Lauren Alaina on Her New Album "Stages," Recording With Her Brother, and the Song She Wrote for Her Late Dad
Lauren Alaina stopped by The Bobby Bones Show to celebrate the release of her long-awaited new album Stages — her first in five years — and opened up about the emotional songs bookending the record, nearly cutting a song that ended up going to someone else entirely, and getting ready for her first Top Shelf Country Cruise.
Four Years, 23 Songs Recorded, 17 Made the Cut
Lauren revealed just how much material went into Stages. She estimates she recorded around 23 songs and wrote even more than that before narrowing it down to the 17 that made the final album. The process, she said, varies song to song — some she knows are right the moment she hears them, while others (especially ones she wrote herself) she has to live with for a while before deciding. These days, her husband has also joined the growing list of people who weigh in on her track list.
The Song She Almost Cut That Became Someone Else's Hit
In one of the more surprising moments of the conversation, Lauren revealed that she once recorded a song, started singing the vocals, and realized partway through that it just wasn't working — she didn't even finish the take. The twist: the song had originally been written for a man, and they'd flipped it for a female vocal, but it never felt right for her. Bobby jokingly guessed that the song was "Head Over Boots," which of course went on to become a massive hit for Jon Pardi.
She Doesn't Have to Prove She's a Powerhouse Vocalist Anymore
Lauren opened up about a piece of advice from Joey Moi at Big Loud that changed the way she approaches her music: just because she can hit every big note doesn't mean she has to on every song. She called it one of the best days of her career, saying it's made her live sets easier on her voice and allowed her to record songs with different textures — like "All My Exes," which she said she used to feel the need to add vocal tricks to, but now lets stand on its own.
A Record That Begins With Her Brother and Ends With Her Late Dad
Stages opens with a song Lauren recorded with her brother, Tyler, who works at Costco in her hometown and asked her a few years ago if they could record a song together, even if it never got released. Lauren wrote "Babies Raising Babies" about Tyler and his wife, and the timing ended up lining up in an unexpected way — she wrote it four years ago, and by the time it was released, she'd gotten married and had her own baby, Beni.
The album closes with "Heaven Sent," a deeply personal song Lauren wrote about her daughter and her late father, who passed away two years ago. She found out she was pregnant just two months after losing him, and the song reflects on the idea that her father sent her daughter to help her heal. Lauren got emotional talking about it, noting that her daughter makes facial expressions eerily similar to her dad's, despite never having met him.
Gearing Up for Her First Cruise
Lauren also talked about joining the upcoming Top Shelf Country Cruise. Having never been on a cruise before, she admitted to some nerves about feeling claustrophobic, but said she's looking forward to performing a couple of shows and doing interactive activities with fans onboard — including a sushi-making class.
Join Lauren Alaina & The Bobby Bones Show on the Top Shelf Country Cruise!
Stages is out now from Lauren Alaina.
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