Wilshire - Wilshire (1998)

Wilshire is a singer/songwriter duo comprised of Micah and Lori Wilshire. Their professional union came about in the early '90s when Micah befriended Lori after one of her performances. The two were living in Nashville at the time and shared a liking for the Beatles and classic soul. They clicked immediately.

I'll Lead You HomeMicah Wilshire grew up in Virginia and started playing in bands as early as ten years old. His first band was with his singer/songwriter father, and the younger Wilshire played drums. After high school, he left his humble abode for Nashville. Lori hailed from Houston, but was studying vocal performance at Belmont College in Nashville when she and Micah met one another. In 1995, they made things more personal by marrying one another. By now, they'd tagged themselves Wilshire and were making music their full-time gig. Michael W. Smith was so impressed with Micah and Lori Wilshire's rich harmonies that he asked them to be backing vocalists for his I'll Lead You Home release. Shortly thereafter, the two were touring the world with Smith and honing their performance skills.
Second Story By 1998, the couple had broken away from supporting other artists and opted to make it on their own. Wilshire's eponymous debut appeared that same year, and Second Story appeared in 2000. They were also in dire need of a change, so they decided to cut their Nashville roots for the sun and waves of Los Angeles. The pair moved in 2001, landed a deal with Columbia, and worked on a fresh new sound while balancing various odd jobs, like being movie extras. Such a transformation was found on Wilshire's Sony Music debut, New Universe, which appeared in October 2003.