Little Big Town celebrates 25 years as a band: 'We’ve lived a lot of life together'
After 25 years together as a band, Little Big Town is taking a moment to celebrate.
Just days before their performance for TODAY's Citi Concert Series, Little Big Town released their greatest hits album, featuring beloved tracks like "Bring It On Home" and "Wine, Beer, Whiskey," which they performed in Hoda's honor during her birthday bash on August 12.
Later this year, the band will reunite with longtime friends Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland for their joint "Take Me Home" tour, which kicks off in October.
Members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook formed Little Big Town in 1998, and they’ve stuck together — like glue, as Sugarland might say — ever since.
Needless to say, Little Big Town isn't slowing down anytime soon. Right now, they're focused on their fans.
Their greatest hits album is "mostly the songs that the fans gravitated toward over the years," Schlapman told Al Roker on TODAY.
"The record is for the fans that we've had for 25 years," she added.
Beyond their spectacular success in the country music industry, Little Big Town made a name for themselves with mainstream hits like “Girl Crush” and “Better Man,” which was famously penned by Taylor Swift.
As they embark on their next 25 years together, Little Big Town is still exploring new musical avenues, from a heartwarming cover of Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home” with Sugarland, to potential collaborations. (Chance the Rapper, they’re waiting on your call.)
Through it all, Little Big Town has remained as close as ever.
Fairchild, who wed Westbrook in 2006, once described Little Big Town as “one big marriage." As the band celebrates their proverbial silver jubilee, their chemistry is still undeniable.
After a long morning of singing in the summer heat, Little Big Town reflected on 25 years of life lessons, deep cuts, and collaborations for TODAY’s original video series “8 before 8."
Here's what they had to say.
How did you decide which songs to include in your greatest hits album?
Fairchild: We tried to just like, think about what the fans would want on the greatest hits. And so we went through the records and just, you know, the obvious ones had to go on there, and then we picked a couple of deep cuts that we really love like "Shut Up Train." Kelsea Ballerini is the guest on that one. And then of course we had to do "Take Me Home" with Sugarland, because we just got to do it one time — and now today twice. And we're touring with them. And then Miranda sang on "Little White Church," because we always sing that with her on The Bandwagon Tour.
How does it feel to celebrate 25 years as a band?
Westbrook: 25 years, Phil. How does it feel?
Sweet: It was a quick 25.
Fairchild: It feels great.
Westbrook: We're glad to be making music.
Sweet: We get another day to do it again.
Does the band feel like ‘one big marriage’?
Westbrook: It is kind of like one big marriage — as long as Philip and I do what we're told, everything works fine.
Schlapman: Simple as that.
Sweet: Open the door.
Westbrook: Carry the luggage.
Sweet: Pay for dinner.
Which of your deep cuts do you wish got more love?
Fairchild: Oh, there's not enough show...
Westbrook: Can we do a whole album of those?
Sweet: Our manager's favorite is "Leaving in Your Eyes."
What’s one important lesson you’ve learned from each other?
Sweet: Be more patient with yourself.
Schlapman: I feel like we've learned a lot about each other. I think if we look back 25 years ago, we worked so well together, but now we just fit so well.
Westbrook: We've lived a lot of life together.
Schlapman: We understand each other, and we take care of each other, and we root for each other. That's kind of what we've learned from each other as we've gone on this 25 year journey.
A question from singer Maggie Rogers: What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Fairchild: That's a good question, and I love her music so much.
Schlapman: She's amazing. You know what I was thinking about the other day? I was somewhere where they were having karaoke, and I said to my husband, "What if I got up there and started singing 'Girl Crush'?" Just with a hat on or something, so nobody knew.
Fairchild: I don't know how you'd get a hat on over that hair. But that would be great.
Sweet: (gesturing to Fairchild) You and I did "Cruising Together."
Fairchild: I did sing "Girl Crush" at karaoke with Kelsea Ballerini at a bar one night. Which was fun. I wasn't all gussied up.
Westbrook: The first time I ever sang karaoke, I picked "Livin' On A Prayer." You don't want to do that. There's a key change that you forget about.
Schlapman: I've actually never done karaoke — ever.
Fairchild: Oh, we're fixing that.
A question for Chance the Rapper:
Fairchild: If you could collaborate with a country artist, who would it be?
Sweet: (singing) Take a chance, take a chance, take-a take-a chance chance...
Rapid fire round:
East coast or West coast?
Schlapman: East coast.
Westbrook: West coast, sorry — weather!
Fairchild: Oh, I thought we were talking about rap music.
Sweet: I'm West.
Beach or mountains?
Fairchild and Westbrook: Beach.
Schlapman and Sweet: Mountains.
Big city or small town?
Schlapman and Sweet: Small town.
Fairchild: Big city.
Westbrook: Maybe both? Back and forth?
Sweet: Does suburbia count?
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
