It’s because Natalie’s going solo. Their last album wasnt even a Chicks album, it was a pop-rock Natalie solo disc. What use does she have for a fiddle and banjo player?
It’s the Justin Timberlake/Gwen Stefani syndrome; As soon as the lead singer realizes they’re the ones selling all the discs, they get a little sick of splitting royalies with the back-up singers that no one really cares about.
I really hope Country can get a handle on the radio audience and sales implosion they’ve been going thru over the last few years. A lot of big country labels are sucking so much cash out of the rap and rock end of the conglom’s profit machine to stay afloat, you’ve gotta think a few of them are going to get shuttered pretty soon.
Well they don’t have to worry about marketing any of the rap and rock stuff to me.
Country artists are out there. Commercial radio wants no part of Johnny “Whiskey River” Bush or Billy Joe Shaver or Wayne Hancock.