Little Big Town’s ‘Pain Killer’ Fills October Prescription

Little Big Town has set October 21st as the release date for Pain Killer, the group’s sixth studio album. Eight of the disc’s 13 tracks were co-written by the four members of the band, Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet. (See the full track listing below.)

Little Big Town’s ‘Pain Killer’ Intoxicates

“We knew the record was going to be called Pain Killer way on into the process because we love that song,” Fairchild tells Rolling Stone Country. “That song is really kind of tongue-in-cheek — ‘be the person that numbs my pain.’ We started talking about tying that thread through the whole record, to ease your pain. Don’t we want the whole record to do that for people, anyway? Whether it’s a sad moment, or a song that’s more thoughtful and has a lot more substance in the lyric, we want music to take us away. Pain Killer fits, that’s the common thread through all the songs.”

Produced by Jay Joyce and kicked off by the chart-scaling first single, “Day Drinking,” Pain Killer is the follow-up to the foursome’s million-selling Tornado, featuring the CMA- and Grammy-award-winning summer jam, “Pontoon.”

Calling the new album “bold and provocative,” Fairchild says of Pain Killer, “It’s not a departure, it’s the next step.”

In terms of unexpected moments the quartet has in store, Jimi Westbrook points to a track featuring the group’s Kimberly Schlapman on lead vocal, saying, “‘Save Your Sin’ will surprise people because you’ve never heard Kimberly sing like this before. First of all, the girl can sing to the rafters, it’s unbelievable. She’s putting some growl and gravel on it in that upper range.”

“That’s probably one of the most rocking things that we’ve ever done as a band,” adds Fairchild. “Pure tone, good Georgia singing — it’s a good combination. It’s that sweet and that sass altogether.”

Pain Killer track listing:

“Quit Breaking Up With Me” (Busbee, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally)

“Day Drinking” (Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Phillip Sweet, Troy Verges, Barry Dean)

“Tumble and Fall” (Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey)

“Pain Killer” (Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Blair Daley, Hillary Lindsey)

“Girl Crush” (Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey)

“Faster Gun” (Jeremy Spillman, Ryan Tyndell, Jimi Westbrook, Phillip Sweet)

“Good People” (Jay Joyce, Natalie Hemby, Jeremy Spillman)

“Stay All Night” (Jimi Westbrook, Phillip Sweet, Brent Cobb, Jason Saenz)

“Save Your Sin” (Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey)

“Live Forever” (Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, Jeremy Spillman, Ryan Tyndell)

“Things You Don’t Think About” (Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman)

“Turn the Lights On” (Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, Natalie Hemby, Jay Joyce, Jeremy Spillman)

“Silver and Gold” (Jedd Hughes, Jay Joyce, Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild)