Little Big Town Passed on This Country Hit + Nope, They’re Not Mad About It – Taste of Country Nights, On Demand
Evan Paul hosts Taste of Country Nights, On Demand, a weekly country music interview podcast that focuses on the music. Follow wherever podcasts are found, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave a rating and review. This show is part of the Townsquare Media On Demand network.
One of the coolest things to me, is finding out that one of my favorite songs almost had a completely different sound, because it was almost recorded by a completely different artist.
There are a couple of country songs that you probably know and love that were almost recorded by Little Big Town. During a recent studio visit to talk about their new Mr. Sun album (Sept. 16), they revealed to me that they almost recorded "American Kids" by Kenny Chesney. This was known before this interview, but the two other songs they passed on are new insights.
You can listen to the full Taste of Country Nights, On Demand interview in the above player, but with "American Kids," it was a matter of recognizing that it was a better fit for Chesney. They were having a hard time with the song anyways, so they let go of their hold on the eventual chart-topper. Yep, it stung a little bit when they watched it go No. 1.
Two others smarted a bit more: Early in their career, Little Big Town decided to pass on "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts. This wasn't their choice, however — Karen Fairchild explains that the song's writers wanted the song because because LBT had been dropped by their record label.
Label drama kept them from a third huge hit, as well. On three separate occasions the band says they cut "Leave the Pieces," but their record label just didn't hear it as a hit, so they passed. Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Phillip Sweet and Kimberly Schlapman are far too kind to name names or drop curse words on the wrong-doers, but you can tell it bothered them. "Leave the Pieces" would go on to become a No. 1 hit for the Wreckers.
I really enjoy the dynamic of Little Big Town, they have something really special going, and it has been going for over a decade. They are still getting nominated for CMAs and ACMs and people still love them. They not only write songs for themselves, but have had separate success as songwriters for other major country artists, as well.
I had so much fun hanging with Little Big Town and I know you will, too. Check out this week's Taste of Country Nights, On Demand episode featuring Little Big Town, and be sure to like and hit that subscribe button, all the feedback you have helps us out so much.