The Highwomen

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

The Highwomen: In the Studio With Country’s Ballsiest New Supergroup

[Sterling Bigmouth]

Very excited for this. Love Shires and Carlile, and Hemby has been doing good songwriting work for years now. Not a fan of Maren Morris, especially after it was rumored her spot was originally meant for Margo Price, but I’m willing to give her a shot. First single is solid stuff.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

[Clams]

Very excited for this. Love Shires and Carlile, and Hemby has been doing good songwriting work for years now. Not a fan of Maren Morris, especially after it was rumored her spot was originally meant for Margo Price, but I’m willing to give her a shot. First single is solid stuff.

Interesting. Did Margo say no? I know she did just have a baby so maybe that had something to do with it. I think Morris is a great choice, she's got more crossover/pop appeal than any of the others. In any event, really looking forward to Hearing whatever this group puts out.

[Sterling Bigmouth]

Very excited for this. Love Shires and Carlile, and Hemby has been doing good songwriting work for years now. Not a fan of Maren Morris, especially after it was rumored her spot was originally meant for Margo Price, but I’m willing to give her a shot. First single is solid stuff.

Interesting. Did Margo say no? I know she did just have a baby so maybe that had something to do with it. I think Morris is a great choice, she's got more crossover/pop appeal than any of the others. In any event, really looking forward to Hearing whatever this group puts out.

I have no clue what the actual story was, but it sounded like Shires’ publicist jumped the gun announcing the lineup as Shires, Price, and Carlile, then had to walk it back for whatever reason (Hemby was added fairly recently). The baby is probably a pretty likely reason.

[roland]

Sorry, but I just hate the whole concept.

[Zip City]

Great pun

[bovine knievel]

Mama wants to change that Nashville sound.

[Iowan]

From what I've read Margo Price backed out because she was pregnant. She was definitely interested but understandably didn't want to be working on an album in that condition.

[WarHenRecords]

Sorry, but I just hate the whole concept.

You are not alone.

[Clams]

Sorry, but I just hate the whole concept.

You are not alone.

You don't like girl groups?

[roland]

Sorry, but I just hate the whole concept.

You are not alone.

You don't like girl groups?

I don't self-proclaimed "supergroups" without a single superstar. I don't like taking the name "Highwomen", as there isn't the talent of a single Highwayman in the group combined. I don't like the first single, or the video.

But no, I like girl groups.

[Zip City]

What four women would you consider “Star” enough to call themselves a super group?

[Clams]

You don't like girl groups?

I don't self-proclaimed "supergroups" without a single superstar. I don't like taking the name "Highwomen", as there isn't the talent of a single Highwayman in the group combined. I don't like the first single, or the video.

But no, I like girl groups.

Fair enough, I get it.

[roland]

What four women would you consider “Star” enough to call themselves a super group?

Dolly, Reba, Emmylou, and maybe Alison Krauss or Lucinda Williams.

[Zip City]

What four women would you consider “Star” enough to call themselves a super group?

Dolly, Reba, Emmylou, and maybe Alison Krauss or Lucinda Williams.

So a bunch of older women. I think that’s the opposite of what these women are trying to accomplish. I love the audacity of four young women challenging the country music establishment.

[tinnitus photography]

i will get to see their first appearance at Newport Folk this weekend.

[Iowan]

I really like the first single.

I caught the trailer with their cover of "The Chain", which I don't like as much. Sounds a lot like the original, which is a good song and all, but a spot on cover never feels that essential to me.

[Zip City]

Also, did they label themselves as a "supergroup", or is that just typical music journalism hyperbole? I see them more as a Monsters of Folk or New Multitudes type of group

[bovine knievel]

I think what bothers me about this is the name is too close to the Highwaymen, the Mt Rushmore for country music icons. In my mind it is an attempt to to be the female equivalent. They might be great musicians but they are not anywhere near Highwaymen status.

[Zip City]

I think what bothers me about this is the name is too close to the Highwaymen, the Mt Rushmore for country music icons. In my mind it is an attempt to to be the female equivalent. They might be great musicians but they are not anywhere near Highwaymen status.

I get that, but I think it was more of a clever play on words than a statement of "we're as good as Johnny and Waylon"

[WarHenRecords]

To me it reeks of being totally unoriginal.
Like it doesn't seem genuine.
It seems like a bunch of music industry suits sat around a table and dreampt up this idea.
Forced.

[Zip City]

To me it reeks of being totally unoriginal.
Like it doesn't seem genuine.
It seems like a bunch of music industry suits sat around a table and dreampt up this idea.
Forced.

Based on what?

[WarHenRecords]

I dunno man, it all just kinda seems real shiny and fancy and has this faux attitude to it.
It comes across as cornball to me.

[WarHenRecords]

It just seems manufactured and not organic.

[schlanky]

I'm with WarHen on this one. I've only heard the one song in the video above, but it sounds like it was made for heavy rotation on a contemporary country station---and there's a huge audience for that, but not me.

If we're talking "the audacity of young women challenging the country music establishment," boygenius hits that mark for me, but the one Highwomen song I've heard just doesn't. Maybe their other stuff is different.

[Zip City]

It just seems manufactured and not organic.

Knowing what I know about Shires and Carlile, I don't think they have a manufactured or phony bone in their bodies, and neither would allow themselves to be put into a "girl group" as a publicity stunt

[John A Arkansawyer]

I've only heard the one song in the video above, but it sounds like it was made for heavy rotation on a contemporary country station---and there's a huge audience for that, but not me.

You'd think there'd be a huge audience for it, but women get disproportionately low airplay on contemporary country radio. If this is what it takes to move that needle into the estrogen, I'm all for it!

[tinnitus photography]

misogyny represent!

[roland]

misogyny represent!

I don't know who this was directed at, but all of us who are wary of this project have made the reasons pretty clear why, and it's not that we don't like women. Did we all "vote for Trump" as well?