As Lady Antebellum takes a break, trio member Charles Kelley will be releasing a solo album, under Universal’s Capitol Records. There’s no official release date for the project, produced by Paul Worley.
“Lady Antebellum will never break up, mark my words. But I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone,” Kelley told an industry audience during a showcase in Nashville last night.
The first release from the project is “The Driver,” written by Kelley with Eric Paslay and Abe Stoklasa, features Paslay and Dierks Bentley, and is an absolutely gorgeous first look into the solo efforts of the artist. The song details a driver, a dreamer, and a singer, weaving their stories seamlessly into a moment of universality. It’s vocally stunning, each distinctive verse leading to a beautifully harmonized chorus. The production is simple and understated, letting the lyric and the vocal lead the charge. The song follows in the vein of heartfelt duets like Eric Church and Keith Urban’s “Raise ‘Em Up,” and is a stellar solo first offering from Kelley.
Grab the song on iTunes, and stream below.