Sugarland Has No Fear

Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the nation during his inauguration speech in 1933 with the words, "Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Sugarland have certainly taken that statement to heart.

Kristian Bush explains that he and singing partner Jennifer Nettles are pretty basic when it comes to making decisions, and they try not to let the fear of the unknown rule. "I would say it's pretty organic for us. If it sounds like a good idea, it's probably a good idea," he tells CMA Close Up. "And there's power in dreaming out loud with someone else. But you always have to ask yourself, 'What's the fear? Are you operating out of fear or not?' You make a better choice if you don't."

The choices the duo made for their current album, 'Love on the Inside,' were obviously made out of love for the music. Bush says he and Nettles believed in the project so much they were willing to make it at almost any cost.

"There's some kind of weird, cosmic thing that happens when you believe so totally in something, and I think you almost have to go at risk," he says. "You get to the point where you have nothing to lose. We try to remember that whenever we're considering something for our career: 'Hey, should we record an album of all love songs?' Well, we've got nothing to lose."

Bush admits that there is a lot of fear and confusion in the music business these days, much as there is in the nation. It's not unlike 1933 when Roosevelt made his statement about fear. "I actually have great hope that what's happening right now is opportunity," Bush says. "It's not the end -- it's actually just the beginning."