The country star shares her version of the classic Hank Williams hit “Lost Highway”
Kacey Musgraves has signed to Nashville-based Lost Highway Records. The eight-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter is the first artist signed by the relaunched label – and she was the final artist signed to Lost Highway in 2011. In 2012, Lost Highway was absorbed by Mercury Nashville while she was working on her debut studio album, Same Trailer, Different Park.
“Lost Highway was always a musical stable for artists who might be considered outliers or outlaws; those who live on the fringe,” recalls Musgraves. “In 2011, when other record labels questioned my songwriting and my more traditional country sound, Lost Highway believed in me, signing me to my first label deal and helped me take my music around the world. That journey has now come full circle in such a special way with John Janick and Interscope and I’m deeply honored to be able to once again call Lost Highway my musical home.”
Luke Lewis, who founded Lost Highway in 2000 and signed Musgraves in 2011, states, “For 20 years, my job was to run Mercury and MCA labels, which were primarily mainstream country endeavors. The last 10 years of my time there were passionately dedicated to starting and leading Lost Highway, which was the most rewarding time of my entire career. The label went on to cultivate some of the greatest singer/songwriters I have had the honor to work with, and I am extremely proud to have helped them further their amazing musical journeys. I am beyond grateful that this very special label is now in the hands of John Janick, Robert Knotts, Jake Gear and the Interscope team, and I am certain Lost Highway will have an incredible second inning.”
Musgraves marks this momentous new beginning by releasing her interpretation of the song for which the label is named – the Leon Payne-penned “Lost Highway,” which Hank Williams covered in 1949. The song was produced by Musgraves, Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk.
In 2024, Musgraves released Deeper Well, her fifth studio album, via Interscope Records/MCA Nashville. Deeper Well marked her biggest debut sales week ever, landing at No.1 on five Billboard charts, including the Top Album Sales, Top Country Albums and Americana/Folk Albums tallies. She launched the Deeper Well World Tour with sold-out shows around the globe and the album’s single, “The Architect,” won the award for Best Country Song at the Grammys.
As announced earlier this month, Lost Highway Records has returned with Robert Knotts and Jake Gear at the helm and the full support of Interscope Geffen A&M. Harkening back to its roots, the label is committed to empowering the next generation of trailblazing artists. Additional signings will be announced shortly.
After its founding in 2000, Lost Highway became home to such culture-defining artists of the era as Kacey Musgraves; Willie Nelson; Ryan Bingham; Hayes Carll; Lucinda Williams; Drive-By Truckers; Lyle Lovett; Tift Merritt; Robert Earl Keen; Shelby Lynne; Elvis Costello; and Mary Gauthier. Lost Highway also released several acclaimed soundtracks, including the T Bone Burnett-produced, 8x Platinum O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which took Album of the Year honors at the Grammy Awards, the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. The label was folded into Mercury Nashville when Lewis retired in 2012.
