There are a lot of artists who pretend and front like they're really country. This is just a fact of the matter. Half the time, I feel like I'm listening to a Levi's model with a southern accent. The battle of authenticity is one as old as the genre; who really knows what the lifestyle is like? At the very least, artists should at least do their due diligence in learning about country before anything. However, Kacey Musgraves argues that this isn't something you just magically acquire. It's a much deeper experience than we understand.
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Recently, Musgraves spoke with the Hollywood Reporter in promotion of her cover of Hank Williams' "Lost Highway." It's a family affair, where she enlists her grandparents to help her reach the finish line. In the interview, she details why she made the choice and how the traditional side of country is in her blood.
Kacey Musgraves Says There's a 'Misconception' About Traditional Country
"From the age of seven and eight years old, I was singing all the country standards and classics: Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Hank Snow, Cindy Walker. It's such a part of me, I can't escape even if I wanted to. And it really feels good to wholeheartedly embrace that sound, because I'm always listening to that kind of thing," Kacey explains.
Additionally, Musgraves stresses that what makes traditional country great are in the details. It isn't about the rough aesthetic or just the fact that you're from the South. The best stuff has more nuance. "There may be a misconception that country music is easy to replicate. When you look at the bones of traditional country - the structure, the sounds, the subject matter - it's not easy to replicate. It comes across as very simple, and the best country music is," Kacey says.
But it's full of so many layers of heart and real life, real stories. And there's a lot of restraint. Really good traditional country music, there's a lot of space for the lyrics, the story, for the heartbreak and the texture. I really appreciate that about that era of country music. It paints a picture, but it's subtle and it's simple," Kacey adds.
