By Tricia Despres
Little Big Town has rarely been apart.
Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook have essentially grown up together since becoming a country music foursome back in 1998. So, when the pandemic hit in 2020 and they found themselves stuck in their respective homes, it felt like their world had fallen off its proper axis.
“We didn’t see each other for five or six months, which we had never done,” says Westbrook from his writing room, situated in the back of the home he shares with bandmate and wife Fairchild and their 12-year-old son. “It felt very weird and extremely strange.”
So, as so many did, Westbrook found himself alone in a creative space for the first time in a long time.
“Personally, I felt super inspired during that time because I had the time alone to be creative by myself,” he remembers. “You are just always so busy in this business. There’s not any time to sit and think about just my thoughts and what I wanted to create. So yeah, I leaned into that a lot during this period, and I’m still really inspired by just getting quiet and creating alone sometimes.”
Nevertheless, when the restrictions eased, the multi-platinum sellers reunited in the studio to create yet another chapter of their already firmly established success story that began more than 20 years ago with hit songs such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It on Home,” “Good as Gone,” and the Grammy-nominated “Little White Church.”
“It was definitely emotional to get back together in the studio,” remembers Westbrook. “We all had masks on still, so it was this strange mix of It’s so great to see you but I can’t really see you. It was so weird.”
And as Little Big Town began to wonder with the rest of the world what their future looked like, the artists began to do what they do best.
They made music.
“The freedom that we had for this record was a lot different,” says Westbrook of their forthcoming album, due out later this year. “We had a very relaxed schedule with it because we had plenty of time, which was good in the beginning. But then I think toward the end, it became like, Okay, can we just finish this already? It really started stretching out over a couple years. [Laughs.] I’m excited to be wrapped up with it and putting it out there soon.”
Due to the restrictions at the time, Westbrook says most of the work on the album was done on their own, which feels awfully fitting considering that this one will serve as a landmark album for the foursome.
“You hear all those elements of what we all were going through at the time in these songs,” he says of the band’s 10th studio album. “There are a couple of songs in particular that I loved how they ended up having new life, just by being in the situation we were all in, being separated and such. There are a few nods to all of that I’m super proud of. And I think that are some moving, emotional moments too. It’s all in there.”
Album art for new single “Hell Yeah”
And while the exact date on which Little Big Town will release their new collection has yet to be revealed, the band is already teasing it, courtesy of their current radio single “Hell Yeah.”
“Philip and I wrote this with Corey Crowder and Tyler Hubbard while we were making the last record, Nightfall,” says Westbrook of the rowdy ode to a broken heart. “Corey had that phrase from the beginning, and all of us lit up when we heard it. It’s got a classic, feel-good vibe. We just loved it from the start and knew it would have its time.”
And unlike most of Little Big Town’s songs, it is Sweet that gets to take center stage vocally on this one.
“He killed it,” praises Westbrook of his bandmate. “It was right up his alley. That’s his thing. That blue-eyed soul sounds so good. There’s an old classic feel to it that I love. It reminds me of the old Motown music in a way.”
And yes, expect “Hell Yeah” to make it into the Little Big Town setlist alongside longtime favorites such as “Tornado,” “Better Man,” and the history-making, bestselling country single of 2015, “Girl Crush,” along with a few brand-new ones—if Westbrook has his way.
“That’s something I actually brought up a few days ago,” says Westbrook, who will spend other stretches of his summer touring not just with Little Big Town but alongside music legends such as Miranda Lambert and The Eagles. “A lot of times in the past, we have held onto songs until the record comes out, but that really doesn’t matter anymore these days. I want to get them out there and I want to see what the crowd reacts to, especially the crowd at Ravinia.”
Indeed, Little Big Town’s return to Ravinia Festival—this summer on July 20—is something that Westbrook and his bandmates are now always looking forward to.
“We have such great memories of this place,” says Westbrook, who’s twice before soaked in the sun and starlight of the Highland Park venue. “It is totally our vibe. Pull out the blankets and pour a glass of wine. [Laughs.] Sounds like an amazing evening is for me as well.”
Indeed, a portion of Little Big Town’s biggest hits have centered on this particular vibe, from 2014’s “Day Drinking” to 2020’s “Wine, Beer, and Whiskey.” So, coming to Ravinia is a bit of a no-brainer for the group.
“We’ve started circling this one on the calendar whenever it’s coming around,” Westbrook chuckles. “I think our live show and our music are getting better and better [for that experience]. We’ve always tried to follow our gut, and that gets easier as you get older … you can hear your inner voice better. You tend to lean into that a little bit more, and I hope that continues for us, where we just keep following where our hearts take us and what inspires us.” ●
Tricia Despres is a Chicago-area freelance entertainment writer whose work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, Taste of Country, People, and a number of local, regional, and national publications. Twitter: @CHIWriter