LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Before Grammy Award-winning duo wrote their fifth studio album, 鈥淏igger Houses,鈥� they nearly broke up.
It was an evening in March 2022, and Dan + Shay met up after having not spoken in months. 鈥淚 just knew in my heart, I was like, 鈥楾his could be the end of Dan + Shay,鈥� says Shay Mooney about the drive to Dan Smyers鈥� house.
The year prior was a landmark one. They headlined an arena tour for the first time, they collected their Grammy for best country duo/group performance for the third year in a row, and they continued to release platinum hits, like 鈥淕lad You Exist,鈥� and the multi-platinum crossover hit 鈥�10,000 Hours,鈥� featuring . And yet, they were miserable.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have a fight,鈥� Mooney recalls. 鈥淚t was just, over the years, not communicating, not getting our feelings out, not talking to each other鈥� Dan said he fell out of love with music. I was kind of there as well.鈥�
There were other factors that led to what Mooney calls a 鈥渂reaking point.鈥� He had his second child two weeks before COVID-19 hit, he suffered his first 鈥渞eally bad鈥� panic attack, and when the biggest tour of their life was canceled, he wasn鈥檛 sure what could come next.
鈥淚 was in a very dark place,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was drinking a lot at the time.鈥�
鈥淲e were going down a really dark path,鈥� Smyers adds. 鈥淭his album, honestly, it saved our lives.鈥�
Both are quick to compare their partnership to a marriage 鈥� as a soloist, you make your own decisions. In a trio, there鈥檚 a tie breaker. In a band, there鈥檚 a chaotic chorus of opinion. But in a duo, you鈥檝e got to work on the relationship with a peculiar kind of intimacy 鈥� everything is 50/50. Once they began prioritizing their health, their families and each other, their love for making music came back.
Smyers says the songs on 鈥淏igger Houses鈥� just 鈥渇ell into our laps,鈥� the result of sitting down to write music that felt true to them. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful they did.鈥�
Sonically, it came from the same sensibility the band had in their earliest days. 鈥淏ack to basics,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e wrote all these songs just hanging out, the two of us, or with a friend with an acoustic guitar and piano. That was kind of how we made our first album.鈥�
At the heart of 鈥淏igger Houses鈥� is the written in the 11th hour, just like their massive hit 鈥淪peechless." In it, Dan + Shay鈥檚 newfound optimism is expressed explicitly, and in a format they鈥檝e become modern masters of 鈥� the ballad.
鈥淭he older I get/I just care less and less/鈥橞out keeping up with people named Jones,鈥� they sing.
鈥淭he thing about happiness I鈥檝e found is,鈥� Smyers quotes the song, 鈥淚t don鈥檛 live in bigger houses.鈥�
Beyond the wisdom of 鈥淏igger Houses,鈥� too, are newfound sonic surprises. On Dan + Shay detour from their characteristic balladeering for an up-tempo country-pop song, heavy with fiddle and steel guitar.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been the wedding guys,鈥� Mooney explains. 鈥淥ur songs have been used in a lot of weddings. And we just thought, you know, we need one of those songs that is used after we play the first dance song, and we鈥檙e trying to get people on the dance floor.鈥�
It鈥檚 a noble ambition for two guys who met at a party in 2012 and starting writing songs together the next day, with no way of knowing what the next decade would look like.
Smyers says the guys they are now are closer to those guys from the beginning of their career. 鈥淲e just have that sense of wonder back in our eyes,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e do have an amazing opportunity that when we put out an album or we go to record, we have a great fan base who's been loyal to us, who stuck with us for for a long time, and they鈥檙e going to listen.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have their ear. So, we feel like we owe it to them to make the best possible version of ourselves that we can without putting too much pressure on ourselves.鈥�
Next spring, Dan + Shay will become the first musical duo to guest judge on 鈥淭he Voice.鈥� In February, This time, they feel prepared for it.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
