Lady Antebellum’s brand new album, Ocean, just came out on Friday, and Dave Haywood explains, “There are a lot of firsts on this project – our first time with Big Machine, our first time with producer Dan Huff, our first time doing a collaboration – there were a lot of things that were brand new for us, so I think for that reason as well, it was like we were starting all over again.”
Hillary Scott says, “(Ocean) is the most present album we’ve ever made, and I think what’s interesting about the fact that there’s so much new, is we went back to what felt the most comfortable. And being in this new chapter, going home is what it felt like.”
For Lady Antebellum, home is the sound on their first couple of albums. Charles Kelley says, “The last two records felt a little bit more on the poppier side. So it was funny when we had our first kind of meeting, they said, ‘When you’re long gone, what are the three songs you want to be remembered for? What defines you guys?’ I said, ‘Well, it’s gotta be ‘Need You Now,’ ‘Run to You’ and probably something like ‘American Honey,’ and they were all off the first two records.’ And so we were like, let’s get back to that sound.
In addition to getting back to a warmer more organic sound, Lady A also dug deep and delivered some very personal songs like “Be Patient with My Love” and “Crazy Love,” and some very vulnerable performances like on the title track, “Ocean,” and “What I’m Leaving For.”
Working with producer Dan Huff for the first time also brought out some new things in the band. Hillary says, “He brings his entire being to the studio – his heart, his musicianship, his experience – and we got to see all of it… And he opened up his home to us to record almost all of the vocals, which for me specifically, I feel like I accessed something vocally that I’ve never been able to before because I felt so comfortable there.”
Lady Antebellum’s new album, Ocean, featuring their current single, “What If I Never Get Over You,” is available now wherever music is streamed or sold.
Lady Antebellum – new album sonically :27
Charles Kelley – “The last two records felt a little bit more on the poppier side. So it was funny when we had our first kind of meeting, they said, ‘When you’re long gone, what are the three songs you want to be remembered for? What defines you guys?’ I said, ‘Well, it’s gotta be ‘Need You Now,’ ‘Run to You’ and probably something like ‘American Honey,’ and they were all off the first two records.’ And so we were like, let’s get back to that sound. At the end of the day, the core of us and what I think people early fell in love with us for was that kind of warmth and that sound, and so Dan Huff really helped us capture that.”
Lady Antebellum – change affect new album :17
Hillary Scott – “I mean, I would say it is the most present album we’ve ever made. And I think what’s interesting about the fact that there’s so much new, is we went back to what felt the most comfortable. And being in this new chapter, going home is what it felt like.”
Lady Antebellum – mix of old and new :34
Dave Haywood – “Yeah, there are a lot of firsts on this project – our first time with Big Machine, our first time with producer Dan Huff, our first time doing a collaboration – there were a lot of things that were brand new for us, so I think for that reason as well, it was like we were starting all over again. It was like we were starting back in 2006, 2007 making our first album. So we had those feelings, sonically in the studio with Dan Huff, that it felt like some of the earlier music, getting back to some of those duets, some of the more organic stuff that we’ve recorded in the past. And yeah, it felt really warm and just very organic for us.”
Hillary – “Yeah, the old with the new, in a way.”
Lady Antebellum – so comfortable with Dan Huff :33
Hillary Scott – “He brings his entire being to the studio – his heart, his musicianship, his experience – and we got to see all of it. And I just appreciate him leaving it all out on the table for us, and I think just the birth of a beautiful friendship with him, too, just so much deeper than just cuttin’ songs and singin’ ‘em. And he opened up his home to us to record almost all of the vocals, which for me specifically, I feel like I accessed something vocally that I’ve never been able to before because I felt so comfortable there.”