Brooks & Dunn enlisted some of the biggest names in modern country music to join them on Reboot in 2019. The album saw the iconic duo rehashing some of their biggest hits with the likes of Luke Combs, Jon Pardi, Kacey Musgraves, Ashley McBryde, and more. Earlier this month, they released a sequel to the collaborative album. Reboot II featured some current country stars and up-and-comers as well as artists from other genres including the rock band Halestorm.
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Recently, Kix Brooks sat down with Music Row to reflect on the making of Reboot II. During their conversation, he discussed working with different acts to breathe new life into some deep cuts from their catalog.
Kix Brooks and Making Brooks & Dunn’s Second Collaborative Album
“It was one of the most enjoyable experiences we ever had in the studio,” Kix Brooks said of making Reboot. “All of these acts are really good and some of them tell us that they’ve been fans and have been listening to our music for a long time, which makes you feel good,” he added.
Brooks & Dunn loved making Reboot so much that they decided to do it again. “This was a really different experience,” Brooks said of making Reboot II. “Some of these songs are deep cuts, and it’s really fun doing stuff we play live and tock out hard to with our Brooks & Dunn band like ‘She Likes to Get Out of Town,’” he added.
Recording Reboot II
The Cadillac Three joined the duo for “She Likes to Get Out of Town” on the new album. “I wanted Jaren Johnston on this record because I just love The Cadillac Three, and sure enough, they showed up and picked that song,” Brooks recalled. “I was looking forward to seeing how they were going to sing it and, man, he kicked off this deep swamp groove. I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding. I freaking love this,’ and grabbed a harp and jumped all over it with him. We had a lot of fun doing that one,” he added.
One of the standout collaborations on the album is rock band Halestorm’s interpretation of “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.” Brooks reflected on the recording process of that song in the interview. “Halestorm is a badass, headbanging rock band. Once they turned their stuff up and hit the downbeat, it was on,” Brooks recalled. “That control room just exploded. Engineers were grabbing nobs with both hands trying to get a handle on what was going on. I’m really proud of Ronnie [Dunn]. He stepped up and went toe to toe with Lizzy Hale. Singing backgrounds was easy compared to what he was up to,” he added.
What Brooks & Dunn Learned from Recording Reboot II
Brooks & Dunn had a great time recording Reboot II with the diverse group of collaborators. They also learned a valuable lesson from the project. “We don’t feel like we’re the old guys on the block,” Brooks said. “We’ve been doing it a few years longer, but that doesn’t change anything. Some of these acts that are really hot on this record aren’t posturing because they’re the hottest thing out there right now. The bottom line is we’re all just trying to make good music, and there’s a reason that these acts are popular. It does make you step up because you want to be your best and show them that you’ve still got it, and they want to do their best and show you they do have it,” he explained.
Featured Image by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
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