Wednesday night, Margo Price brought fellow singer-songwriter (and onetime Middle Tennessean) Sharon Van Etten and their their anthemic single “Radio” to The Late Late Show With James Corden. An ode to time alone, the song from Price’s latest album Strays features a glittering, pulsing ’70s-style electronic beat during the verses and supporting harmonies courtesy of Van Etten throughout. The performance carried on the spirit of the song’s video — a retro, dance-filled romp directed by Nashville’s Bella Mazzola — though it omitted the joint-tipping finale for broadcast television.
The late-night TV debut of the song amplified its danceability as well as Price’s innate star power. Van Etten’s steady alto got a little lost in the mix, but the classic country-rock guitars and irresistible groove make such a slight almost forgivable. As he does often, Price’s husband and fellow singer-songwriter Jeremy Ivey joined in, playing 12-string acoustic guitar.
Strays comes right on the heels of Price’s memoir Maybe We’ll Make It; she celebrated both releases with events at Grimey’s. You can catch her ’Til the Wheels Fall Off Tour now, including a show at the Ryman on March 9 with support from Jessi Colter and Ivey. Van Etten, meanwhile, is gearing up to rerelease her critically acclaimed 2012 album Tramp. You can preorder the 11th anniversary edition vinyl on her website or on Bandcamp ahead of its release on March 24.
