CURRENT SINGLE: “Champagne Night”
Prior to making their Ocean album, Lady A went through the very difficult process of evaluating themselves as a band and as individuals, deciding what they wanted and expected from each other and the group, reflecting on the past and whether or not they should go forward together. According to Hillary Scott, “(It was the)hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Charles Kelley agrees and says, “I hated it… With the help of – urging of – Hillary and Dave and my wife, I mean I really had to sit back and take a look at myself.”
Charles admits he was never someone that wanted to face difficult things, preferring to avoid anything negative and just have fun, but he says, “It’s interesting, when you do kinda sit back and take a step, that first little time is really hard, and take a look at yourself and it’s like, wow, I do do that, don’t I? And I never thought of that that way. And I never thought when I said this, that that could’ve hurt someone’s feelings that way or whatever it may have been. And it was really frustrating and not fun in the beginning, and then now I’m like, it’s interesting. I think it’s just part of growing up, season of life.”
Going through the self-evaluation process also helped strengthen Charles’ spirituality, and it has helped him to become a better husband, a better bandmate and a better person in some ways, but he also cautions, “I’m always going to be me, and that’s one thing too, you know, we’ve learned that I still have the same little things I’m sure that are gonna agitate and vice versa. It’s just trying to be a better version of yourself but you are always gonna be yourself.”
One song on Ocean that was born out of Charles’ self-examination and getting honest with himself was “Be Patient with My Love,” which he says is a song he probably couldn’t have written or recorded 10 years ago.
Lady Antebellum – what like to step back and analyze :57
Hillary Scott – ““Hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Charles Kelley – “Yeah, I hated it.”
Hillary – “Yeah, but then never felt freer at the end.”
Charles – “Yeah, I’ll speak for myself. With the help of – urging of – Hillary and Dave and my wife, I mean I really had to sit back and take a look at myself. You know, I’ve always wanted to stay from anything negative and just have fun and keep going, and keep going down the road and never look back. And you know, it’s interesting, when you do kinda sit back and take a step, that first little time is really hard, and take a look at yourself and it’s like, wow, I do do that, don’t I? And I never thought of that that way, and I never thought when I said this, that that could’ve hurt someone’s feelings that way or whatever it may have been. And it was really frustrating and not fun in the beginning, and then now I’m like, it’s interesting. I think it’s just part of growing up, season of life. Having kids does that too. It definitely brought me a lot closer to my spirituality. But listen, I’m always going to be me, and that’s one thing too, you know, we’ve learned that I still have the same little things I’m sure that are gonna agitate and vice versa. It’s just trying to be a better version of yourself but you are always gonna be yourself.”