Dixie Chicks on why they took a 14-year break between albums: 'We were pretty worn out"

Columbia RecordsIt’s been 14 years since the Dixie Chicks released their last album, a break the trio says is a result of raising their children and the outcry following their 2003 statements about former President George Bush.

Sitting down for an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the trio of Natalie Maines, Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison share that while raising their nine children had kept them off the road for several years, they were also in a state of exhaustion following a comment Natalie made while the group was performing in London in 2003 during the Iraq war, when she said they were “ashamed” that the then-president was from their home state of Texas.

“I feel like after the whole controversy, and that feels like eons ago, but we were pretty worn out at the same time,” Emily admits. “I think we needed a break.”

The talk show host also touched upon the idea that we’re living in a “cancel culture,” where sharing an unpopular opinion or controversial thought can get you blacklisted.

“I think we were one of the first people to feel that cancel culture,” Natalie explains. “What I said back then would not even be a thing today because it was really mild compared to what people say today. So on one hand, everyone has this platform where they can say whatever they want to say. But on the other hand, this platform can move really quickly and ruin people’s lives.”

The Chicks just released their new single, “Gaslighter,” which is the title track of a new album, due out May 1.