Kacey Musgraves is going somewhere she has never gone before. The seven-time Grammy winner sat down with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 and revealed that her upcoming album Middle of Nowhere draws deep inspiration from regional Mexican sounds, a first for the country singer-songwriter.
“I’ve been listening to a lot of music that lives in that space where country music meets those regional Mexican sounds,” Musgraves told Lowe. “There’s something about the instrumentation, the storytelling, the heartbreak, and the joy that just hit me in a completely different way.”
The album’s title, Middle of Nowhere, reflects both a physical and emotional geography. But the sonic palette came from somewhere very specific: the Mexican community’s resilience, hard work, and passion.
“It’s not just about the horns and the accordions and the rhythms,” Musgraves explained. “It’s about the people who make that music. Their resilience. Their hard work. Their passion for family and for life. I wanted to honor that, not borrow from it. There’s a difference.”
Musgraves has spent the last year traveling between Nashville and Texas, where she sat in on small sessions with regional Mexican musicians. She described the experience as humbling. “I was a student again. I haven’t felt that way since I was 19 years old writing in a bedroom not knowing if anyone would ever hear my songs.”
The album follows 2023’s Deeper Well, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and earned Musgraves another Best Country Solo Performance Grammy for “The Architect.” While Deeper Well leaned into folk and softer textures, Middle of Nowhere appears to be a sharp left turn.
No release date has been announced, but Musgraves confirmed the album is fully written and partially recorded. She hinted that the first single could arrive as early as June, with the full project expected in late summer or early fall.
“I think people are going to be surprised,” she said with a smile. “But I also think they’re going to feel it. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
