Little Big Town Gets Back To What Matters On ‘It’s A Dying Art’ [Interview]

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Little Big Town. Photo: Becky Fluke

After more than two decades together, Little Big Town knows a thing or two about evolution. But on their new album, It’s A Dying Art, the band found itself looking backward in order to move forward.

The album’s title comes from the song of the same name, written by the band’s Karen Fairchild with Ashley Ray, Madi Yanofsky and Jonnie Simpson. What began as a love song about enduring the test of time eventually became a larger statement about the value of things made by hand and the human connection behind them.

“We as a band started talking about everything that’s going on in the world with AI and just the lack of getting back to making art,” Fairchild told MusicRow. “Things that you make with your hands, your voices, the instruments, that’s something that can’t be taken away from us.”

That idea became a guiding principle for the project, which the band created without the usual expectations surrounding radio hits or current trends.

“We always try to make records without boundaries, but we’re also human. Sometimes you can get the voices in your head of ‘you got to have a radio hit’ or whatever the trend is at the moment,” Fairchild says. “This time, we didn’t feel any pressure to do anything other than make what we felt like was relevant, good storytelling.”

After 25 years as a band, Little Big Town’s anniversary could have easily shaped the album into a retrospective. Instead, the group approached the project as another opportunity to chase inspiration and see where the songs led.

That process led the band into new sonic territory. Jimi Westbrook says the album retains familiar elements of Little Big Town’s sound while presenting them in a different way, particularly through the production and vocal performances.

A major part of that shift came through working with Gena Johnson, who initially engineered the project before becoming more involved in its production. Fairchild had previously worked with her alongside Ashley Monroe and immediately felt she would be a natural fit for the group.

That openness gave Little Big Town room to experiment, with ideas often emerging spontaneously in the studio.

“Her spirit is just beautiful and open and encouraging,” Kimberly Schlapman says. “You don’t ever feel like you are very vulnerable, but you don’t feel inhibited or exposed for that vulnerability.”

The band also leaned into the imperfections and unexpected moments that come with making music organically. That philosophy can be heard in the album’s collaborations, including an appearance from Ashley Monroe and a contribution from Jason Isbell.

Monroe’s vocals were actually part of the song from its earliest stages, and the band decided to leave them intact after hearing how naturally her voice blended with Schlapman’s.

Isbell, meanwhile, was brought into the process through Johnson and quickly made an impression on the band.

“I am such a fan of his writing and his playing,” Westbrook says. “It was an awesome experience being in the studio with him. He’s such a warm guy. He’s just a great hang.”

The album also features Kelsea Ballerini on “Closing Time,” a song she co-wrote with Fairchild alongside Jessie Jo Dillon, Hillary Lindsey and Alysa Vanderheym several years ago. After Fairchild told Ballerini about the project, Ballerini asked to be part of the album, making the collaboration a natural extension of their friendship and songwriting history.

Another important piece of the album is “Hey There Sunshine,” which Little Big Town selected as the opening track. The song addresses mental health, grief and hope, offering a fitting introduction to a project centered on finding light in difficult moments.

Westbrook had actually first heard the song several years earlier and immediately connected with it.

“It’s such a powerful lyric and such hope in it that even in the darkness, hope comes through,” he says.

Little Big Town & Kelsea Ballerini – Courtsey Little Big Town

That balance of honesty and hope continues into songs such as “It’s A Long Way To Your Heart,” which explores the emotional distance that can exist within a long-term relationship, and “We Could Have It All,” a song Fairchild and Monroe wrote on the bus.

“I think it’s just telling the truth,” Fairchild says of “It’s A Long Way To Your Heart.” “It beautifully describes when you’re connected to someone, but you’re disconnected emotionally.”

Even the album artwork reflects the project’s themes. Inspired by New Orleans’ architecture, music and history, the band and its creative team ultimately created a new photograph using an old-fashioned process, including a vintage frame, canvas and a hand-finished backdrop.

For Little Big Town, It’s A Dying Art ultimately represents both where the band has been and where it is going. Westbrook sees the album as a snapshot of the group’s history, while Philip Sweet believes it captures the energy that has kept the band together for more than two decades.

“We are a band that has always had a spark,” Sweet says. “We always had a thing that just drove us always. And that youthful energy is what you hear in this music.”

After 26 years, Little Big Town is still chasing the same thing they always have: great songs, strong harmonies and the magic that happens when four musicians create something together in a room. 

Madison Hahnen
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