Miranda Lambert‘s Crisco album will be out on October 2, but we now know all of the 12 songs on the record, including a duet with Ella Langley on “Snakeskin Boots.” Crisco also includes Lambert’s recent hit single, “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton, “Sunset Marquis,” and more.
“I’ve always loved every corner of country music,” Lambert says of her record. “The heartbreak songs, the honky-tonk songs, the songs that make you think, and the songs that make you dance. Making this record reminded me that those things don’t have to be separated. We followed the songs wherever they wanted to go, trusted our instincts, and ended up with something that feels really fun and really honest to who I am.”
The Story Behind “Snakeskin Boots” by Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley
Langley didn’t help write “Snakeskin Boots,” which instead was written by Lambert and Jesse Frasure. Still, Lambert was hoping Langley would sing “Snakeskin Boots” with her when they were writing.
“We wrote ‘Snakeskin Boots’ with Ella in mind,” Lambert says. “She and I are kindred spirits, and when we were working on her album, I realized how many retro influences we share. To me, this song is kind of Thelma and Louise if they didn’t drive off the cliff. It’s two badass women getting away with something, and she’s the perfect partner for that.”
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The Story Behind the Title Track of ‘Crisco’
Lambert wrote “Crisco” with Frasure, Aaron Raitiere, and Chill Fellacheck, as a way to return to the more traditional country sounds and styles.
“We wanted something that feels familiar but also fresh, which is really hard to do,” Lambert says. “We leaned into all the things I grew up loving about country music – Glen Campbell, Kenny and Dolly; very ’70s and ’80s. It’s a fun mix of all these sides of country music that I’ve never fully explored before, even down to using strings in a bigger way. I almost can’t believe I’ve made this many records without really going there, but it was magical to hear how much strings can transform a song.”
Miranda Lambert on Writing “Choosin’ Texas” With Ella Langley
Lambert is now part of music history, thanks to Langley. Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” single is spending its 23rd week in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which is more than any other artist has ever achieved in the history of the chart. Langley and Lambert wrote “Choosin’ Texas” with Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor.
“It’s kind of got this George Strait vibe,” Lambert says on SiriusXM‘s The Highway. “And it’s about Texas. We were like, ‘Oh, this song’s so good.’ We didn’t realize that it would just have this nostalgia for people. I don’t really know the secret sauce of what’s going on. I think it’s the guitar tones and the lick up top. I think that it feels like you’ve heard it before, or like it could have been from the ’90s or the ’70s or the ’80s. And you can’t really pinpoint why you feel like you know it, but it’s also fresh.
“There’s just this secret dust on it,” she adds. “And personally, I love that the girl in it is this beautiful, cool girl, but she didn’t win. She lost. And I feel like it’s a cool, heartbreak song, but in a badass way.”
‘Crisco’ Track List
1. Snakeskin Boots (with Ella Langley)
2. Crisco
3. Cowgirl Curtsy
4. Two Things Can Be True
5. Cuttin’ Onions
6. Till The Going’s Gone
7. To Everything
8. Whiskey Business
9. Right Where We Left It
10. A Song To Sing (with Chris Stapleton)
11. I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song
12. Sunset Marquis
Photo Credit: Tyler Conrad