Country Music's Sugarland Partners with ground(ctrl)

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Ground(ctrl) (www.groundctrl.com), the full-service fan engagement company, is pleased to unveil an entirely new online presence for Mercury Nashville recording artist Sugarland.

Timed to coincide with today's release of "The Incredible Machine," the fourth album from the multi-Grammy award-winning country duo, the band's official website (www.sugarlandmusic.com) is now a unique home for everything a Sugarland fan could want.

Bandmates Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush dreamed of having more than just a regular website, so they asked ground(ctrl) to join them in developing a place that brings Sugarland together with its fans on a more meaningful level.

The creative team at ground(ctrl) began by redesigning the site to reflect the band's latest album cover and tour visuals, a style known as steampunk that is based on a Victorian-era interpretation of the future. Next, the site itself became centered on a blog that serves as the hub for all the band's news and multimedia content, deepening the fan experience by creating a home base for everything that's happening in the world of Sugarland -- and ensuring that the site and its capabilities will constantly evolve.

"We have always believed in developing ideas that are suited to a specific artist, their specific fans, and the relationship between them," says Eddie Meehan, chief operating officer at ground(ctrl). "Working with Sugarland gave us the perfect opportunity to realize our vision on behalf of a band that understands and appreciates what we do."

"Our fans are the most important things to Jennifer and me," says Kristian Bush of the Sugarland philosophy, both online and off. "Our new site lets us bring fans the best content, information, and access to Sugarland, our music, and what we do. We've always had big ideas when it comes to the Internet, and ground(ctrl) has been a perfect fit. Every time we ask them to dream bigger, they say 'Yes!'"

Ground(ctrl) will launch Sugarland's fan community through the official website on November 1. It will include a new exclusive option called the SugarPass, which will offer devotees more intimate access to the band, advance ticket pre-sales, and opportunities to purchase limited edition merchandise. In addition, forums, chat rooms, user blogs and user profiles will allow fans to share for free with each other their favorite moments with the band and their music.

Ground(ctrl) provides custom digital services to a variety of artists, including Martina McBride, Daughtry, Adam Lambert and Backstreet Boys, to name just a few.

About ground(ctrl)

Ground(ctrl) is an independent company with a boutique approach to giving artists an elevated connection with their fans. The company provides full-service, customized solutions for direct ticket sales, online merchandising and fulfillment, financial and social reporting, artist-focused communities, event services, content planning and maintenance, and digital design and development.

http://www.groundctrl.com

SOURCE ground(ctrl)