I've always said I can't tell sometimes that people even have an album out until I see them nominated for a Grammy. I think country gets dumped on across the board by the Grammys.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Country is not what you heard on the Grammys.
When I was nominated for a Grammy, my label dropped me - I have a wariness about trying for a hit.
It's not just the 'Grammys' that I've pulled out of. I also pulled out of the English awards as well. The reason that I wanted to pull out was because I believe very much that the music industry as a whole is mainly concerned with material success.
When it comes to best new artist or album or song of the year, yeah, it's very rare that you see someone in country win one of those. It's a very strong genre, and it's got roots so deep in our culture. I think the pool of voters listen more to pop and R&B and hip-hop. Those seem to be the major contenders.
There is so much good music in the U.S. and there is just a small section that gets recognised at the Grammys.
Why don't the Grammys matter? Because it feels rigged and cheap - like a popularity contest that the insiders club has decided.
I was sort of in denial about doing country for awhile but I sort of grew up and realized who I was, what I wanted to say. I think country music is the best music in the world and I'm glad to be doing a country album. I hope people will love it as much as I loved making it.
Country fans are the most loyal in the world, but they know every song that you put out - not just the singles.
A Grammy is really nice, but having lots of fans is really nice, too. I think just getting a record out is a success on its own.
We just couldn't seem to get the love from the Nashville awards shows... So Grammys really gave us validation, and so that's why they're such a big deal for us.