The Wrights: Married to Country Tradition

Once upon a time, amorous couples ruled country music. George and Tammy, Loretta and Conway, Johnny and June—romantically linked or not, their passion dripped from every word. Husband-and-wife duo Adam and Shannon Wright remember that time, and they’re injecting that sensual fervor back into country music. The friction between their voices ignites a spark that’s been missing from so many country duets in recent decades. “Since the day we met,” Shannon says, “Adam and I have been playing music together. We’ve been writing together, touring together, now living together. That’s how we had to do it.” The Wrights met in Atlanta, but they’ve made Nashville their home for about six years now. In 2005, they released their debut, Down This Road, through RCA and SonyBMG, but the label was ACR (an acronym for Alan’s Country Records). Alan is Alan Jackson, who also happens to be Adam’s uncle. Despite critical kudos, the album didn’t catch on with country radio and sales were disappointing. Now comes the follow-up, The Wrights. Jackson is still on board, but RCA and their corporate parents are not. “They got the first right to pick it up or not pick it up,” Shannon says. “We just decided that we wanted to put it out regardless. Alan heard it and he loved it.” What RCA heard was probably too country for mainstream Nashville and the radio programmers. Even some industry types outside the Nashville mainstream found The Wrights’ roots a little too deep in the country. “Too something, I guess,” Adam says. “You’re depending on peoples’ ears, and peoples’ ears change from hour to hour. Every now and then something sneaks through that’s just stone country. And I don’t consider us purist in any way. We’ve done a lot of different stuff.” Their specialty, though, is that hearts-on-fire blend that we’ve been missing since Ms. Wynette finally had enough of Mr. Jones’ shenanigans. “It’s sort of fallen oΩ,” Adam says of those classic duets that peppered ’60s and ’70s country radio. “Who knows why? From a marketing standpoint, it’s probably a lot easier for [record labels] to sell the super stud or the sex kitten…” Adam continues before he’s interrupted by his wife. “Are you telling me I’m not a sex kitten?” she asks, and they both erupt in laughter.