Shes weathered country musics changing landscape and come out the other side more ambitious than ever.
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Its so weird that I feel like people still dont quite grasp that.
Music, she emphasizes, is the cornerstone of her identity.
Shes adapted to the changing landscape at her own, measured pace.
Then, attention turned toher revelationthat shed endured three miscarriages while working on the album.
Garcia told her that acquaintances have inquired, Does she really write?
And I know hes quick to let em know how it is, says Underwood.
So is she, when the right questions are asked.
So I was very reliant upon people around me to help me.
I was 22 years old.
I didnt know what kind of artist I wanted to be, other than country music.
The first one was such a blur.
I was learning then too, just seeing how everybody did everything.
They were just very welcoming.
They never treated me like some singer kid who came off ofAmerican Idolthat didnt know what she was doing.
I remember also saying, If Im not any good at this, Ill know it.
I dont wanna waste their time, waste my time.
I didnt want that.
I still rely on my team.
Ive been with some of these people literally since day one, and trust their opinions.
Its not just all about what I wanna hear on the radio.
I know what feels good to me to sing.
I do know what I wanna hear.
But everybodys not exactly like me … You made your first several albums with the same producer, Mark Bright.
Was that about adapting to changing times and trends?
With this one, it was all about taking more ownership over what I was doing in my artistry.
It was kind of a leap of faith.
We have the time with this album.
I have lots of time to spend really diving in.
What if David and I produced the album together?
He works at making sure he knows whats up in the world of music, which is really important.
Such as?Such as Cry Pretty.
From day one Im like, This has such a cool, Aerosmith vibe to it.
I love rock music.
I love screamy guitars.
I love having that energy.
This goes with kind of the yin and yang with me and David.
He does listen to a lot of hip-hop, which I dont listen to a ton of.
Vocally, youre known for giving really athletic performances.
Like, I literally hold out notes until I start seeing stars.
I will pass out some day on stage.
It hasnt happened yet, knock on wood.
On the producer side of things, David was really good at saying, Okay, listen to this.
And he would play me the demo.
I wasnt thinking about it; I was in the moment … Im like, I do.
But its not like you completely left your vocal signatures behind.Right, because thats just me.
Did you just use your name as a verb?I did!
I think thats okay.
Thats just not who I am.
This is part of me …
I grew up listening to people that did vocal acrobatics, and I loved it.
I listened to every note and would take a stab at teach myself how to do it.
Can I not belt out everything?
You were dealing with a serious injury to your face while you were making the album.
What difference did that make?
It was physically impossible … Is my diction the same?
Does my mouth move the same as it did before?
I would sing something and then look at David and be like, Did that all come out clearly?
My ms and bs and ps were kind of the issue.
And he was like, I thought it sounded great.
Things change just as you get older; your muscles change.
I kind of expect Im not always going to sound like Im 22 coming off ofAmerican Idol.
Hopefully I get better.
Did you work with a vocal coach?No.
But not during anything else.
I feel like you just kind of have to find your way through it.
Im not good at sharing my feelings.
I want to be perceived as a strong woman.
So it would be harder for me to pen something that was more open-book about myself.
Thats just so personal.
I first heard this album before you didthe big TV interviewand spoke about your miscarriages.
It wasnt like, Im gonna write about this, because this just happened.
It would be completely inevitable.
I might suck today.
I just got some bad news.
It was not about a person leaving or anything like that.
I was lucky enough to be around people that I felt really comfortable with.
I thought, What am I gonna do?
Go home and wallow in this all day long?
No, I want to keep working.
I want to keep pushing forward.
This is still something that has to be done.
When youve sung about unpleasant things in the past, you havent dwelled on pain or melancholy.
Because I dont like victim songs.
I love the ones that the girl fights back.
Even in Blown Away, its like the [dad] gets what he deserves.
Its coming at it from a strong standpoint.
I was just feeling these things that everybody feels, you know?
And that doesnt make you weaker, dealing with things.
Why has that been your preference?
For me, its more about the people involved.
I dont know what other people have been through.
Thats just not my style.
I dont want to tell people what to think.
I want to make great music.
I want to open dialogue.
