ELLE KING: AUDIO & VIDEO WORK PARTS TO SUPPORT “DRUNK (AND I DON’T WANT TO GO HOME”) AND COMMENTARY ON COMING OVER TO COUNTRY (AUDIO & VIDEO)
The collaboration with Miranda Lambert came about because I went on tour with her and we kind of started to, you know, have this budding new friendship of rowdiness. And, this was a song that I had been sitting on and finally finished right around the time that I was on tour with Miranda. And, it was just this crazy idea that ended up working out really well and I’m forever grateful to Miranda. I love her so much and I still can’t believe that she agreed to do that song with me, but I definitely owe her a favor. She took me on tour and I couldn’t imagine singing that rowdy song with anyone other than her. And, she really does it justice.
Once I got a taste for country, you know, when Dierks (Bentley) kind of with that Golden Glove just extended his hand, I knew, you know, I knew old school country, and I knew like the Loretta Lynn. And I knew Johnny Cash. And I knew that I knew like old country and what my grandfather listened to, but I had no idea what modern country was. I think that’s kind of a normal thing. You know I grew up in Ohio, and then in New York City, and in New York City, I was all about all these rock and roll and punk rock and hip hop. And I really just had no idea. And so when I sang with Dierks, and we got nominated for that CMA and, and we got to perform on that show. And, I had had a really hard and mildly traumatic experience at the Grammys. And I had been nominated for two Grammys, and someone stepped on the back of my gown, and it and it ripped all the way up to my belly button. And we had to beg somebody to stitch me up right before they’re about to announce who won the award. And, and it was just like, I these moments that you dream of, and it was just like a pie in my face. And then you fast forward and I’m backstage at the CMA is, and everyone has their dressing room doors open and, and you know, Luke Bryan is like, ‘hey, Elle you want to drink’ and put his arm around me and, and everyone was genuinely kind and inviting and warm. And I was like, ‘Well, I think this is pretty fun.’ And, you know, like the rowdier I got when I would be at these country shows and stuff, the more people like amped it up, not in a bad way, not like they’re making fun of me, it’s like, they know how to get down. And that’s when I was like, well, country’s more rock and roll than rock and roll. And it’s not like this was like a calculated thing. Like, if I do this, and if I sing with this person here, if I go on this tour, if I’m with this management, it was like all of these things, that sort of just naturally, it’s like natural progression of like, okay, I really like Dierks’ his management company, and I really like how they all enjoy working with each other, and what they all bring to the table and how happy they all are. Okay, I’m gonna sign with that management. Oh, well, now I’m in a predominantly country-based management company. So I’m doing these rock and roll things. And then after my Heart and Joan Jett tour, I’ll go on towards Miranda. That’s really fun. And now I’ve got all these new country fans and friends. A bunch of people knew who I was, again, for singing on “Fooled Around And Fell In Love.” But it was also like a kindness and another hand up and I really like I look up to Miranda a lot. And I really have a lot of respect for her. And so Miranda and I became friends and country tours know what’s up. The shows are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then they go home for Sunday supper. And then they have a couple days of their family. And then on Wednesday night, everybody gets on the bus, and they do it again. So I would come back to Nashville. And, I was working with Martin Johnson, the co-writer for “Drunk ( And I Don’t Want To Go Home.” And this was a song that started when I was like 24 years old. And we rewrote it. And it’s like, sure, like this is a good song. It could stand on its own, but like something was missing. And Miranda and I were becoming friends and so I asked her to do it. But it’s like these magical ingredients that just kind of worked out. I’ve been having the most fun last couple of years doing country and so it just felt like the next thing to do. And everyone’s been really welcoming to me.