Florida Georgia Line — American country duo
Brian Kelley from Florida and Tyler Hubbard from Georgia met in 2008 while studying at Belmont University. They performed together at the local clubs. In 2010, the musicians recorded an independent EP Anything Like Me and uploaded it to the Internet. They came up with a band name by combining the states they were born in. Georgia and Florida share a state border.
One day the musicians met with a talented producer Joey Moi. Together they recorded another EP It’z Just What We Do under the label Big Loud Mountain. The album came out in 2012 and received positive reviews from the critics. The EP reached the 18th spot of Top Country Albums charts and climbed to the 105th position on Billboard 200. The album also made it into Top Heatseekers Chart as well.
The leading hit from the EP was “Cruise”. Right after the release, it reached the 16th spot of Billboard Hot 100. Its popularity and good sales on iTunes attracted the attention of music managers. As a result, the band signed a contract with Republic Nashville and Big Machine Label Group. With time, the song topped Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs. It made it to the 4th position of Billboard Hot 100 and conquered Canada Country Chart. By 2016, the song earned a diamond certification from RIAA for selling over 7.5 million copies. The band set a record because none of the country singers managed to achieve such sales in the past.
