Sugarland Evolves As They Ready Fourth Album

Posted by Jessica Gertler on 04/05/2010
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Country duo Sugarland is in the process of finishing their fourth studio album, which lead vocalist Jennifer Nettles is hoping will release this fall.
According to Billboard, the album is tentatively titled The Incredible Machine and will have up to 11 new tracks. Nettles said they wanted to be “lean and clean” with the album and “make conscious choices” about the songs.
"If we felt like one wasn't working, we didn't finish it,” Nettles told Billboard in an interview. “From a writing standpoint, we've really been able to grow. And for me as a singer, you want to evolve. You paint with a lot of emotional colors, and you don't want to sing the same thing or sing the same way.

"We didn't make it ballad heavy, though we do enjoy those moments of poignancy. The arrangements use different choices of instrumentation. I don't know if there's even a mandolin on this record," she continued.

The dynamic duo started in 2004 with the release of their debut album, Twice the Speed of Life. Their latest album, Love on the Inside, landed their first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than 2 million copies.

To top their previous album, Nettles said the upcoming album will take inspiration from the “steampunk movement,” a type of science fiction that imagines a world where humans evolved intellectually, but technology never surpassed Victorian times.

"I describe it emotionally as bungee jumping and eating chocolate cake," Nettles told Billboard. "It's terrifying and gratifying, all at the same time."
Nettles has enjoyed putting the album together so far. "Not only is it diverse within the context of these songs, but it's diverse compared to what we've done in the past. Obviously, it's me. I also really enjoyed exploring other parts of my voice-the deeper, richer, more gravely parts of my voice. I'd say a little bit of Chrissie Hynde, a little bit of Blondie.”

Be looking for Sugarland in your town when they launch a U.S. tour beginning April 23. They plan to hit festivals including Stage Coach, Country Thunder and Country Jam.
Source: Billboard.com