As their winding career path makes clear, though, nothing important is ever established or sustained without struggle and re-evaluation, without the willingness to adjust course now and then. Theirs has been a journey for which they have drawn strength from both success and misadventure, turning missteps into lessons and challenge into triumph. The result is a hard-won artistic maturity, and the CD that embodies the latest phase of their journey, Fortuneteller's Melody, represents a liberating step forward.
The process began, as always, with Kristyn's songwriting. As Kelsi and Kassidy took to the road for a radio tour accompanying the release of Sweet Right Here, a rebound record which went gold and gave the trio renewed momentum, Kristyn spent more than three months turning the stuff of life into art with the help of collaborators that included Don Schlitz and Sheryl Crow.
From there, though, everything was new. The trio chose to work with Grammy producer of the year and another Kristyn songwriting collaborator, John Shanks, known for his work with Melissa Etheridge, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson, Alanis Morissette, Bon Jovi and many others. In working with him, they re-invented the way they make records: instead of the meticulous planning that went into earlier efforts, they worked almost off-the-cuff.
"We would walk into the studio this time not knowing the song," says Kristyn. "John and I would be finishing one in the other room then we’d go straight in and record it. Kassidy might learn it as I was finishing the lyric. We were allowing the songs themselves to take control, rather than our arrangements of the song."
"It freaked me out because I love to be prepared," says Kassidy. "With the other records, we would arrange songs for a month and then go into the studio totally ready, but I surprised myself this time. There's freedom in this approach, and there's something great and fresh about that."
The result was a recording process that echoed the approach of songwriting.
"It forces you to draw from a place that's beyond the surface," says Kristyn. "You find things in yourself that you didn't know were there. For Kassidy, it's her voice. 'Where are those licks going to come from?' 'Where is the soul going to come from in the music?' John just made us find it."
What held it all together was the consistency of voice in Kristyn's writing, the nuanced look at life, love and redemption that made up the project's songs.
"This is about relationships," she says. "It's about life and love and being on the road and being in a family and what happens when there's drama and trouble and tragedy. You can see the growth of the character and the life experience, and then you see the conclusion. It's also very honest. I don't feel like I'm shielding the truth here." She calls it "a grown-up record with elements of fun and youthfulness."
The upshot is that Fortuneteller's Melody, recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville, unfolds like no SHeDAISY album before it.
"In our other records," says Kristyn, "we talk about each song being a little snapshot or a mini-movie, but this new record presents an entire story, from song one through twelve, with each bleeding into the next."
It is a story drawn from experience.
"I was always a little tentative about just throwing everything out there," says Kristyn, "especially when it's really personal. These are all journals for the most part, but that is the blessing and the curse of writing your own material and letting people see what it's like on the inside of you rather than just the outside. I don't feel so restricted this time. I feel like we don't have anything to lose. We have a lot to say and we are in a really liberating place right now, so it was just a different approach. I don't need to mask anything. I have nothing to worry about. It feels good."
As much of a departure as it is, Fortuneteller's Melody is, given their history, the natural next step in SHeDAISY’s incredible journey.
Kristyn, Kelsi and Kassidy Osborn grew up in Magna, Utah, raised, as their father says, "on the three B's--Beach Boys, Beatles and Beethoven." Kelsi and Kassidy sang and performed in local theater, then began singing at retirement homes, churches, and in the neighborhood. Kristyn took part for a while, lost interest during high school, then regained it during a trip to New York to accompany Kelsi on a TV audition. Kristyn then accompanied her father to Nashville for a music business seminar, and a few months later, with Kelsi and Kassidy still in junior high, they moved to Music City. Within a few months they had landed and lost a record deal, recording an unreleased album.
They spent five years working in mall department stores and playing clubs at night, honing their craft, while Kristyn and Kelsi began attending classes at a local university to learn every aspect of the business.
"I learned how we had been taken advantage of," Kristyn says. "We recorded a project for RCA that never got released. That album was missing something and it taught me a lesson. We did what we were told. We didn't stand up for ourselves because we were so young. We were told to do a song and we did it. There were only three of our songs on there."
