They make a heck of a team.
There’s absolutely no denying that Brooks & Dunn is the most prolific duo in the history of country music. Beyond their 20 #1 hits, including the likes of “Brand New Man,” “Neon Moon” and “My Maria,” their 40 Top 10 hits, 11 RIAA certified-platinum albums and status as one of the key members of the beloved ’90s country era, the duo have had a career that few artists can ever dream of through their 35 years in the genre.
And they’re not slowing down anytime soon…
They are the the most awarded artist in CMA History with a staggering 20 wins after breaking their tie with Chris Stapleton (19) at last year’s award show, and this year, they’re up for yet another nod for Vocal Duo of the Year, along with the likes of Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Muscadine Bloodline and Thelma & James. More importantly, they are being honored with the 2026 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award for the impact on the genre over the past four decades.
And ahead of a recent show at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, the duo sat down with CBS Mornings and revealed that they’re working on a new album… and as you can imagine, it involves a lot of compromise, as Ronnie explained they are working on a new album and still compromising while putting it all together:
“We’re compromising right now, we’re working on a new record. You talk about the ultimate compromise. As songwriters, we’re firing stuff back and forth, you know, we’re criticizing one another’s music, that’s the holy grail, right?
I want all my songs on there, he wants all his songs on there. So we have to work that stuff out. And you sweat and bleed every word.”
Ronnie added that they’ve learned to put their egos aside for the sake of the music:
“We both realize down deep, that song I wrote is better than that song I wrote. So you have to be honest with yourself and then at some point, we gotta be honest with each other.”
Ronnie pointed out that, often, those are the kinds of things that breaks bands up… heck, it’s the reason The Beatles broke up:
“This is the stuff that breaks bands up. It broke The Beatles up.”
Brooks & Dunn have taken breaks before, but obviously they always figure it out in the end, and Kix says they’ve learned out to work together over the years:
“And I think we’ve done a pretty good job of getting through that.”
When it comes to Kix’s superpower as a bandmate, Ronnie says it’s the way he engages with the crowd:
“He engages with the crowd on an intimate basis, and brings them home.”
Kix had a more comical answer, saying:
“He’s a singing son of a b**** if you haven’t heard him.”
They clearly have a great friendship beyond just being in a band together, and while they know sad country songs are a genre specialty, and they have plenty of classics, they try to leave some “light at the end of the tunnel,” so to speak, with their music too:
“Both. I think a lot of emphasis is put on country music on those sad songs… I think it’s good in this world to leave just a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”
Kix added:
“I was about to say, joy is harder to write.”
They’ve managed to find that elusive balance throughout their career, and the main thing I took away from the interview? New Brooks & Dunn is on the way… stay tuned.
The full interview:
