Miranda Lambert has never been interested in making the same record twice. For more than two decades, Lambert has followed her instincts wherever they lead, whether that’s hard-driving honky-tonk, stripped-down acoustic storytelling, rock influences or Texas singer-songwriter traditions. Today, the three-time GRAMMY winner releases Crisco, a new album via MCA that explores country music’s rich sonic history while embracing the freedom to follow the music wherever it leads. Listen HERE.
“Crisco started with a conversation,” Lambert explains. “Jesse Frasure and I were talking about all these records we love and wondering why country music doesn’t reflect back into its history more often, especially when we’ve got this incredible archive of music to inspire us – from artists like Patsy Cline, Glen Campbell, Conway & Loretta, to Kenny & Dolly and so many others.”
What began as a plan to write only a handful of songs quickly grew into something much bigger. Together, Lambert and co-producer Jesse Frasure immersed themselves in the sounds and spirit of an era that had long inspired them, creating an album that embraces sweeping strings, lush harmonies and countrypolitan production while allowing the musical traditions of country to stretch in unexpected directions.
“We weren’t trying to make a retro record,” Lambert notes. “We were channeling a feeling.”
That intention shaped more than the music. It inspired an entire creative world. The pair traded playlists, collected visual references and carefully crafted the atmosphere before recording a note. By the time they walked into Nashville’s Blackbird Studio – complete with disco balls overhead, intentional lighting, a handpicked band and a nine-piece string section – they weren’t simply recording songs. They were stepping into a world fully imagined.
“In twenty-five years of making records in Nashville, it was easily the most magical and moving project I’ve ever been part of,” Frasure says. “Everybody walked into the studio believing in the same vision, and you can hear that on every track.”
The title track captures that vision in a single word. “Crisco” is country and disco. Billy Bob’s and Studio 54. Rhinestones and roller skates. Playful, at times a little tongue-in-cheek, yet completely unapologetic about finding joy wherever the music leads.
“I’ve made a lot of records with a lot of heavy subjects over the years,” Lambert reflects of her journey as a writer, performer, label founder and record producer. “This album feels mostly lighthearted. It’s refreshing to get up on stage and sing something fun. Making this record also unlocked a ‘time to do whatever I want’ feeling. Being able to create freely without putting parameters around my art has been really, really fun. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled that much in the studio.”
That spirit runs through the entire album. Yet whether she’s writing about complicated love, restless spirits, resilience, regret or redemption, Lambert’s songs have never settled for easy answers. The women at the center of these stories are funny, fearless, flawed and fiercely human. They fall in love, make mistakes, keep moving forward and occasionally dance through the heartache because that’s what life asks of them.
Across Crisco, Lambert explores every corner of that emotional landscape. There’s the timeless heartbreak of “Cowgirl Curtsy” and “Two Things Can Be True,” the sly confidence of “Cuttin’ Onions” and the wanderlust of “Till The Going’s Gone.” There’s comforting familiarity in “Right Where We Left It,” hopeful resilience in “To Everything,” the effortless chemistry of “Whiskey Business” and the dreamy escape of “Sunset Marquis.”
Along the way, Lambert reunites with longtime friend Chris Stapleton on the GRAMMY-nominated “A Song To Sing,” teams with “Choosin’ Texas” cowriter Ella Langley on cinematic “Snakeskin Boots” and honors one of her songwriting heroes with a new interpretation of Jim Croce’s “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song.”
Rather than looking backward for nostalgia’s sake, Crisco celebrates one of country music’s richest creative eras while proving the genre has always been bigger than any one sound. Built on curiosity, joy and fearless musicianship, the album honors tradition without standing still.
“I hope when people listen to Crisco, it feels familiar while also feeling fresh,” says Lambert. “They can grab onto something that feels nostalgic, put their roller skates on and go on the journey with us.”
