The Wilder Blue’s Zane Williams Talks Country Rock Band Revival & Collaborative New Project ‘Cinco’: ‘It’s More Fun Doing This Together’

Since releasing their debut album in 2020, Texas group The Wilder Blue (formerly known as Hill Country) has forged a distinct identity by blending Texas country sounds with lush, five-part harmonies.

For their fifth album, Cinco , which came out Aug.

28, the group was eager to experiment with a new approach to album making–one that never strays from the group’s essence, but expands their sonic palette.

The group’s lead vocalist Zane Williams, along with bandmates lead guitarist Paul Eason, drummer Lyndon Hughes, bassist Sean Rodriguez and multi-instrumentalist Andy Rogers, augmented their own tight-knit musicianship by inviting outside players into the recording process.

Hughes produced the album.

“We were toying with the idea of getting an outside producer, but then we finally decided to look at getting some outside players [instead], so we started calling guys in the Texas music scene,” Williams tells Billboard of working with trusted musicians such as fiddle player Steve Auburn, steel guitarist Harrison Yount (known for his work with Cody Johnson), and keyboardist Travis Bishop.

For nine days, they recorded together in the Texas border town of Tornillo at The Sonic Ranch.

“I told them, ‘Look, for the next nine days, y’all are honorary members of The Wilder Blue.

Your feedback is just as welcome as everybody else’s – let’s just have fun and make the best music we can,’” Williams recalls.

The harmony-drenched, songwriting-driven influence of groups like the Eagles has always been prominent with The Wilder Blue.

In 2023, they even teamed with stadium headliner Luke Combs for a rendition of the Eagles’ “Seven Bridges Road.” Much like the Eagles, The Wilder Blue has in the past turned to songwriting partners, such as their frequent work with Brent Cobb on The Wilder Blue’s 2023 album Super Natural , taking inspiration from the Eagles’ work with writers/artists including JD Souther and Jackson Browne.

On The Wilder Blue’s new album, songwriter Phoenix Mendoza contributes three songs, including the solo-written “Last Chance for Dancin.’” “[The Eagles’] Don Henley and Glenn Frey were Hall of Fame songwriters, amazingly talented dudes, but even with that being the case, they recorded songs by their talented friends,” Williams says.

“So I always wanted to do the same thing, take the best of what I write and combine it with the best of people that are in my musical community.

Phoenix has that Laurel Canyon kind of vibe and really understands harmonies.