Home Sweet Highway featured on NPR's Car Talk

The Wrights' song Home Sweet Highway was recently featured on NPR's popular show CAR TALK. The song was written by Adam, Shannon and hit-songwriter Marv Green.

Chicago Tribune Reviews The Wrights

"The Wrights," The Wrights (ACR) In the promo pack for this sophomore outing of husband-and-wife duo Adam and Shannon Wright, there's nary a mention that Adam is the nephew of country superstar Alan Jackson (who is also the head of their label and a co-writer on one track). But there's no need to worry about the taint of nepotism. The Wrights are worthy of their deal. Unlike much of young country today, they know how to blend tradition with a strong sense of their own time. Snappy melodies, shimmering pedal steel and a crisp, live-sounding production make this a pleasure...It's when the Wrights come together in intertwined harmonies that they prove themselves able inheritors of the duo tradition, both of the country and nascent rock 'n' roll, Everly Brothers' variety. — Chrissie Dickinson

Home Sweet Highway Twenty-Five Shows in Twenty-Five Days

The Wrights just returned home from performing 25 shows in 25 days alongside Nashville-based songwriter Stephen Simmons and Austin-based songwriter Jason Eady. The tour, sponsored by American Songwriter Magazine and Third Coast Artists, kicked off in Nashville, TN and ended in Ft. Worth, TX with many stops in between.

FOUR STARS in Country Weekly

The Wrights' 2005 debut, Down This Road, was a criminally ignored gem that left those who did get to hear it eager for more. Finally, we get at least a little taste with an 8 song mini-album that continues Road's winning ways. Adam and Shannon write together almost as well as they sing together, and also chose excellent tunes from outside writer's like Adam's uncle, some guy named Alan Jackson(True Love is a Golden Ring," written with Roger Murrah. Here's hoping The Wrights will bring one of the countries most promising duos the attention it deserves.

The Washington Post Reviews The Wrights

Arlo Guthrie once told me that having a famous relative can open doors for you, but it can't help you once you step into office. Being Alan Jackson's nephew surely opened doors for Adam Wright, but it's the singing and songwriting of Wright and his wife, Shannon, that has impressed executives and critics alike. The duo's major-label debut, 2005's "Down This Road" was a gem of classic country duets in the tradition of Charlie and Ira Louvin or gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. That it struck out on the charts says more about contemporary country radio than about the Wrights. The duo's second album "The Wrights" confirms the promise of that debut. --Geoffrey Hines

Shane Harrison from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution: Second Album has more Heart, Soul and Twang

If married Georgia natives Adam and Shannon Wright get the recognition they deserve, we'd have a welcome return to a time when passionate male-female duets ruled the charts. The Wrights' 2005 debut album, "Down This Road," didn't set the charts on fire, though, so the corporate bigwigs at SonyBMG aren't involved in this follow-up. One of the labels attached to that first album was ACR, which stands for Alan's Country Records, as in Alan Jackson. Jackson is Adam's uncle, and he's stuck by the Wrights, seeing that this worthy album gets an independent release. The recording process began with a more hands-on approach from the duo's former label, but the Wrights didn't let that throw them off track. They gained more control when the label passed, so they've injected it with a heftier dose of old-school heart, soul and twang. This sophomore set takes all the good things on that debut and turns them up a notch. Shannon's powerful voice sharp and cutting one moment, sweet and sexy liquid gold the next could carry mediocre songs, but the tunes here are substantial. R&B great Solomon Burke has already recorded the Wrights' "You're the Kind of Trouble," and the duo gives us their take on this upbeat bluesy nugget here. The irresistible hooks of "Rewind" and "Do You Still" should make them Top 10 country hits, if radio gives them a chance. In the end, it's all about that distinctive sound of two hearts and two voices entwined. Their album is true, it's country and it's beautiful, like these two were meant for each other in every way.

