Ravinia 2019, Issue 2, Week 4

Sugarland’s 2018 Ravinia debut was one of the biggest hits of the season. And that’s okay. That’s what Sugarland fans have gotten used to. They thrive on the excitement of the unknown. There is no doubt that the statistics surrounding Sugarland are quite impressive. Since the band’s inception in 2002, Sug- arland has sold over 10 million albums domestically and have earned seven number-one singles to date, including “All I Want to Do,” “It Happens,” and the tear-inducing “Already Gone.” On top of all that, their music has accumulated well more than a quarter-billion streams, making them one of the most popular country music duos of all time. In 2018, after a multi-year hiatus that had the two pursuing their own individual projects both personally and profession- ally, Nettles and Bush came back together with a vengeance, courtesy of their sixth studio album Bigger . Bigger marked Sug- arland’s first new album in eight years, with Bush and Nettles co-writing nearly all of the songs on the album. “Our hopefulness and our sparkiness and our joy are things I think we do uniquely well, especially in the country format,” Nettles said last year about the sunny demeanor demonstrated on a portion of the album. “We offer that in a unique way.” “My daughter is turning 13,” Bush added at the time. “I won- dered if there was a way to help her through the world she’s growing up in. There are songs on this album that are inspired by the idea of that conversation, and I hope they will speak to people of all ages, no matter who they are or what they’re facing in life.” One of the album’s standout songs was the hit single “Babe,” featuring the addictive vocals of Taylor Swift. The Mad Men – inspired video would go on to receive the trifecta of ACM, CMA, and CMT Award nominations. The widespread success of the album as a whole also led the duo to get back on the road again for the aforementioned “Still the Same” Tour. “It was a time when we could feel that our fans needed us to have that conversation with them, that conversation that we can only have when we are standing up there on that stage, that ‘how are you’ conversation that we have always been able to have with our fans through our music,” recalls Bush. “It had been a while, and it felt really good.” And yes, it felt so good that they wanted more. “Now more than ever before, our focus is about our pur- pose,” says Bush. “It’s not about us. None of this is about us. We are just the vessel. It’s about carrying a torch for our fans. It’s about being accountable to our audience and instinctively knowing what they need. It’s about more than the performance of a song. It’s about what this combination of two people can accomplish together for others.” And what their fans just might need now more than ever before is guidance, love, and the camaraderie that is found between Sugarland and their fan base. “Everyone I know is dealing with the same issue,” Bush says. “Everyone is asking themselves, ‘Where do I fit?’ Every- one I know is uncomfortable in our current situation of how life works at the moment. Sometimes your soul needs some encouragement.” And for years that encouragement has come through the powerful songs that come alive during Sugarland’s live shows. Songs such as “Little Miss” and “Baby Girl” and “Incredible Machine” that stir the soul a bit more than expected. “A Sugarland show is a magical experience, and we always RUSSELL JENKINS/RAVINIA 32 RAVINIA MAGAZINE | JUNE 17 – JUNE 30, 2019