Casting Light on The Castellows

Growing up on the family cattle farm in Georgetown, Georgia, the Balkcom sisters, Eleanor, Lily, and Powell, have made a name for themselves as a neo-classical country music trio. Family is important to the girls, who even named their band after their great-grandmother’s maiden name.

The sisters grew up loving music and singing at church, local private parties, and in their family’s home.

The home where the girls were raised is the same home their father grew up in, on land that was home to generations before them. Ellie and Powell are triplets – they have a brother. They recently turned 21 years old. Their sister and bandmate, Lily, is 18 months younger. Their mother homeschooled all of them before they pursued their individual interests in college. Ellie and Powell attended the University of Georgia in Athens, where Ellie majored in management information systems and international business with plans to land a job in the corporate world. Powell earned her degree in agriculture, which is one of her greatest passions in life. While they were away at college, Lily attended pilot school and earned her pilot’s license. She had hopes of becoming a commercial or corporate pilot. All have backup plans should they need them, but the way things are going, The Castellows will be in the music world for a long time to come.

They were first discovered through their Instagram and TikTok accounts in 2022 when they began posting covers to their social media accounts. They got a lot of attention from publicists and record companies. They came to Nashville in early 2023 and signed a joint record deal with Warner Music Nashville and Warner Records. After signing to a label, they immediately signed with Make Wake Artists and partnered with WME for agency.

Warner Records’ Co-Chairman and CEO, Aaron Bay-Schuck, says, “From the moment we met The Castellows, we knew they were the real deal. Not only was their talent and star power immediately apparent, but they were also unapologetically themselves. It’s this authenticity, along with their determination and drive to be truly great, that will make them an unstoppable force.”

The girls were exposed to many new experiences. Right off the bat, they began co-writing. While they had already been writing on their own, the sisters had to learn to write with a professional writer. They were paired with veteran songwriter Hillary Lindsey, which turned out to be a successful songwriting partnership. Together, they spent the summer writing and recording the band’s first release, “No. 7 Road,” which came out in October 2023. Hillary listened to their ideas and helped bring to life the song that highlights their “little slice of Heaven” back in Georgia.

Their first EP, A Little Goes a Long Way, was released worldwide in February 2024. The band wrote or co-wrote six of the seven songs on the EP, produced by Trina Shoemaker, who has worked with Sheryl Crow, Queens of the Stone Age, and Nanci Griffith. They kicked off their first tour in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their calendar has been packed all year, including an arena tour from October through December with Little Big Town and Sugarland.

The Castellows' music highlights their rich, soulful three-part harmonies. Not only can the girls sing, but they are also accomplished musicians. Ellie plays lead guitar, and Powell plays banjo. Rooted in tradition, the girls add their modern twist to their authentic songs consistent with who they are in real life. “Every moment spent in the presence of The Castellows is nothing short of captivating,” says Warner Music Nashville’s Co-Chair and Co-President, Chris Lacy. “Their sibling harmony, their musical prowess, and their songs – that tell not only their own stories but generational truths about their family – combine to create a sound that is genuine and original. Ellie, Lily, and Powell are superstars. Full stop.”

In April, the Castellows received their first major award nomination for CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year at the 2024 CMT Awards. They have also been named a Sirius XM “Highway Find” artist for The Highway (channel 56). They have landed on multiple 2024 “Watch Lists,” including the CMT Next Women of Country, CMT “Listen Up,” Pandora “Country Now,” and Nashville Lifestyles “Five Groups You Need to Know.”

Their most recent release is a single called “Miss America.” Posting about the song on their Instagram page, the girls said, “(We) grew up on a farm in a very small town in South Georgia. One of the things we are extremely thankful for is the way we were raised and the environment we grew up in. Rural America holds a very special place in our hearts, and it seems these days that rural America keeps getting smaller and smaller. This song is a love letter to that part of the country and also a reflection on a time in our lives that we won’t be able to relive again. You only get to grow up once. Thank y’all for listening. The Castellows.”

www.thecastellowsmusic.com