19 Recordings Drops Laci Kaye Booth “Damn Good in a Dive Bar”
American Idol alum Laci Kaye Booth dropped her new song “Damn Good in a Dive Bar” this week.
The song comes after Big Machine Records dropped her earlier this year after the release of a self-titled set of songs which included her single “Shuffle,” underperformed.
These days, the Texas native is referring to herself as an independent artist. But not so fast! Laci’s new song is released on the 19 Recordings label. She’s as “independent” as fellow country singer Grace Leer and singer-songwriter Francisco Martin, who are both, among others, signed to 19. So far, the label isn’t pushing her single, but maybe they will!
Months after Big Machine dropped her, the singer shared her thoughts, saying “I’ve just been kind of embarrassed to share it I guess. I hate sharing my failures.”
“And now I am way better off. I really am”
“Yeah, for a minute, I guess I was just mourning it all,” Laci recounts in a new interview with People magazine. “You know, it just didn’t work out. Visions didn’t align. That’s exactly what it was.” She pauses. “And now I am way better off. I really am.”
“It all happened so fast,” remembers Booth. “Everything was kind of falling into place too perfectly. It felt too right. I haven’t worked hard enough for it yet. I felt like that, at least.”
“I think the sound [of my new song] is what I had been fighting for so long,” Laci told People of the song, which was written alongside Melissa Peirce and Ben West. “It’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do for so long.” The tune was inspired by an ex-boyfriend.
She added, “When I first moved to town, I told everybody I wanted to be the country version of Lana Del Rey, you know? And so, I feel like I’m finally getting to do that. It’s liberating just getting to have creative control over my project now.”
Laci told People that she is working on her next record. “I went to Michigan and recorded a few songs with my producer [West], and I was just listening to those songs that I recorded at that time, right after I got out of the deal,” remembers Booth. “It was just like, ‘Oh, this is me.'”
Laci signed with 19 Recordings/BMLG in 2020
Host Ryan Seacrest announced that Laci signed with 19 Recordings/BMLS records on the American Idol finale in 2020.
Born and raised in Texas, the singer/songwriter moved to Nashville following her time on season 17 of Idol in 2019. Placing in the top 5, she wowed viewers with her stunning vocals, covering artists from Brett Young to Miranda Lambert.
Laci didn’t release her debut EP until August 2021. The 8 track self-titled EP set her raspy vocals to soft, dreamy melodies in songs such as “Shuffle” and “Used to be You.” However, singles from the album didn’t gain traction on country radio. She did tours and promotion, but BLMG did not follow up the EP with new music.
19 Recordings brought her to Nashville with a bunch of other American Idol artists, including the current winner, Noah Thompson and runner-up Huntergirl, for the CMA festival in June. She also played a couple of Nashville showcases in July that seemed to be sponsored by 19 Recordings.
She performed on “The Great Idol Reunion Special” earlier this year, duetting with the Season 19 winner, Laine Hardy.
