"We went into the studio originally just wanting to do some demos, but we should have known, the three of us musically never do anything unless it's full on and we wound up with an album," says singer Natalie Maines. The Dixies co-produced the album with Maines' father Lloyd (Richard Buckner, Jerry Jeff Walker). "There's definitely some bluegrass songs on there, some acoustic things, an instrumental," she says. "It's a mellow record. I think you can hear our vocals a lot clearer, and Martie [Seidel] and Emily's instruments never sounded better.

"I don't think it's that much of a departure," continues Maines. "It's a little more credible with the song selection. There's not really a ditty on it. When we made it, it wasn't, 'How long is this?' or 'Will radio play it?' Actually I think all the songs are too long for radio. That wasn't in our minds when we were recording. We didn't have that pressure. I love it. It's my favorite album to date. I think it's an important step musically and we want it out there. We're kind of waiting right now."

Sony filed suit against the Chicks last summer, claiming breach of contract and insisting that the group owed the label as many as four more albums. The Chicks responded with a lawsuit of their own, also alleging breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and claiming that Sony has withheld millions in royalties.

The trio is hoping to find a new label to release the completed album. "There's daily communication with other labels and probably Sony as well," says Maines. "It's not part of our lives. We have left [Sony] and we can put out the album on another label, if another label feels confident enough that Sony won't sue them for releasing it."

COLIN DEVENISH
(March 7, 2002)

Home will be the Chicks' third album for Sony, and first since Fly three years ago. Fly and the group's Sony debut, 1998's Wide Open Spaces, have sold 9 million and 11 million copies, respectively, to date. But amid the hefty sales, the Chicks alleged that royalties were withheld and expressed their desire to leave the label. Last July, Sony filed a breach of contract complaint against the band, prompting the Chicks to fire back with a suit that accused the label of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and other charges.

While their lawyers logged time in court, the Chicks spent that time in the studio working on Home with singer Natalie Maines' father, Lloyd Maines, co-producing. The album will feature Chicks originals, along with songs penned by Patty Griffin, Bruce Robison and Radney Foster. "I don't think it's that much of a departure," Natalie Maines told Rolling Stone this spring. "There's definitely some bluegrass songs on there, some acoustic things, an instrumental. It's a little more credible with the song selection. There's not really a ditty on it. When we made it, it wasn't, 'How long is this?' or 'Will radio play it?' Actually I think all the songs are too long for radio. We didn't have that pressure. It's my favorite album to date. I think it's an important step musically, and we want it out there."

ANDREW DANSBY
(June 17, 2002)