With roots firmly planted in the fertile musical soil of Texas, the Eli Young Band is a little bit country and a hellu8va lot guitar-driven rock ‘n’ roll. The band was co-founded by namesake members Mike Eli and James Young (lead vocals and lead guitar, respectively), who met while attending the University of North Texas in Denton and initially performed as a duo before bringing bassist Jon James and drummer Chris Thompson into the fold. After independently releasing their self-titled debut, the band landed a deal with the Nashville-based Carnival Recording company, which recently issued the band’s sophomoric effort, Level. Drawing on influences ranging from classic country to the Jayhawks to the Black Crows to Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Eli Young Band is poised to bust out of the Lone Star State and bring their brand of music to a wider audience.