How the album helped me deal with my own personal hardships

As was the case for many artists, Amanda Shires found herself at a personal and professional crossroads more than two years ago when theaters and other performance venues were shuttered around the world to curb the spread of COVID-. Faced with an unexpected abundance of downtime, the Grammy winner considered turning her back on the music business for good — that is, until a chance meeting with Los Angeles musician Lawrence Rothman last year helped inspire her to write and record her best, most sonically diverse album to date.

Different things I was willing to fight for. I’ve recorded in the studio and I’ve been on tour with folks that aren’t easy to work with,” the singer, songwriter and fiddle player, who is based in Nashville and the founder of the country supergroup The Highwomen, told HuffPost. “Thank God for the gift of music, because that’ll often lead you to discussions, answers and working things out. We all go through some hardships. It’s not all good and it’s not all bad.

The Sunset.” The -song collection features the title track and a pair of sterling singles, “Bad Behavior” and “Hawk For The Dove.” The new tracks were produced in collaboration with Rothman, who is nonbinary. “They’re the big voice that helps me when I’ve tried my own patience too much,” Shires said about working with Rothman. Watch the music video for “Take It Like A Man” below.

After a year-long marriage to fellow musician Jason Isbell, Shires releases her new album to critical acclaim. To longtime fans of her work, the album is an emotion-awakening statement and artistic triumph. To newcomers, it should establish her as a compelling singer-songwriter willing to plumb the depths of her psyche in her work, like Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton. In a refreshingly candid chat with HuffPost, Shires shares her experience writing and recording the album, as well as her excitement for its release.

After a four-year hiatus from music, Amanda Shires is learning to re-embrace her passion and is hopeful that more Nashville artists will speak out in defense of women’s reproductive health. In an interview with HuffPost, Shires discusses her new album, “Take It Like A Man,” her relationship with collaborator Lawrence Rothman, and why she believes it’s important for artists to use their platform to advocate for social issues.

In the room, they are my champion and they also are not afraid to dance like a crazy person. You need somebody to be excited and happy with you. There is a camaraderie and encouragement. There is also a sense of “I got your back.” I appreciated how they skipped all the surface talk and went straight into feelings and problems of being a human. There is a lot of good in there and a lot of understanding. So, I am not doing any recordings or singing on anything without Lawrence in the room. “Hawk For The Dove” is the best album because of this.

The moral

It is clear that Amanda Shires is a talented and passionate musician who is using her platform to advocate for important social issues. She is an excellent role model for other Nashville artists, and her new album is sure to inspire and encourage other women to speak out and fight for their rights.