Pearce goes for "29"

A creative burst inspired by her time writing with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne led to the EP.

"Losing busbee was such a moment of upheaval," said Pearce, speaking of her producer, who died in 2019. "He had believed in me...carried me... brought me through everyone getting deals around me... because he knew something I couldn't see: that it would happen."

"And then as we're doing Lee Brice's vocal on 'I Hope You're Happy Now,' he has that first seizure, and my creative world started to unravel. It's scary being out there on your own, and I think the response to the song...going Platinum, being nominated for Song of the Year...That was a little bit of him telling me to stand tall, to walk forward, to know my life and my writing would carry my voice and my dream forward."

Pearce pays tribute to busbee on "Shoe Me Around."

"The best songs come from the moment, from real creative spark – and Josh and Shane bring it out of me," Pearce said. "I was unsure where my music would be without busbee. They both know where my musical heart is, and they understand how to capture exact details for much larger truths. The more specific they write, the more people I think can see themselves in the songs."

In addition to busbee's passing, Pearce also split with her her husband of eight months, singer Michael Ray, in June 2020.

"I feel lighter reflecting on the last year and pouring my soul into this music and wanted to share it in hopes that others to will take from the songs what they need. With streaming and social media, we were able record music for the sole purpose of letting my fans know where my heart is without any expectations. That's a kind of immediacy that makes making records really exciting. I can't wait to share '29'."

The track list is:
1. "Next Girl" - Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
2. "Should've Known Better" - Carly Pearce, Jordan Reynolds, Emily Shackelton
3. "29" - Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
4. "Liability" - Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
5. "Messy" - Carly Pearce, Sarah Buxton, Jimmy Robbins*
6. "Show Me Around" - Carly Pearce, Emily Shackelton, Ben West
7. "Day One" - Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey

Produced by Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne
* Produced by Jimmy Robbins