The Chicks formed in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, as a string-band ensemble featuring sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer alongside bassist Laura Lynch. Natalie Maines joined as lead vocalist in 1995, solidifying the trio that would achieve major commercial success. Known for their technical mastery of acoustic instruments including banjo, fiddle, and guitar, the group drew from bluegrass, country, and folk traditions while developing a contemporary sound. Their 1998 debut album Wide Open Spaces sold over 12 million copies in the United States and won the Grammy for best country album in 1999. The group achieved diamond status, sales exceeding 10 million copies, for both Wide Open Spaces and their 1999 follow-up Fly, and accumulated 13 Grammy Awards overall. Known for their instrumental virtuosity and emotionally direct songwriting, the band became the best-selling female band of all time in the U.S., with over 30 million albums sold. In 2020, they dropped "Dixie" from their name and released the album Gaslighter under the moniker The Chicks.