Lady A’s Charles Kelley has been one of country music’s most reliable and versatile singers since the “Need You Now” trio made its country radio debut in 2007 with “Love Don’t Live Here.”
Since then, Lady A has become one of the most successful trios in country music history. And Kelley cemented himself as a songwriter. He’s co-written hits for Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Brett Young, and his band.
Now, he’s preparing something for himself. In 2016, Kelley released his solo album “The Driver,” which earned a Grammy nomination for the title track. Kelley revealed its follow-up — Songs for a New Moon—today. He also shared the first two tracks from the album, “Can’t Lose You” and “Here With Me” (Killers cover). Kelley grew up in the 1980s, and the infectious melodies, luxurious pop production, light, and ambiance that inspired the Georgia native to chase a music career overflow from his new songs.
Kelley remembers the day he wrote “Can’t Lose You” with “Need You Now” co-writer Josh Kear, Lindsay Rimes, and Michael Whitworth.
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Charles Kelley: “I Really Want to Write an ’80s-Sounding Song”
“I just walked in that day and was like, ‘I really want to write an 80’s-sounding song,’” Kelley said. “Lindsay started playing that little synth part. When I left that day, I was like, ‘This feels like the coolest song I’ve written in years.’ It felt like it had an identity.”
Kelley chose “Here With Me” because he wanted a huge ’80s power ballad. He feels like the song makes a “cool statement.”
But “Can’t Lose You” is the album’s north star.
“The whole record feels like a little bit of a mission statement and almost like an apology to my wife or like a mission statement of the husband I want to be and the man I want to be moving forward for the rest of my life,” he said. “I’m putting her and my family first. I wanted everything to feel a little redemptive on this record.”
Charles Kelley Will Release ‘Songs for a New Moon’ This Summer
Songs for a New Moon grew from there. Kelley recently played the album for his first producer, Paul Worley. Worley told him he thought Songs for a New Moon was the album Kelley had been trying to make for his entire career.
“He said, ‘I feel like you were born in the wrong time,’” Kelley quoted. “He said, ‘This feels like the sound you were born to make.’ But, I tried not to really overthink it too much.”
Kelley plans to release the full album independently this summer.
“I had a freaking blast making this record,” Kelley said. “I’ve got nothing to prove. I have no idea what journey this is going to take. I have no idea if people are going to give a shit. But, I’ve never had more fun making a record.”
He needed a reminder of how much fun recording and releasing an album could be. Coming off the record-breaking success of Lady A, Kelley admits he often had unhealthy expectations of how a project might perform commercially. With Songs for a New Moon, he just needed to get the songs out of his heart and into the world.
“People need feelgood music out there, and I just wanted to put it out,” he said. “All that to say, it’s just like trying to be positive and just enjoying the moment of everything.”
Photo by Harper Smith
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