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Switched on Pop

Kacey Musgraves walks country’s borderlands

5/19/202639 min

Kacey Musgraves' album Middle of Nowhere finds the country outlaw taking a break from exploring her inner life to look outward, back to her roots: the regional stylings of Texas. She says the album was inspired by a sign in her hometown that read “Golden, TX: Somewhere in the middle of nowhere.” The album’s sounds probe this same borderland mentality, encapsulating desert noir, Norteño, tejano, and soft rock. Plus, Willie Nelson. The result is a collection of songs that are funny, moving, and reaching back to the sound Musgraves established in her debut record 13 years ago. But the world of country has changed since then – artists like Ella Langley have taken over the charts, cribbing Musgraves' sound while courting a more conservative audience. Can the genre encompass all these multitudes? Nate and Charlie explore this debate through Middle of Nowhere. Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠ Songs discussed: Kacey Musgraves – I Miss You Kacey Musgraves – Merry Go 'Round Kacey Musgraves – High Horse Kacey Musgraves – justified Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell Kacey Musgraves, Billy Strings – Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson – Uncertain, TX Kacey Musgraves – Middle of Nowhere Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert – Horses and Divorces Miranda Lambert – Mama's Broken Heart Ella Langley – Choosin' Texas Dolly Parton, David Hidalgo – Before The Next Teardrop Falls Ella Langley – Be Her Kacey Musgraves – Rhinestoned Neil Young – Harvest Moon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clips

Country’s Political Divide
Capital H Loneliness
Kacey-Miranda Feud Resolved
Real Cowboy Definition
Border Music Liminality

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Speaker 1· Soundbite0:00

    Hear the world come to life Now streaming on Paramount Plus, Beth and Rip are back in Dutton Ranch.

  2. Speaker 20:05

    [dramatic music] This life here is gonna work, isn't it? We'll make it work.

  3. Speaker 1· Soundbite0:10

    Hear the world come to life Starring Kelly Reilly- A legacy is a beautiful thing, but only if it survives ...

  4. Speaker 20:16

    Cole Hauser- Let's go to work ... Ed Harris- Family is the only thing worth fighting for ... and Annette Bening.

  5. Speaker 40:21

    I can make this a lot harder for all y'all.

  6. Speaker 20:23

    Then peace will have to wait. Dutton Ranch. New series now streaming on Paramount Plus.

  7. Speaker 40:29

    You've been looking forward to this [phone dinging] [knocking] [laughing] all week. And with Cutwater's cocktails, this [upbeat music] [liquid sloshing] took only seconds. Because tonight's about catching up, not catching the server. Whether it's our Cutwater lime margarita, lemon drop martini, or rum mai tai, they're expertly mixed and ready before the snacks hit the table. [glass clinking] Cutwater, expertly mixed cocktails. A perfect pairing for an evening with good company. Please enjoy responsibly. Must be 19 plus.

  8. Nate Sloan· Host0:59

    Charlie, where were you in August of 2015? Do you remember?

  9. Charlie Harding· Host1:04

    Uh, I'm a late summer birthday, so I was probably preparing a celebration by myself of the end of my 20s.

  10. Nate Sloan· Host1:10

    I can tell you exactly where you were.

  11. Charlie Harding· Host1:13

    Really?

  12. Nate Sloan· Host1:13

    Because we were recording the 18th episode of our podcast.

  13. Charlie Harding· Host1:18

    Oh.

  14. Nate Sloan· Host1:19

    It was called Transgressing Country. It featured our friend, the brilliant New Yorker author, Andrew Morant.

  15. Charlie Harding· Host1:25

    Mm.

  16. Nate Sloan· Host1:25

    And we were discussing, for the first time,

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