Little Big Town Talks ‘Your Side of the Bed,’ Draws Inspiration from ‘Old School’ Harmonies
The past year has been a whirlwind for Little Big Town. The reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year celebrated the biggest year of their career thus far. LBT notched back-to-back No.1 singles with “Pontoon” and “Tornado” and earned a platinum-selling album with Tornado. In addition, the quartet won a Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Pontoon.” To say it’s been a banner year for Little Big Town would be an understatement.
The group is back at country radio now with “Your Side of the Bed,” a powerful ballad about a couple who has sadly drifted apart over time. Little Big Town did the unthinkable by releasing a ballad to country radio at a time when the majority of songs being played are up-tempo summer anthems, but thankfully, it’s working for them. After all, that’s what country music was originally built on.
“Back in the day, country music was all about the heart break ballad. It was about saying things that were so raw and honest,” shares LBT’s Karen Fairchild. “When we wrote the song with Lori McKenna, we were talking about the old school harmony. We’re always talking about them when writing ballads, just in the spirit of those old duets.”
“Your Side of the Bed” however, wasn’t originally written to be a duet. Fairchild tells us it “happened kind of by accident.”
“Jimi [Westbrook] and I were at the house and we were going through music for the record, but ’cause he and I were the only band members there in the kitchen, we sang “Your Side of the Bed” together and we were like, ‘Holy cow, that’s an incredible duet.’ It reminded us, we hope, of throwback to the old George [Jones] and Tammy [Wynette] great duets, the heartache of those songs.”
Karen and Jimi took the idea to fellow LBT members Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet and the rest is history.
The song is really connecting with fans during the group’s live shows. Fairchild believes it’s because the story line is so real. “I just think it touches on that truth and it might not be everybody’s truth, but I have a feeling mostly everyone has experienced that feeling,” she tell us.
Fairchild and her husband Westbrook perform the song in front of thousands of fans each night on tour. If you’re wondering where they draw the emotion from, Fairchild compares it to acting.
“Jimi and I have been married a long time now so we’re not going to say that we’ve haven’t ever felt that disconnect at some point,” she admits. “Still, you can be deeply in love, but at some moment feel that. I think it’s fun for Jimi and I to step on stage and assume those roles for a few minutes. It’s easy to connect with. I love those kind of vulnerable moments.”
“Your Side of the Bed” is making its way up the charts and is now in the top 30. Fairchild hopes the song keeps its momentum. “We’ve just got to keep it going. I know it’s easier to play tempo on radio, but ballads connect with people on an emotional level. It’s just deeper.”
*Photo By: Williams + Hirakawa
