Maren Morris is "trying to get out of her comfort zone" with her new album.
Maren Morris
The 'Seeing Blind' hitmaker hopes her next LP will be a "natural step" following her 2016 debut album 'HERO'.
She said: "I think there was already a good bit of that with my first record, but with this one probably more. I think that's a natural next step for me. I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone a little more on this album."
And the 28-year-old singer feels she is in a "healthier headspace" now than she was when she was working on her first LP.
She added: "The lyrics are more grown-up. I recorded my debut album when I was 24; I'm 28 now. Doesn't feel like that long ago, but a lot has happened in that chunk of time. I'm in a healthier headspace; I'm less judgmental of myself ... Keith Urban has actually given me a lot of great advice. He's like, 'This is a snapshot of your life. It's like a yearbook, so don't overthink your second album. It's just songs that reflect those years of time and then you move on and you make another album. Don't even worry about the deadlines; they whoosh past. Just focus on being in there.' That took some of the heat off me."
Maren loves the "production element" of making music too.
She told Rolling Stone magazine: "I love sparring back and forth with people and just geeking out over mixes. I love the production element of making records. Even when I moved to Nashville the reason I learned about production was from being in demo sessions from my songs when I was just a writer. I learned my voice sounds better with this certain kind of effect, or what guitars sound too slick and polished."