Lady Antebellum Are ‘Halfway’ to Third Album

Lady Antebellum earned the Album of the Year award at this year's Academy of Country Music Awards for their multi-platinum selling 'Need You Now.' In between tour dates and their trip to Australia with Keith Urban, the trio are working hard on their third album.

"We're a little over halfway [done]," Lady A's Charles Kelley tells The Boot. "We're excited. Hopefully, in the near future, we're about to have a single out. That's the goal. We're just listening to the music and trying to decide what's that first statement we want to make, but we're totally excited about the music."

In addition to the ACM awards for Album of the Year and Top Vocal Group, the three also earned a third trophy as producers, which means they have a lot of say when it comes to the direction the next album's sound will take. "As songwriters, we have a vision for these songs when we write them," explains the group's Dave Haywood. "With 'Need You Now,' we wrote [the album] with that in mind and wanted the production to come out like that. And [producer] Paul Worley is that brilliant mind that helps us get there. We obviously can't do that on our own. We love being part of that process. It's very collaborative."

To put together a collection like 'Need You Now,' which also earned a 2010 Grammy, it takes more than just the artists and producers. It also takes a whole team of creative minds to mold the songs into works of art, which in turn connect to millions of fans.

"All the players on the record, they've played on every record and this third one we're working on now is no exception -- same guys," continues Charles. "They've become part of the family to us. We feel like they're part of the band, and we'll have arguments about things. People will throw out ideas, and we're so close now that we can do that and we want them to do that, because we take a lot of pride in these records. They deserve so much credit, and I wish they could get up on stage with us."

"The musicians are so innovative and so brilliant, and we get into a rehearsal space with them and we hash out all of these songs over two weeks worth of time before we even get into the studio and record," adds Hillary Scott. "So, you get a lot of the kinks out and when you get into the studio; you don't have to think so much. And that is a huge reason why the albums have turned out the way they have."

Lady Antebellum will wrap up their Down Under trek April 18 in Auckland, New Zealand, before returning to the U.S.

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