Country duo Love and Theft is known for its contemporary-leaning hits, including “Runaway” and “Angel Eyes,” as well as the more organic sounding “Whiskey on My Breath” that reignited members’ careers. It’s been seven years since singers Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles released new music, and the men are back with a fresh, original sound and a new six-song EP “Better Off” that they wrote and produced themselves.
“This is the most authentic music we’ve made,” Gunderson said. “We didn’t write for a specific sound or project; we just wrote to have fun and be as creative as possible. I think people recognize authenticity, and this is probably the most real music we’ve ever put out.”
Most real doesn’t equate to deepest, they say, but it does mean “coolest.” That’s a tall statement from the platinum-selling duo who has six Top 25 radio singles, including top radio gold recurrent number one “Angel Eyes.” The pair has more than 1 million followers on its social media accounts and has done everything from appearing on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” to touring with Charlie Daniels on his final run and inspiring new music for Taylor Swift.
For “Better Off,” they pulled from their classic rock and gospel influences. Stephen and Eric leaned into the sounds of The Eagles, The Beatles, The Doobie Brothers, and The Gaither Vocal Band. They took risks experimenting with synthesizers and different instrumentation to create a distinct contemporary pop-rock and pop-country sound.
HIT SONGS:
“Better Off”
“Whiskey on My Breath”
“Night That You’ll Never Forget”
“If You Ever Get Lonely”
“Runnin’ Out of Air”
“Angel Eyes”
“Dancing in Circles”
“Runaway”