New music is coming from Gretchen Wilson! The singer-songwriter announces she is releasing her debut Here For the Party record again, but with a surprising twist.
“It’s going to be the very first album with all of the big hits that everybody knows on it. But what’s different is I’m going to have a guest artist on each song,” Wilson reveals to People, adding that it will be available early next year. “I can’t tell you who yet, but definitely some big names and some that are very, very right now and some that are just my favorites from yesteryear.”
It’s because of working on The Road, as a tour manager for the aspiring artists, that Wilson felt inspired to make music of her own again.
“Watching the fire and just the want in these kids… These contestants were all so very talented and just amazing to work with,” Wilson says. “They lit a bit of a fire in me.”
Gretchen Wilson Looks Back On Her Career
Wilson had no idea when she released “Redneck Woman,” the debut single from Here For the Party, how much everything was about to change for her.
“I really remember that time in my life just being very hectic,” Wilson admits, adding that she also recalls “a lot of partying.”
“I remember being with my buddies and just hanging out with like-minded musicians and making history,” the recent Masked Singer winner says. “And just knowing in that moment that this is the moment, this is the time. This is the time that you have to mark in that little spot in your mind because it doesn’t happen for everybody. And we are the few and fortunate.”
Wilson released two more albums on a major label after Here For the Party, before starting to release music on her own. The decision was a game-changer for Wilson.
“When I finally got out of the major label thing and started my own label, I got to slow down and make music at a pace that I think was more suitable for the music, quite honestly,” the 52-year-old says.
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What Gretchen Wilson Says About Being On ‘The Road’
Wilson is joined by Blake Shelton and Keith Urban on The Road. Shelton, who hand-picked Wilson for the role of tour manager, is executive producing the show with Taylor Sheridan, while Urban is the headlining act.
“It’s so completely different from anything else like it that you’ve ever seen on TV,” Wilson tells CMT.
“I think what’s so unique about this show is all of the behind-the-scenes,” she continues. “I think Taylor Sheridan bringing his magical touch to the show; this show is filmed in a way that I think people get to see a lot more of the real life of what it really takes to be on the road as a musician, as a touring musician. A lot more of the ups and downs and the behind the scenes than anybody else really has ever let anyone see.”
Even before The Road premiered, Urban said he was a big fan of Wilson, after seeing her interact with the contestants.
“She’s honest and tough as nails,” Urban tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “She’s no bullsh– … Doesn’t care. Unfiltered. Perfect. That’s what you need in that role. And you live and die by their choices. No one’s telling them what to sing. They don’t have a stylist. They choose the cover. They have to do an original, and they gotta wow the crowd every night. It’s a lot of fun.”
The Road airs on Sunday nights at 9:00 Pm ET on CBS.
Photo Credit: CBS / Karla Gotcher