my standard piece of jewelry is my set of 4 Costume National wide gold bands for my fingers and a small gold hoop. I keep it pretty simple. Martie always looks much more hip and rockin' on her time off than I do. She's always in a cool slouchy boot, cool pants and top with a cool piece of jewelry...much more apt to wear her nice jewelry.
What's the first thing you do when you come home from a tour?
Take my kids to our ranch and get back to nature.