Just weeks after her mother and singing partner’s death, Wynonna Judd has made good on her promise to keep making music. The singer announced on Instagram on Tuesday (May 24) that she has teamed up with Waxahatchee for the moving ballad “Other Side.”
“In the midst of everything that has happened, I said that I would continue to sing. So, here I am,” Wynonna wrote before diving into the origin story of the unexpected collaboration with Katie Crutchfield, who records as Waxahatchee. “I met @waxa_katie last year and we connected immediately. We recorded ‘Other Side’ in the studio here on the farm and it was one of my favorite recording experiences ever. I’m thankful for the opportunity to sing with the next generation of greatness.”
“Take my word, I got a wild hair/ I’m standing as still as I can/ Say my peace like an offhand prayer/ I’m living in a grain of sand/ I’m coming in hotter than the torch/ You once carried readily,”
Wynonna sings in the opening verse before their voices join for a chorus about seeking something “on the other side.”
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The song, written by the women along with Judd’s husband, Michael Moser, was also a dream come true for Crutchfield, who called Wynonna her “hero” in a lengthy post that explained how the song began coming together more than 2 years ago.
“I can’t really explain how much our relationship has meant to me. her talent & presence & personality are all so vibrant & larger than life – but above all else, her desire to be creative & present with the work we did really affected me for the better,” she wrote. “I needed a refresher course on just showing up because we love to make music, not because there’s some milestone in the distance we’re trying to reach. wynonna has reached every milestone someone could possibly reach & it was so beautiful to just sit in her presence, soak up her aura & see what direction the collective spirit moved us to go. I’m so happy with how this track turned out & happy for y’all to hear it.”
Wynonna and sister actress/activist Ashley Judd revealed that their mother passed away at age 76 on April 30; two weeks later, Ashley revealed that the cause of death was suicide following Naomi’s long struggle with mental illness. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the sisters said in their initial statement. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
The next night, The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and last week Wynonna revealed that she will continue on with the previously announced The Judds: The Final Tour Dates outing as a tribute to her mother. The 11-date arena tour will be the “ultimate girls night out,” with Martina McBride opening select dates, while a slate of other performers, including Brandi Carlile, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde and Trisha Yearwood, joining Wynonna on several Judds classics on select dates. Additional shows will be added soon.
Listen to “Other Side” and see Wynonna and Waxahatchee’s posts below.