If you’re a fan of Dancing With the Stars then you have no doubt heard of Mark Ballas and Derek Hough. What you may not know about these two professional ballroom dancers is that they have been playing and making music together for more than a decade. While dancing their way to stardom, they both dreamed of a career in music and worked tirelessly toward that goal. Along with drummer Harry Sullivan, pianist Emily Grace, and bassist Sam Marder, they formed the Ballas Hough Band.
On March 10th the Ballas Hough Band released their debut CD, BHB. The majority of songs on BHB are originals, based on personal life experiences. The first single, “Do It For You,” was co-written by new American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. The album also features collaborations with songwriters Dan Wilson, Kevin Kadish and Marty James.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I popped the CD into my player. While I’m not generally a fan of pop music, I was impressed with the Ballas Hough Band right away. The first few seconds of “Do You Love Me” had me ready to dance in my seat. As the CD progressed, I found myself bopping along to the catchy hooks and rhythms. However, for me the real gems are the slower songs such as “Longing For” and “Underwater.”
After listening to BHB, it is obvious that Ballas and Hough are much more than skilled dancers. They are musicians at heart and I have a feeling they will be around for years to come.
Once the Spring season of Dancing With The Stars wraps up, Ballas Hough Band will be heading out on a summer tour across the U.S. You can find more information about the tour on their MySpace page.
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