The new album "Feels Like Home" will be released on January 24, 2014
"Feels Like Home is perhaps the most focused album I’ve ever made," says Sheryl Crow herself about her debut album with Warner Nashville. The label is based in Music City, where Crow settled a few years ago to raise her children. "My albums have always featured different styles, and on this one, I also show in various ways what country music means to me. But it wasn’t calculated. Above all, I wanted to write about things I really understand – about topics that are very close to me."
Feels Like Home is full of beautifully told stories and features perhaps the strongest and most heartfelt singing of Crow’s career so far. It almost seems as if the famous daughter of the town of Kennett in Missouri was born to create Feels Like Home. "In the country industry, one is rightly suspicious of potential copycats, but for me, this world in Nashville really feels like home. I grew up three and a half hours away from Nashville, and my parents just recently moved out of the house we lived in. I grew up in a community that consisted only of farmland, a church, a school, and a marketplace. I come from a real country area, and that’s the life I wanted to provide for my children – and you can find that here in Nashville. Although Nashville has so much more to offer, it hasn’t lost that small-town feel that I love so much."
Crow further recalls: "When I was little, we had hardly any contact with the outside world. That has changed since then. We grew up with two radio stations that played country, but nowadays the whole world is much more interconnected. I’m definitely a girl who also loves rock and had a big weakness for the Rolling Stones and Dylan – but it’s undeniable that my favorite rock stars were also closely connected to country music. I find it wonderful that I am now part of the community here in Nashville and that my children are growing up here. For me, it’s an incredible experience to be surrounded by so many artists and musicians who go to church together and meet at school charity events – it’s great to experience that sense of community."
In fact, a conversation with Brad Paisley, one of her neighbors in Nashville, prompted Sheryl Crow to start working on Feels Like Home. "I was quite scared of producing a country-style album because I love the music so much. All my friends, whether they live in Kansas City, California, or New York, now listen to country when they want to hear beautiful songs, great guitar solos, or good stories. Over the years, I’ve seen many artists try to make this transition, but somehow it never sounded good or natural or real to me. That’s why I wanted to do it authentically myself. Brad immediately understood what I meant. He said, ‘Let’s just do what you always do. Bring your influences along. We’ll just turn your vocals up a bit and tell your stories a bit more concisely, and then you’ll be exactly where you want to be.’ This realization that I’ve been at home here all along was the reason this album even came to be."
This is not Sheryl Crow’s first musical rodeo – after all, the nine-time Grammy winner has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Still, on Feels Like Home, the voice of a great, established artist can be heard, who clearly enjoys experiencing a kind of new beginning. Feels Like Home truly took shape when Crow, Paisley, and Chris DuBois, with whom Paisley frequently collaborates, wrote one of the best tracks on the album: "Waterproof Mascara". The magnificent song recalls the classics of great country singers like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, with whom Crow also shared the stage at the CMA Awards 2011 alongside her friend Miranda Lambert. "It meant the world to me that such a big country artist like Brad trusted me," Crow says. "At that time, there was no label yet. Brad simply believed that we would find our home here. And I also have the strong feeling that I have found the label that fits me best with Warner Nashville. I feel completely spoiled because I am surrounded by people who are passionate about music – especially since I was previously in a situation that didn’t feel like that at all."
Crow gradually collaborated with various artists, including her longtime guitarist and frequent co-writer Jeff Trott (with whom she also wrote Crow classics like "If It Makes You Happy", "Her Favorite Mistake", and "Everyday Is A Winding Road"), as well as some of the best writers in Nashville, including Chris DuBois, Luke Laird, Natalie Hamby, and Chris Stapleton.
"In country music, the stories you tell usually get to the point faster," Crow explains. "Writing the songs for this album, after 20 years of songwriting experience, just felt great. I’m still doing what I love, but at the same time, I’m learning and expanding my horizons. I just feel this great curiosity within me, and for me, songwriting is the heart of Nashville – it was invigorating and very satisfying to learn how a country song works."
For Crow, the process of writing for Feels Like Home was a bit different from her previous albums. "It took a while because I didn’t want to look for someone to write a Sheryl Crow song for me at first. But in the end, it was a wonderful experience. I found it really interesting that artists in Nashville often write in groups of three – I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. Actually, aside from my very first album, I’ve rarely written with anyone other than Jeff Trott, let alone with two others. But it works. I believe that when three people work on it, you always feel that the song is really getting finished."
Crow also cites her co-producer Justin Nieband as an important collaborator on Feels Like Home. "After a little false start, I inquired about good technicians. Vince Gill told me that Justin was exactly the right man for the job – and he was right. After a few days, I realized that he is much more than just a great technician: He was an important partner for me in producing this album."
For Crow, the first album she produced for a Nashville label remains an unforgettable experience. "It was incredible to record an album in my hometown and not have to give up my life as my most important source of inspiration," says the singer. "I drove my kids to school every morning just like normal and was totally Mommy between the different sessions. I had structured working hours and could work from home – there was always this very loving, homely feeling. As the title says: It just felt like home."