Gradually, their hard work and Kristyn's education paid off and, in 1997, they signed with Lyric Street Records.
Their first album, The Whole Shebang, rode unabashed exuberance, clever writing and aural brilliance to double platinum status, launching SHeDAISY into the mainstream of modern country music. "We had years to prepare for that record," says Kelsi, "and there was no one saying, 'You can't produce a demo like that.' When we hooked up with [producer] Dann Huff, he helped those demos come to life even more. We just put it out and said, 'Here is our music.'"
Fans and radio were all over the record and doors swung open everywhere. "Little Good-Byes," "This Woman Needs," "I Will...But" and "Lucky 4 You (Tonight I'm Just Me)" all reached the Top 10. Nominations poured in from the Grammys, the CMA, the ACM, the American Music Awards and the Blockbuster Music Awards. The Whole Shebang spent 99 weeks on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The group released a re-mixed version of the LP and a well-received Christmas album.
"I think we were spoiled in the beginning," says Kassidy. "Once you've had that, you don't want to settle for less. The good thing is that means you'll keep trying to do better."
"Knock On The Sky was much more of a science experiment," says Kristyn, "and that was really exciting--'Let's try this' and 'Let's do that' and 'What if we stack these vocals?', but some people couldn't get past the sound to be able to hear the songs themselves. Sometimes when there's too much of a sheen people won't always take the time to hear what you're saying."
Kristyn calls Sweet Right Here, their third release, "our trampoline--a bounce-back. We stepped back sonically a little bit, and the record reflected the fact that things were a bit simpler in our lives." Hits like "Passenger Seat," the hilariously self-referential "Don't Worry 'Bout A Thing," and "Come Home Soon," a song and video still treasured by the families of servicemen and women, recaptured much of the magic.
"I think we came a long way back," says Kassidy. "We were able to re-establish ourselves with radio and our fans after more than two years without a new radio hit. Going gold was really a goal for us, and I think with this new record we will keep accelerating and reach higher goals."
Part of that acceleration is taking place on the road. The trio chose not to tour early on, preferring to wait until they had released more hits.
"We had so many opportunities to go on the road," says Kristyn. "If we'd started six years ago developing a live show, we'd be in a different place now, but we are in essence starting from scratch in the last couple of years. But that also means it's as enjoyable as when you're starting brand new. We're back in fresh that place and it's really nice."
"We've been working with this band now for two years," says Kristyn. "Our focus is on the live show, convincing people we can pull it off. We don't have any bells and whistles, we don't have any sets that move and we have no flames. We have no explosions. It's just a great show without all that stuff and we're proud of it. Our next step is to get out there in front of a lot more people."
Theirs is the gift of self-confidence born of the rock-solid foundations of family and faith, and the knowledge that while they continue to learn, they have given their all to their recorded output. It lets them stretch each time they re-enter the studio.
"Each record has got to be a challenge," says Kristyn. "We don't want it to be easy. This time out, we're not afraid of anything. It's a different world that we're all breathing in. I think we feel ready to say it, to tell it like it is, and we're proud of it."
The result is a CD that showcases the best of one of modern country music's most innovative and compelling acts, one that adds an exciting new chapter to their legacy.
