Sugarland ‘Branching Out’ to Pop Music

Sugarland are so enamored with the singer-songwriter pop sound they heard while on tour in the U.K. that they're looking to move more toward pop themselves. Although the music of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush is labeled country, the two have said in interviews -- both separately and together -- that they proudly cross musical genres. You can hear that in some of their hits including 'Stuck Like Glue,' which the duo co-wrote with Shy Carter and Kevin Griffin, a founding member of rock band Better Than Ezra.

"I love all kinds of music," Jennifer tells The Boot, noting she and Kristian listened to a lot of songs by the Cure when they were writing songs for 'The Incredible Machine.' "We listened to that and it really blew us away. We had so much fun writing [songs for the album] and exploring different sounds. That keeps us from getting bored."

Now Jennifer says she and Kristian are ready to take their next musical step away from traditional country.

"While we initially focused our efforts solely within the country music genre, now we think of ourselves as leaders of those who play around with the sound," she tells Digital Spy. "When we started out, pop music wasn't a hospitable place for our type of songwriting, but now things are changing and we want to bridge the gap between genres. That's why we're branching out!"

The latest acts to catch Sugarland's fancy are a pair of critically-acclaimed British singers.

"Some of the retro acts like Adele and Duffy are really mind-blowing -- and they all seem to come from that Brit School you've got," says Kristian. "They're all genuinely moving, and I'm glad music is getting back to that."

Sugarland are set to begin their 2011 Incredible Machine tour this spring, beginning in Houston on March 3. Check out Sugarland's tour schedule here.

Watch Sugarland perform 'Stuck Like Glue' Live