Tracklist:
01. Shotgun / 02. Easy / 03. Give It To Me / 04. We Oughta Be Drinkin' / 05. Callin' Me When I'm Lonely / 06. Waterproof Mascara / 07. Crazy Ain't Original / 08. Nobody's Business / 09. Homesick / 10. Homecoming Queen / 11. Best Of Times / 12. Stay At Home Mother
"Feels Like Home is perhaps the most focused album I’ve ever made," says Sheryl Crow herself about her debut album with Warner Nashville. The label is based in Music City, where Crow settled a few years ago to raise her children. "My albums have always featured different styles, and on this one, I also show in various ways what country music means to me. But it wasn’t calculated. Above all, I wanted to write about things I really understand – about topics that are very close to me."
Feels Like Home is full of beautifully told stories and features perhaps the strongest and most heartfelt singing of Crow’s career so far. It almost seems as if the famous daughter of the town of Kennett in Missouri was born to create Feels Like Home. "In the country industry, one is rightly suspicious of potential copycats, but for me, this world in Nashville really feels like home. I grew up three and a half hours away from Nashville, and my parents just recently moved out of the house we lived in. I grew up in a community that consisted only of farmland, a church, a school, and a marketplace. I come from a real country area, and that’s the life I wanted to provide for my children – and you can find that here in Nashville. Although Nashville has so much more to offer, it hasn’t lost that small-town feel that I love so much."
Crow further recalls: "When I was little, we had hardly any contact with the outside world. That has changed since then. We grew up with two radio stations that played country, but nowadays the whole world is much more interconnected. I’m definitely a girl who also loves rock and had a big weakness for the Rolling Stones and Dylan – but it’s undeniable that my favorite rock stars were also closely connected to country music. I find it wonderful that I am now part of the community here in Nashville and that my children are growing up here. For me, it’s an incredible experience to be surrounded by so many artists and musicians who go to church together and meet at school charity events – it’s great to experience that sense of community."
In fact, a conversation with Brad Paisley, one of her neighbors in Nashville, prompted Sheryl Crow to start working on Feels Like Home. "I was quite scared of producing a country-style album because I love the music so much. All my friends, whether they live in Kansas City, California, or New York, now listen to country when they want to hear beautiful songs, great guitar solos, or good stories. Over the years, I’ve seen many artists try to make this transition, but somehow it never sounded good or natural or real to me. That’s why I wanted to do it authentically myself. Brad immediately understood what I meant. He said, ‘Let’s just do what you always do. Bring your influences along. We’ll just turn your vocals up a bit and tell your stories a bit more concisely, and then you’ll be exactly where you want to be.’ This realization that I’ve been at home here all along was the reason this album even came to be."
This is not Sheryl Crow’s first musical rodeo – after all, the nine-time Grammy winner has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Still, on Feels Like Home, the voice of a great, established artist can be heard, who clearly enjoys experiencing a kind of new beginning. Feels Like Home truly took shape when Crow, Paisley, and Chris DuBois, with whom Paisley frequently collaborates, wrote one of the best tracks on the album: "Waterproof Mascara". The magnificent song recalls the classics of great country singers like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, with whom Crow also shared the stage at the CMA Awards 2011 alongside her friend Miranda Lambert. "It meant the world to me that such a big country artist like Brad trusted me," Crow says. "At that time, there was no label yet. Brad simply believed that we would find our home here. And I also have the strong feeling that I have found the label that fits me best with Warner Nashville. I feel completely spoiled because I am surrounded by people who are passionate about music – especially since I was previously in a situation that didn’t feel like that at all."
Crow gradually collaborated with various artists, including her longtime guitarist and frequent co-writer Jeff Trott (with whom she also wrote Crow classics like "If It Makes You Happy", "Her Favorite Mistake", and "Everyday Is A Winding Road"), as well as some of the best writers in Nashville, including Chris DuBois, Luke Laird, Natalie Hamby, and Chris Stapleton.
"In country music, the stories you tell usually get to the point faster," Crow explains. "Writing the songs for this album, after 20 years of songwriting experience, just felt great. I’m still doing what I love, but at the same time, I’m learning and expanding my horizons. I just feel this great curiosity within me, and for me, songwriting is the heart of Nashville – it was invigorating and very satisfying to learn how a country song works."
For Crow, the process of writing for Feels Like Home was a bit different from her previous albums. "It took a while because I didn’t want to look for someone to write a Sheryl Crow song for me at first. But in the end, it was a wonderful experience. I found it really interesting that artists in Nashville often write in groups of three – I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. Actually, aside from my very first album, I’ve rarely written with anyone other than Jeff Trott, let alone with two others. But it works. I believe that when three people work on it, you always feel that the song is really getting finished."
Crow also cites her co-producer Justin Nieband as an important collaborator on Feels Like Home. "After a little false start, I inquired about good technicians. Vince Gill told me that Justin was exactly the right man for the job – and he was right. After a few days, I realized that he is much more than just a great technician: He was an important partner for me in producing this album."
For Crow, the first album she produced for a Nashville label remains an unforgettable experience. "It was incredible to record an album in my hometown and not have to give up my life as my most important source of inspiration," says the singer. "I drove my kids to school every morning just like normal and was totally Mommy between the different sessions. I had structured working hours and could work from home – there was always this very loving, homely feeling. As the title says: It just felt like home."
Tracklist:
01. Shotgun / 02. Easy / 03. Give It To Me / 04. We Oughta Be Drinkin' / 05. Callin' Me When I'm Lonely / 06. Waterproof Mascara / 07. Crazy Ain't Original / 08. Nobody's Business / 09. Homesick / 10. Homecoming Queen / 11. Best Of Times / 12. Stay At Home Mother
