Lady Antebellum has been very candid about the fact that they went through some challenging times and difficult conversations a couple of years ago when starting to work on their latest album, Ocean, just about where they were as individuals and as a band, and what needed to happen in order for the band to move forward. In particular, Charles Kelley did a lot of soul searching, and he admits that quitting the band was something he considered. But he says, “I know I hit a moment and I remember Cassie, my wife, saying, ‘This is Charles. He’s having his little moment, but we need to help him get through this and move on.’ And it’s like, if they had not been like that, if [Hillary and Dave] had been a little bit more like, ‘Well alright, well screw him,’ who knows where it would have been.”
One reason the band never fell apart during that time is because of their support system. “[W]e definitely had a couple moments but I think that’s the one thing, that we’ve surrounded ourselves with such good people and our team. It’s like, no one was gonna let us give up on this. And I think that’s what’s really great.
In that period of analyzing themselves and the band, and getting things out on the table, Charles says, “[I]t changed so much about me and my trajectory, and our trajectory. And, I don’t know, I just feel like now we’ve kind of opened up this door of like, let’s just never let anything fester ever again and I think it’s going to, hopefully, push us through.”
Thank goodness Lady Antebellum found their way to where they are now, because many people are heralding Ocean as the best album of their career, and it’s thanks to personal and emotional songs like “Be Patient with My Love” and their brand new single, “What I’m Leaving For.”
Lady Antebellum – ever thought of quitting :40
Charles Kelley – “I mean, we definitely had a couple moments but I think that’s the one thing, that we’ve surrounded ourselves with such good people and our team. It’s like, no one was gonna let us give up on this. And I think that’s what’s really great. I know I hit a moment and I remember Cassie, my wife, saying, ‘This is Charles. He’s having his little moment, but we need to help him get through this and move on.’ And it’s like if they had not been like that, if y’all had been a little bit more like, “Well alright, well screw him,’ who knows where it would have been. I mean, it changed so much about me and my trajectory, and our trajectory. And, I don’t know, I just feel like now we’ve kind of opened up this door of like, let’s just never let anything fester ever again and I think it’s going to, hopefully, push us through till we are …”
Hillary Scott – “A lot grayer than we are now.”
Charles – “Oh, no doubt.”