Available On-Line and at all Border's and Other Select Independent Stores February 5, 2008

The Wrights' new self-titled album on ACR/Mailboat Records will be available at Border's Books and Music and select independent record stores starting February 5, 2008. Check out the store section of this site for CD's, T-shirts and more. You will also be able to purchase the album at itunes.com, walmart.com, borders.com, mailboatrecords.com or your favorite online store.

Just the Two of Us, The Wrights celebrate the long-awaited release of their new CD and 10 years of togetherness by Chris Neal

Adam and Shannon Wright first met on Jan. 15, 1998. She needed a guitar player for her gig at an Atlanta nightclub, and he was recommended to her. She gave him a call, and he agreed to come down. This club I was working in was all windows, so I could see this guy in an Army-green shirt coming in with a backpack, a guitar and a mic stand, she remembers. He came in and started singing harmony, and I said, OK, there is something special about this. I didnt know exactly where it was going to go, or that it was going to last this long, but I knew there was something that I liked about the way our voices sounded together. When we met, it was like a light switch came on in me, says Adam, seated next to his wife on the couch in their publicists living room. We were eaten up with each other. At first the relationship was a purely musical one, but that didnt last long. They married in 2002 and moved to Nashville, the city where Adams uncle, country superstar Alan Jackson, had found his fortune a decade before. Since then, theyve lived together, written songs together, sung together, played together, recorded together, toured together and generally spent more time in one anothers company than is advisable for any married couple. Since the day we met, thats what weve been doing, says Shannon. I dont know how it works. It just does. Its what were used to. Its not for everybody, Adam admits. Typically, such familiarity is death to artistic chemistry between a man and womantheres no sexual tension, no sense of the exciting unknown. Somehow, The Wrights have reversed this equation. Their intertwining voices gave off sparks on their 2005 debut album, Down This Road, while their often thorny songs about the ups and downs of romance avoided the clich頯f a married couple slobbering over one another through endless devotional ballads. The tension is probably real, Adam says with a chuckle. Shes a passionate person, and I can be sort of stubborn, so maybe theres a natural tension there. We may just take out all our anger musically. The Wrights have reason to be at least a little angry about the course their musical career has taken since their debut was released. The two had signed to Jacksons ACR imprint (thats Alans Country Records, yall), and recorded Down This Road independently. Then the album was picked up for national distribution by the RCA arm of the Sony BMG empire and...well, lets just say it didnt set the cash registers of America ringing. RCA wanted more of a say in the making of the planned follow-up, and the label began setting up Adam and Shannon with Music Row songwriters. So far, so good. They did introduce us to a lot of great writers, Shannon says. That was a good experience for us. Not least among them was veteran tunesmith Paul Kennerley, who co-wrote three tracks on The Wrights and produced two (the other six were handled by Keith Stegall and John Kelton). Ill sing anything that Paul Kennerley writes, ever, Shannon declares. Its the coolest sounding stuff. The label also suggested some outside songs the duo might consider recordingand thats where the trouble began. We heard a lot of songs that sounded like hits, Adam says. But it was like somebody saying, Oh, you should wear this. This would look good on you. You put it on, look in the mirror and feel like an idiot. Some of it was kind of like that. There are some amazing writers in this town, way better than I could ever be, Shannon says. But it doesnt necessarily mean thats the kind of song I should sing, or that I can pull it off well. The push and pull between artists and label went onand on, and on, and on. With the whole major-label thing, youve got to get the approval of everybody under the sun, Shannon says. It was a long process, and different for us because we had always done everything on our own. Finally, the duo parted ways with RCA. In most such cases the unreleased material would end up moldering in a vault, but The Wrights master recordings were owned by ACR. They were pleased with what they had recordedand so was Jackson, who was suddenly their sole label head. (Were usually on the same page with him, Adam says. He usually likes what we like.) Thus we have The Wrights, whose release the two will celebrate with their Tuesday show at the Mercy Lounge. Thats a really good reason to only record songs that you like and are proud of, Adam notes. No matter what situation youre in at the time, that may change. We were pretty fortunate. Its really cool that we got to take these songs and put them out. Among those songs is Youre the Kind of Trouble, written by Adam and Shannon with Kennerley and previously recorded by soul legend Solomon Burke on his 2006 Nashville album. Theres also True Love is a Golden Ring, penned by Jackson and Roger Murrah. The couple discovered the tune by accident: Jackson suggested they record a different song he had written, and the demo CD from his publishing company included a work-tape recording of True Love tacked onto the end. We heard it and were like, Thats the song we need to record, Shannon says. It was a total mistake. That song could have been forgotten about forever. In the seemingly endless downtime while they waited for the label mess to be sorted out, a period Shannon describes as soul-wrenching, The Wrights busied themselves with touring, writing and recording dozens of songs in the basement studio at their house. Last summer they spent a week making an album of cover tunes. After doing the major label merry-go-round thing, it was a passion project, Adam says. It was something that was really creative, with no agenda and no chance in the world that it would get on any radio station at all. We just wanted to do something creative, that were excited about. We rented some old microphones, locked ourselves in our basement for seven days straight and recorded 21 songs, Shannon explains. Talk about spending time together. When you do that and run ProTools at the same time, you know why people snap, Adam says with a laugh. That was pretty intense. Theyre hoping to release the result, slimmed down to 10 tracks, as an album this summer. But if theres any lesson Adam and Shannon Wright have taken from their experiences over the last three years, its that no plan is set in stone. Weve tried to have goals before, and its a wonderful, wonderful thingbut you just have to be open to them changing, Shannon says. Thats what were trying to learn now.

