Court Yard Hounds Say Iraq War Made Dixie Chicks "More Serious"

Ten years after the Dixie Chicks decried President Bush on the eve of the Iraq War, the Court Yard Hounds—the country-folk duo that's also 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks—look back on the controversy that cost them many a flag-wavin' country music fan.

"Looking back on the Iraq War, it's kind of the best thing that ever happened to us musically," Martie Maguire tells Fuse at Austin City Limits Festival 2013. "Our music was not that deep. So when the war was going on we felt what we were doing was superficial. From that day forward, we started writing more seriously. It felt good to express yourself, even if people were stomping on your records."

Maguire's bandmate and sister Emily Robison also explained how Court Yard Hounds' second album, Amelita, differs from their first. "The first album was about introspection and my divorce," Robison says. "But this is more fun and hopeful."

To hear the sisters talk about how recording as Court Yard Hounds differs from making music as Dixie Chicks, watch the full interview above and check out live shots from Day 1 at Austin City Limits Fest right here.