In Terms Of Love
SHeDAISY Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now and then I guess I have a little too much time
I've changed my way of thinking
I've tried hard to separate what came too soon
From what came too late
I don't think about me in terms of you
I don't think about you in terms of us
I don't think about then in terms of now
I found a way to start again somehow
I don't think about what we thought it was
Oh, in terms of love
Oh, in terms of love
I'm countin' on heaven to understand
I didn't mean to go and mess up all the plans
Sometimes you know where you should go
Before you know the way
I'll bother with tomorrow
Once I made it through today
I don't think about me in terms of you
I don't think about you in terms of us
I don't think about us in terms of love
I don't think about then in terms of now
I found a way to start again somehow
I don't think about what we thought it was
Oh, in terms of love
Mmmm, hummm, yeah
I don't think about black in terms of grey
Or revelations in the light of day
I don't think about cold in terms of ice
Or second chances happenin' twice
I don't think about me in terms of you
I don't think about you in terms of us
I don't think about us in terms of love
I don't think about then in terms of now
I found a way to start again somehow
I don't think about what we thought it was
Oh, in terms of love
(I don't think about me in terms of you)
(I don't think about you in terms of us)
In terms of love
(I don't think about then in terms of now)
(I found a way to start again somehow)
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
The lyrics in "In Terms of Love" by SHeDAISY express a sense of moving on from a past relationship without dwelling on the past or defining oneself through that relationship. The singer acknowledges that thoughts of the past occasionally cross her mind, but she's changed her way of thinking to focus on the present and the future. Rather than thinking in terms of the past or the relationship, the singer has found a way to start again and move on without being defined by her past experiences.
The chorus repeats the same refrain, emphasizing that the singer doesn't think about herself or her ex-partner in terms of their past relationship or what they thought it was. The bridge expresses a sense of hope, with the singer counting on heaven to understand her mistakes and bring her to a better place. She's no longer focused on the past, but on moving forward and starting anew.
Overall, the song's message is one of resilience and perseverance in the face of a difficult past. While the past may cross our minds, the singer emphasizes the importance of moving forward and not letting past experiences define us.
Line by Line Meaning
Now and then I confess you cross my mind
Occasionally, I admit that you come to my thoughts
Now and then I guess I have a little too much time
At times I suppose I have an excess of leisure time
I've changed my way of thinking
I have altered my thought process
I've tried hard to separate what came too soon
I exerted effort in distinguishing what happened early on
From what came too late
To differentiate it from what came tardily
I don't think about me in terms of you
I do not associate myself to you
I don't think about you in terms of us
I do not connect you to our relationship
I don't think about us in terms of love
I do not view our bond as a loving one
I don't think about then in terms of now
I do not compare our past to our present
I found a way to start again somehow
I discovered how to begin anew despite everything
I don't think about what we thought it was
I do not remember what we presumed our relationship to be
Oh, in terms of love
I no longer perceive it as love
I'm countin' on heaven to understand
I am hoping that heaven comprehends my actions
I didn't mean to go and mess up all the plans
I did not intend to spoil everything
Sometimes you know where you should go
Occasionally, you are aware of your next direction
Before you know the way
Before you know how to get there
I'll bother with tomorrow
I will worry about the future on another day
Once I made it through today
After getting through today
I don't think about black in terms of grey
I do not compare black to grey
Or revelations in the light of day
Or realizations during the day
I don't think about cold in terms of ice
I do not associate cold with ice
Or second chances happenin' twice
Or the possibility of getting a second chance twice
(I don't think about me in terms of you)
I do not connect myself to you
(I don't think about you in terms of us)
I do not associate you with our relationship
In terms of love
Regarding our bond as love
(I don't think about then in terms of now)
I do not compare our past to our present
(I found a way to start again somehow)
I discovered a method to move forward
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KRISTYN OSBORN, DON SCHILTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Little Shepherd Farm
Nothing but total respect for these ladies! They struggled and got messed around the first time and had to share an apartment and a single car until they got a decent contract! They stuck together through thick and thin and have shown what it means to keep family ties tight! Absolutely love these ladies, especially Krystyn who writes their songs. They need MANY more albums!!!
Linda Herrera
This song is brilliant LOVE this song, their voices are AMAZING too! MISS YOU THEY NEED TO HAVE A COME BACK !!!😀💜💜😀💖💖😙😙💜💜😄😄💖💖😊😊💜💜😀
Savannah Rox
Love them!!
Melissa Coomer
I love this song and this sister act. Get back on the road they need a new album.
christine marie
This song touches my heart...
Terry Gauci
christine marie
alex platt
love this song!
MartinHCollection
I love this song. Also... one of their best videos. Karli is really great in Kelsi´s part :)
Shane Grahovac
all time favourite right there
Keep It Country
My dream is to see these girls live, don't think it will happen now :(