Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile and Margo Price Tease New Band, The Highwomen

photos by Dino Perrucci, Alysse Gafkjen and Joy Bruce

Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile and Margo Price have come together to form a new singer-songwriter trio The Highwomen, a moniker that nods to the ’80-’90s outlaw country supergroup The Highwaymen, which featured Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.

As the Tennessean reports, Shires broke the news on Louisville, KY radio station WFPK, recalling a conversation with Carlile about songwriting that snowballed into something much greater: “We were at The Basement [in Nashville] for some reason, and I told her about this idea I had called ‘The Highwomen. And she was like, ‘I love that idea.’ And I was like, ‘I want you to be in it. And I want you to help me run this, because I’m terrible at business, and my voice isn’t as great as yours.'”

Shires also said that the trio, which quickly added Price after the initial conversation, has plans to head into a recording studio in March. Shires has already collaborated separately with Carlile and singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale on a few songs for the project, and The Highwomen aim to have some special guests (she named Sheryl Crow specifically) join them on a potential album.

“What we want to do is play more country music,” says Shires, who released her new solo album, To the Sunset, back in August. “So it’ll be more country.”

Update:

Amanda Shires posted on her Facebook page Thursday night, noting that she “jumped the gun” on announcing the Highwomen.