"DEEPER" THOUGHTS: KACEY MUSGRAVES UNVEILS NEW LP

Kacey Musgraves tilts back toward her early folk- and country-leaning side on "Deeper Well," the title cut and first single from her fifth album. The 14-track effort, co-produced with frequent collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk and recorded largely at New York's Electric Lady studio, arrives 3/15 on Interscope/MCA Nashville.

"Deeper Well" is supported by beautifully finger-picked acoustic guitar and a peppy, shuffling beat as Musgraves sings with confidence of "getting rid of the habits that I feel are real good at wasting my time," including gravity-bong-assisted wake-and-bake sessions and love interests with "dark energy." View the (gorgeous) Hannah Lux Davis-directed video here.

Said the artist, who's managed by Sandbox's Jason Owen and Bobby Simmons: "Sometimes you reach a crossroads. Winds change direction. What you once felt drawn to doesn’t hold the same allure. You get blown off course but eventually find your footing and forage for new inspiration, new insight and deeper love somewhere else."

Accompanied by bandleader-guitarist Drew Tauberfield, Musgraves debuted "Deeper Well" and "Cardinal," "Too Good To Be True" and "Heaven Is" during a 1/27 taping at New York's intimate Minetta Lane Theatre of Nickel Creek/Punch Brothers principal Chris Thile's upcoming Audible series, Energy Curfew Music Hour. The audience was not told in advance which songs Musgraves would perform, and she copped to some nerves about playing four new ones for the first time onstage. Punch Brothers and the evening's other musical guest, Tiny Habits, lent their instrumental and vocal talents to some of the renditions.

Deeper Well follows 2021's star-crossed, which debuted at #3 and itself followed 2018's Grammy Album of the Year Golden Hour. In the run-up to the new set, Musgraves released a series of one-off tracks and collaborations including "She Calls Me Back" with Noah Kahan and the chart-topping Zach Bryan duet "I Remember Everything," which just won the Grammy for Best Country Song by a Duo or Group. As a result, Musgraves became the only artist to win Grammys for that category as well as Best Country Album, Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.

For the new album, she reunited with Grammy winner Shane McAnally—who co-wrote "Merry Go Round," from 2013's Same Trailer Different Park—on "The Architect."

Touring plans have yet to be announced. Musgraves' AEG-promoted 2022 star-crossed: unveiled saw her headline arenas for the first time and visit a host of top European festivals.