Lily Nelson
Fifteen years into their friendship, CMA award-winning duo Maddie & Tae have seen it all. Label closures, dismissal as a “one hit wonder girl duo” – even health scares that derailed their plans. But Maddie Font and Tae Kerr have proved themselves survivors, and now, feel more confident and composed than ever. They’re in what they call a “redemptive moment.”
“Sometimes, this business can tear you apart, and you just have to protect your peace and keep chugging along,” Maddie explains. “But I would say with this fourth album and being best friends for 15 years, our sisterhood is stronger than ever. Our creativity is at an all-time high. … We’ve earned our stripes at this point.”
Out May 2, that fourth album – Love & Light – finds the country duo returning to their signature spark of bright harmony and fearless feminine playfulness but adding in the weathered wisdom of their path.
It’s now been 10 years since the chart peak of their Platinum Number One single “Girl In A Country Song,” which helped spark a conversation about how girls and women see themselves portrayed in country music (spoiler alert, it’s often still as a one-dimensional “girl”). They then followed up with the Gold-certified “Fly” and 3X Platinum Number One “Die From A Broken Heart,” and still work to put a real, layered vision of women in the mainstream. Their new phase of life is only helping.
“We haven’t done everything as perfect as possible. But we’ve been real. And I think that counts for something,” Maddie says. “It was hard,” Tae adds. “We were 16, and people viewed us as just two girls who wrote silly songs and didn’t really take it seriously [when we started]. But the past 10 years of us constantly showing up and evolving, I’m really proud of that.”
Featuring 16 songs produced by Josh Kerr (Tae’s husband), along with additional production from Chris LaCorte and Corey Crowder, Love & Light features a mood-boosting sonic mix of small-town pop, soulful R&B, and even a little disco, plus the unabashed Texas/Oklahoma twang of their vocal blend.
Co-writing all but one song, the project finds them both in a new place personally – married and with three children between them – creating a soundtrack for young women everywhere. Confidence, vulnerability, sisterhood, and self-worth are all important themes. But so is juggling parenthood with a drive for professional success, which is exactly what their day-to-day looks like.
“We’re not those artists that you don’t know what’s going on in their lives,” Maddie says with a laugh. “If we’re going through something, [our fans are] going through it with us.”
“There was a lot of unintentional soul-searching,” Tae goes on. “Maddie got really vulnerable in this record and had some hard stuff going on in her life that she poured into it, which I’m really proud of. And I don’t know if it was working with my husband that just made it feel like such a safe space, but we just made this record for us and really got back to the root of what brings us joy in creating music. I think you can hear that sonically. We really stepped out of our comfort zone.”
Not too far, though. Tracks like “Kissing Cowboys” cover familiar ground, matching that classic Maddie & Tae whimsy and energetic twang-pop harmonies to a live-while-you-can theme. Others like the stormy stomp of “Down That Road” stem from learning what not to do in love, and with the delightful kiss off “Only Jesus,” the duo leave forgiveness up to a higher power.
But in a true headline moment, Tae takes her first-ever leading roles on “Heart They Didn’t Break” and “What A Woman Can Do” – showing off the warm, dynamic vocal fans have long asked to hear. And with tracks like “One Hit Wonders,” the duo leaves pop-country territory for rootsy soul. Cleverly disguised as a romantic anthem, a sparkling, sophisticated groove actually helps celebrate Maddie & Tae’s enduring bond – both creative and personal.
“Even if T and I never have another hit, we will always make music and be sisters and family,” Maddie says.
That track gave them “permission” for new ideas, the duo explains, and they exploited it fully on “Drunk Girls In Bathrooms.” Feeling like a digital update of a disco anthem, the danceable track features a euphoric vocal blend and empowered theme – “spilling the tea” on a secret society of girls supporting girls.
“I mean, I’ve invited girls to my wedding when I was drunk in the bathroom,” Maddie exclaims. “We’re finally letting the guys in on this because they always say, ‘Why do they always go together and take so long?’ It’s because there’s a whole magical world of women just like, ‘You look amazing! Don’t text that [jerk]. Just go dance your ass off and have a great night!’ It’s just the most uplifting, loving environment in a women’s restroom at a bar or a club.”
Meanwhile, that supportive nature extends to parenting as well, which the duo frame like a family portrait in “Chasin’ Babies & Raisin’ Dreams.” A warm-and-fuzzy acoustic ballad with an intentionally flustered title, the tender track is like a sonic time capsule, forever preserving a crazy (but beautiful) moment of their journey.
“I feel the same way about this song that I did about ‘Die From A Broken Heart,’” Tae explains. “One of the biggest hurdles Maddie and I have been going through the past three years, ever since we’ve brought these little ones into our lives, is just that battle of loving what we do – but now we have these little humans that we love even more. When we’re on stage, a piece of our hearts is with our babies. And when we’re with our babies, we’re approving photos and writing songs.”
That will surely be the case on May 1 when Maddie & Tae headline Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Both describe chills of anticipation over the magical experience of bringing their new songs to life and knowing they’ll both go home to “the most beautiful mess ever” that night.
But back on the album, they finish off with the title track “Love & Light” fusing snap-track country with the cutting wit that has endeared them to millions. Embracing the old wisdom of “killing with kindness,” it’s a true girl-power anthem of rising above what gets you down. And for 15 years, Maddie & Tae have been experts in the field.
“We don’t worry about what people think anymore,” Maddie says. “Just from getting beat up in the business for 15 years, this time we were like ‘We’re just going to make a record that we love and have fun doing it.’ What a concept! … I hope when people listen, they feel that joy.”
“There’s so much beauty in not having it all figured out,” Tae adds. “So, hopefully, when people listen to this record and they’re going through some stuff they remember your perspective is all you can control. Hopefully, we inspire people to see the positive side of things.”