Performing Songwriter Reviews The Wrights

Husband and wife duo The Wrights established a winning template in 2005 on their debut album, Down This Road. The light swing and easy touch in the music bore traces DNA of Adam Wright's uncle, country super star Alan Jackson. But everyting else was The Wrights' own, particularly the sparks that flew whenever the twosome wound their voices around their surprisingly thorny dissertations on the ups and downs of male-female relations. Blessedly, the eight-track mini-album is more of the same surpassingly lovely songs that explore the spectrum of romance,from the hopelessness of "Planting Flowers" to the devotion of "You Were Made for Me". Everything here is elevated to a higher level by the presence of Shannon Wright, possessed of one of the most charismatic and cutting voices in modern country. -- Performing Songwriter, January/February 2008

American Songwriter Magazine sponsors tour for The Wrights, Stephen Simmons & Jason Eady

The Wrights, along with fellow songwriters Stephen Simmons and Jason Eady, will start a month long tour together in support of their new releases. The tour starts in Nashville, TN on January 29, 2008 and ends in Ft Worth, TX on Febuary 23rd. American Songwriter magazine will be sponsoring the tour. Stay tuned for more details.

ListenNashville.com reviews The Wrights

The Wrights, (Self-titled) 2008 (ACR Records) (5 out of 5 stars) Nashville-based duo The Wrights have created a polished gem with their latest self-titled record. This married couple knows a thing or two about marriage, and the lyrics for this 8-song mini-album are smartly drawn reflections on the peaks and valleys of married life. Produced by hit-record aces Keith Stegall and John Kelton, every song on the album is ready for country radio. The only problem here will be picking the first single. The Wrights have been paying their dues on the club circuit in Nashville for over five years. With a critically acclaimed, yet under-appreciated, debut release in 2005, this sophomore record promises to bring The Wrights some well-deserved attention. Blending the best of old and new country, the record kicks off with "Rewind," a slow-tempo number showcasing the beautiful harmonies of Adam and Shannon. The lovely pedal steel, however, gives way to Adam's well-honed pickin' abilities in track two's "Do You Still." The harmonies remain the focus on this record—as they should. It's no exaggeration to compare The Wrights' vocal harmonies to Alison Krauss and Union Station or Vince Gill and Amy Grant. Like Gill, there's plenty of blues influence in many of The Wrights' songs, an influence noticed by Solomon Burke, who recorded their "You're the Kind of Trouble" on his critically acclaimed record Nashville. The Wrights added their original version of "Your the Kind of Trouble" to this record, as well as the stellar "You Were Made for Me," which echoes the quirky duets by John Prine and Iris DeMent. The Wrights are a duo that could have gone in a number of musical directions, and the record reflects their love for country, Stax soul, bluegrass, and folk. Although these diverse influences can be heard on the record, it's firmly rooted in roots-country, and it will appeal to a diverse audience—from college-aged weekend line-dancers to singer-songwriter/americana and bluegrass fans. This is a hit-record folks. And if the record isn't convincing enough, the live show will make you a believer. Expect the harmonies to be as sweet and pitch-perfect as they are on the record, and don't be surprised if you catch yourself getting lost in Adam's guitar playing—he is easily one of the best pickers in Nashville. You can catch The Wrights on a brief headlining tour in February that is sponsored by American Songwriter. Buy the record, look for them in your town, and go see them. Thank me later. — Vincent Wynne, January 6, 2008

New CD Available On-Line January 29, 2008!

The Wrights will release the follow-up to their debut album on January 29, 2008. Stay tuned for more information! In the mean time, you can listen to song samples, read lyrics, credits and more here.

The Wrights Take Part In Song Of America CD

Song Of America is an 50-song album that traces the history of the United States through its folk and popular musical traditions. The idea was the brainchild of former Attorney General Janet Reno, whose premise was that music can be used as a great tool for history teachers to use in conveying the ideals and mores of the American people. She and producer Ed Pettersen (Reno's nephew) approached David Macias, who won a Grammy in 2005 for co-producing the Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs Of Stephen Foster compilation about collaborating on this project, and that collaboration will be available September 18. Other artists participating in the project include John Mellencamp, The Black Crowes, Devendra Banhart, Andrew Bird, Danielson, Bettye LaVette, Janis Ian, Martha Wainwright, Blind Boys of Alabama, Elizabeth Cook, Kim Richey and many others. Check out www.myspace.com/songofamerica.

The Wrights Contribute Song To New Solomon Burke Album

Be sure to check out Solomon Burke's critically acclaimed new album, Nashville, produced by Buddy Miller. The Wrights co-wrote the track "You're The Kind Of Trouble" with song-writing legend and friend Paul Kennerley.

The Wrights are Nashville's Best Kept Secret, and Shouldn't Be

June 7th, 2007 @ The Station Inn—The Wrights

Thursday night (June 7th) at The Station Inn, The Wrights delivered a jaw-dropping set of their signature Americana folk laced with bluegrass harmonies and the cleanest, slickest, blues/roots Stratocaster playing you've ever heard. This married duo, Shannon and Adam Wright, are immediately comparable to the early Gillian Welch/Dave Rawlings (when T Bone Burnett took the helm as producer). But unlike Welch, whose songs lean heavily toward the slow melancholy burn of a July afternoon, The Wrights keep the pace rolling with their unique version of upbeat Roots-rockin' bluegrass.

Because the label "bluegrass" can be somewhat confusing nowadays, think the vocal harmonies of Alison Krauss and Union Station combined with the guitar playing of Dave Rawlings, and one can begin to imagine the unique sound of The Wrights. They are a shining example of the now marginalized music category called "Americana" that continues (for the most part) to represent the slow-paced life of small-town America—the fabric of which are working-class people trying to make ends meet. To be sure, The Wrights added a stellar version of Kieran Kane's "In a Town This Size" (made popular by John Prine and Iris DeMent) to their flawless 90-minute set.

The Wrights have had recent songwriting success, as their "You're the Kind of Trouble" was recorded by Solomon Burke on his 2006 record Nashville. Nevertheless, The Wrights unfortunately remain one of Nashville's best kept secrets. There is talk of a new record coming out in a few months, which should create some well-deserved industry buzz. Keep your ears peeled for this, and go see The Wrights perform whenever possible—you'll be glad you did.

- listennashville.com