Gloriana Weigh in on #SaladGate

Gloriana are weighing in on the latest country music controversy, dubbed #SaladGate. The trio, made up of Rachel Reinert and Tom and Mike Gossin, say radio consultant Keith Hill's comments about country's women being "tomatoes" in the metaphorical salad that is country radio are unfair, and that they refuse to cater to industry standards.

"There’s been songs that I’ve written with Rachel that end up as a male vocal, [and] there’s songs we’ve written together that end up as female. It's whatever the story dictates, and we let the music kind of decide who should take the lead," Tom Gossin tells The Boot. "But with all this conversation about the country music salad and tomatoes, I’m just glad we have a full garden salad."

Adds Reinert, "It’s really sad to say that. It’s a sign of the times. When we first came out, the big taboo thing to be was modern country, and that’s what we were. And so, it was a lot of having to prove our country-ness and things like that. And now, it’s turned into this whole thing about 'bro-country' and lack of females and this, that and the other. It’s sad."

The trio is just one of the many country music acts, including Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Laura Bell Bundy and Sara Evans, that have criticized Hill's remarks. Gloriana, who have had seven Top 40 hits on Billboard's U.S. Country chart, insist that they have never allowed trends to dictate the direction of their music.

"We put out "Wild at Heart" at a time when newer-sounding, pop-sounding country wasn’t in, so we don’t follow trends," Mike Gossin notes. "We do what our friends want."

Tom Gossin continues, "We’ve always done our own thing, regardless of what the trends are. In the world we’re in now, it’s so male heavy, we put out a female single as our last song."

Gloriana's latest album, Three, was released on June 2. It is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes.

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