Kacey Musgrave Talks Making Music With Willie Nelson And How Her Grandfather Beat Him In Poker

by Tiffany Goldstein

5m in the past

In honor of Willie Nelson’s birthday simply across the nook, Kacey Musgraves not too long ago caught up with “One By Willie” podcast host John Spong. To kick off season three, the six-time Grammy winner revealed what it was wish to work with the nation legend and the way their tight-knit relationship grew to become a household affair.

Lengthy earlier than Musgraves and Nelson grew to become buddies, she was like each different nation music junkie on the seek for the subsequent huge track. Whereas exploring the deep darkish net, Musgraves got here throughout Nelson’s demo for “Are You Positive.” Musgraves informed Spong that she instantly fell in love with the monitor.

“I get into these wormholes. I’m an evening owl, and I simply get on YouTube, after which I simply discover myself like within the weirdest corners of the web. I’m like, okay. And simply once I suppose that I’ve hit the furthest darkish nook of the web, I’m proved flawed, and I’m like, “Holy shit, that is – wow, I’ve actually carried out it this time.” However one in all these nights, I used to be form of, you understand, cruising round, and I stumbled upon this Willie Nelson demo from 1963,” Musgraves defined. “I simply was like, “Whoa, what is that this?” After which, you understand, bought actually obsessive about it. Shortly after that, we bought to go on tour with him. It was a co-headlining tour the place it was Willie and Alison Krauss. It was unbelievable each night time. It was unreal,” she added.

‘One By Willie’ season three is right here! Within the premiere episode, @KaceyMusgraves discusses the “real-ass nation track,” “Are You Positive,” her friendship with Willie, the fortunate joint he gave her, and a lot extra. Joyful listening and completely happy 4/20, y’all! https://t.co/tlQKOZfGat pic.twitter.com/VaRliGHfI7

— Texas Month-to-month (@TexasMonthly) April 20, 2022

Musgraves continued to say how she by some means constructed up the braveness to ask concerning the demo that after caught her eye. Following a efficiency out on the highway – the 2 have been smoking collectively on his tour bus, when she sparked the dialog.

“I used to be sitting proper throughout from Willie at his little bus desk or no matter, and I mentioned, ’Hey, do you ever sing that track anymore, ’Are You Positive’?’ And the look on his face was so stunned. He couldn’t consider that I requested that query. And he goes, ’Are You Positive/ This Is The place You Need To Be’?’ I used to be like, ’Yeah, that track! Oh my God,’ she recalled. “He simply pulls a guitar out, and he simply strums, and he goes, ’Nicely, would you need to sing it with me?’”

After they wrapped up their jam session, the “Rainbow” singer mentioned that Nelson instantly provided her the monitor, however beneath one situation…he wished to make it right into a duet.

“He mentioned, ’Nicely, I’d like to sing on it with you in the event you’d have me.’ And I mentioned, ’Nicely, all proper, we’re doing it.’”

It wasn’t lengthy till the 2 recorded “Are You Positive” for her second studio album, “Pageant Materials.” The multi-platinum artist declared that it was the final track she labored on and took a novel method when laying down the vocals.

“We turned all of the lights off within the studio and actually form of simply bought into this trippy mindset and put down a model of that track,” she mentioned. “After which I bought it to Willie, and he sang on it or no matter. His solo on that track kills me, nonetheless. I imply, it’s so on the market. It was after we bought his recordings again, we have been like, ’Holy Sh*t,’ and liked it.”

The hitmaker defined that it was an honor having him on the award-winning assortment, as a result of he “embodies American music” and has the ability to unite individuals from totally different walks of life.

“I don’t suppose there’s one other artist, actually, that embodies American music like he does,” she careworn. “Ray Charles, Dolly Parton. I imply, there are some. Johnny Money is one. There’s one thing about him that’s totally different. I imply, he brings a variety of totally different individuals collectively. One factor about seeing his exhibits is that each race, each gender – like, in the event you’re a fan of Snoop Dogg, chances are high you’re most likely a fan of Willie.”

The powerhouse vocalist even identified that her grandparents are huge followers of the Texas icon. Musgraves shared that her household bumped into Nelson and his spouse, Annie D’Angelo, in Hawaii over the vacations and some years again. That Christmas, she gifted her grandfather $300 to purchase into Nelson’s poker recreation with superstar Paul Simon.

“He was so confused. However he had the largest smile on his face. We went, he performed poker, and he put his cash down. I used to be so nervous,” she clarified. “He loses all of his cash, after which he finally wins all of it again, after which he stood up and mentioned, ’Nicely, I bought to go.’ And he ended on a excessive word. He misplaced to Willie, after which beat Willie’s ass, after which we left,” she laughed.

The “Whiskey River” hitmaker nonetheless stays near the younger songstress, as they’re set to share the identical stage collectively this summer time on the 2022 Palomino Competition.