Giving Back To Others Is 'Non-Negotiable' For Lady A

Lady A was recognized at the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors, and one of the trio’s members delved into why giving back is a “non-negotiable.”

Lady A and songwriter Ross Copperman were the recipients of the ACM Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award, which credits them as artists “devoted to improving lives through the power of music…(and) committed to serving others.”

For Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, giving back to others is important. After appearing on the historic Ryman Auditorium stage, Kelley admitted that it hasn’t always been a priority. But now, “its such an easy, small thing for us to be able to do and we love to do it.”

“You get so much more out of it than you could ever expect,” he added. “I think if no one ever introduces you to that side of yourself you may never know, so I think it is non-negotiable.”

Kelley continued, noting that he’d call out a person who refused to share their successes:

“If I ever found out one of these new cats was having crazy success and just hoarding it all for themselves, I would call them out. I really would,” Kelley said. “It’s just a part of our genre and its a part of your legacy…We learned from the greats that came before us.”

Scott added that “we can all do our part and we can give what we can,” whether people work in the music industry or not. The trio’s frontwoman also pointed out that between the three bandmates, they have six children, and they hope to set a strong example for them.

Lady A also set an example for Luke Combs, who reiterated from Kelley after the ACM Honors that “if you’re in this business, it’s your responsibility to give back to your community and to the fans, and that’s something that I truly believe.”

Lady A is also gearing up to release their eighth studio album, What A Song Can Do, in October. The upcoming project is a culmination of songwriting that Scott said was “our way, really, to have a creative outlet,” during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think it was therapeutic for all of us. I think we wrote a lot about how we were feeling.” Currently, the band is on their tour by the same name. The “What A Song Can Do” Tour includes Carly Pearce, who hosted the ACM Honors on Wednesday. Kelley said “we’re super proud” of the “star” she proved herself to be, and expressed their appreciation for playing live music again.

“The whole album, when it comes out in October, you’ll get to hear, I think, some of the outliers where we kind of explored and took some risks from a song standpoint and production,” Scott added of the new music coming from Lady A. “But ultimately, I think its just so present for us and we’re just so grateful…(Songs) have gotten us through such hard times, and they’ve also allowed for us the greatest time…in all of the years of being a band.”