Interview: Martina McBride on 'Reckless,' her return to country, what she learned from singing soul and more

Martina McBride set country music to the side on "Everlasting," a 2014 collection that found her applying her powerful voice to soul and R&B songs with producer Don Was. She credits that experience with having given her a "fresh perspective" going into "Reckless," her acclaimed return to the sort of country that helped her pick up seven female vocalist awards (three from the Academy of Country Music, four from Country Music Association trophies).

The singer checked in from the road to talk about the new release, exploring R&B and what she looks for in a song.

Question: You’ve said you went into this record wanting it to be authentic and organic, “like a Linda Ronstadt record in the '70s.” What attracted you to that approach?

Answer: I just wanted it to be about the songs and be something that just felt real. I feel like that’s kind of the record I always set out to make in a way. It reminds me a little of some of the records I’ve made in the past, like “Evolution” or maybe “Wild Angels” or “Emotion.” And we had fun making it.

Q: You took a break from country to explore some soul and R&B songs on the “Everlasting” album. What inspired you to do that?

A: Just the idea of singing some songs that I’ve always wanted to sing and having fun with it. It was really just kind of an idea that I’ve been pursuing for a while and we just decided to go for it. Then we put together a tour with it, which lasted two years. It was a really fun project.

Q: It’s a great sounding record. I assume you’re happy with the way it turned out.

A: Absolutely. I got to produce it with Don Was and that was a great experience working with him. The musicians were really excited about playing on the record. And the tour was amazing, so it was a great life experience.

Q: Was there anything from that experience that you were able to bring back with you to the making of “Reckless?” Any takeaways?

A: I think it maybe gave me a kind of fresh perspective. And having some time away from the country music industry in a way, I had a lot of time to wait for the right songs. I didn’t really have a deadline. I could take my time with this record. I think we have a great collection of songs.

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Q: What attracts you to a song?

A: You know, it’s kind of the same way when you hear a song. You like it or you don’t. It’s a gut instinct. If it’s a lyric that I can relate to or I feel like someone can relate to and it’s well-written and smart and has a great melody, it’s like I either hear a song and love it immediately or it doesn’t feel right for me.

Q: Do you have a favorite song on "Reckless"?

A: I don’t have a favorite. I really honestly love them all equally. We’ve been playing some of them live and I feel like they’re the kind of songs that are sort of immediately likable. It’s not the kind of album you have to listen to over and over again to really get into it. So live the songs have been working really well. And we just made the decision to do 10 songs so there’s not really any room for any extra, you know, filler. It’s just the 10 best songs you find. I love ‘em all.

Q: You talked about how well the songs are working live. Is the set list focused on this record or is it more an overview of your career?

A: It’s a little of both. We do a lot of hits and songs from the past. And we do several songs from the new record. Hopefully, people will be familiar with it, so they can enjoy it.

Q: What appealed to you about calling the album “Reckless.” I know it’s a song on the album, but what made that come to the fore as a potential title?

A: Well, I love the song and I feel like it could mean a lot of different things to different people. There’s not a super-specific reason why we named it “Reckless.” I’m terrible at naming things. At the end of the day, I just said, “Sure, it sounds good.” (laughs)

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Q: Your first album hit the streets in 1992. How does the feeling you get from performing now compare to when you were starting out?

A: Oh, I still love it just as much and maybe more. I think I appreciate it more. And it’s fun to have hits to play, so that’s different from ’92 (laughs). I love connecting with the fans. I love being on stage. I’ve been on stage since I was five years old and I feel really at home there. Every show, every audience is different, and I just love leaving the venue feeling like we all know each other a little bit better. We’ve made a connection.

Q: You’ve been on stage since you were five years old?

A: Yeah, I mean I wasn’t a child prodigy. I grew up singing in Kansas. My dad had a band when I was growing up. So I sang in church and school and started singing with his band when I was seven. So I’ve been singing all my life. I love it.

Q: Did your father have any advice?

A: I learned a lot from him as far as how to lead a band and how to put a set list together and a lot about music and country music in particular. We always had a lot of music around the house. It was a great way to grow up. He was a farmer as well. So I grew up in the country surrounded by music.

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Twitter.com/EdMasley.

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Martina McBride

When: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 28.

Where: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix.

Admission: $60-$95.

Details: 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.