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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Tell me about the songwriting and the sorts of messages you guys wanted to put into the album. I've heard you discuss The Incident?
NATALIE MAINES We had tried to write about it a couple times before and it just wasn't right, you know? Sometimes you can be a little scared to rehash it or sound preachy, and I think [''Not Ready To Make Nice''] is just very honest.
Let's say the album comes out and everyone who was outraged about your comments embraces it with open arms. Are you gonna go back to Nashville and say, ''Hey, we're back!'' Or has this completely altered the course you guys were on?
For me as a person, [The Incident has] completely altered the course I was on. For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was. I liked Martie and Emily's playing, but I did not grow up liking country music. And I guess I was ignorant to the fact that the stereotypes behind country music were true — and it was disappointing. And so at this stage, I can never... I would be cheating myself and not setting a good example for my children to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened... I couldn't want to be farther away from that. And it's easier when you're financially set, because you can be a little more ballsy, and just do what you want to do. I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be a part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life. All of my anger... I've pretty much gotten past that. Writing the album was therapy.
So the hair-metal album is coming out when?
[Laughs] If I had my way, we'd have a hair-metal covers album! But I don't think I'm gonna have my way...
Do you think if this hadn't happened — The Incident, as we keep calling it — that you would have eventually come to the decision to leave country anyway?
Gosh, who knows. I never like to guess about the future or what I would have done. I'm just grateful that all of this did happen. None of the three of us have any regrets. It was eye-opening, and positive in so many ways. I wouldn't change any of it. I want people to be clear that there is no ill will when I say that I can't be a part of the industry. I don't mean country music, I just mean the industry. I don't want it to seem immature. I want people to know that it was given a lot of thought. And it's just honesty.
Do you think you guys bore the brunt of the anti-American accusations during the 2004 election?
I don't really know what happened to other people, but I think we were made the examples. I mean, Jennifer Aniston called Bush a ''f---ing idiot'' [in a 2001 interview] and nothing happened to her.
Well, Brad broke up with her.
[Laughs] That must be why. A closet Republican! I knew it. No, I think we probably got it more than anybody else.
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