Next month, the great country-rock singer-songwriter Amanda Shires will release her new solo album Take It Like A Man. Shires spends a lot of time in other projects — in the 400 Unit with her husband Jason Isbell and in Americana supergroup the Highwomen — and many of her collaborators are here to help out on her new record. Shires recorded the album with Angel Olsen producer Lawrence Rothman, and she’s lined up assists from a number of her friends. We’ve already posted the early singles “Hawk For The Dove” and “Take It Like A Man,” and now Shires has shared a new song that features both her husband Jason Isbell and her Highwomen bandmate Maren Morris.
“Empty Cups” is a deeply sad song about the moment when a close relationship turns distant and then suddenly ends: “You slammed the door so hard I still hear rattling spoons/ The sound of silence rings in every room.” It’s a big, string-soaked belter that features Jason Isbell on guitar and Maren Morris almost sharing the lead vocals with Shires.
Talking to Consequence Of Sound, Shires says, “I recorded ‘Empty Cups’ after everyone left because I didn’t want to accidentally cry or get a shaky voice in front of my friends. I asked Maren to sing on this one because our voices blend like sisters and because I knew that wherever my voice wavered, she’d be steady.” Shires has also shared a video where she performs the song live-in-studio with Morris, Isbell, a string section, and her backing band. Check out the studio version and the live video below.
Take It Like A Man is out 7/29 on ATO.
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