The country music duo talked about how motherhood has affected their friendship and songwriting on the 2023 CMA Awards red carpet.
Maddie & Tae have been songwriting partners and best friends for years, and now the two are tackling motherhood together.
The country music duo attended the 57th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and opened up to PEOPLE on the red carpet about how being new moms has affected their friendship and songwriting.
“It’s like we have each other with our marriages, with our babies. We go through all the same things together,” says Maddie Marlow Font. “It’s really special.”
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“It’s even more fun, if it’s not fun enough,” adds Tae Dye Kerr, sharing experiences with his musical collaborator.
Three weeks after the singer-songwriters wrapped up their summer tour, Marlow Font (28) welcomed her first child, son Forrest, with her husband Jonah Font in September. Her son, whose name she says was partly inspired by indie singer Forrest Frank and because he lives in a rural area outside of Nashville, is only a year and a half apart from daughter Dye Kerr Leighton Grace.
Maddie Marlow Font and Tae Dye Kerr.
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The “Girl in a Country Song” singers, who are nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the CMA Awards, revealed that their experiences with motherhood have influenced the new music that’s on the way soon. According to Marlow Font, “there are a few songs” on their yet-to-be-announced album, due out early next year, that draw from “a new perspective and so much inspiration” that comes from being a young mom.
With their busy schedules dedicated to music and family, Dye Kerr, 28, also shared how they both worked to strike the right balance. The performer says, “I think I realized that you could give 100% to one particular thing, but now you just can’t. And that’s fine.”
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“Your priority is your little baby,” she continued, admitting that her daughter already has nicknames for her music partner (Auntie Mad) and their joint project (Momma Mat).
Marlow Font echoed her statement saying, “There are days when I’m the CEO and there are days when I’m a better mom.”
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The “Heart They Didn’t Break” artists shared that they are happy to have such strong support from their husbands as well. “They are champions. We couldn’t do it without them. We have the best husbands,” says Marlow Font. “They are such present fathers and I am so grateful that my baby will be raised by a man who is so present, so intentional and so loving.”
The duo, whose Best Duo nomination marks their 10th time in the category, shared that — even while they’re busy with new additions to their families — they still hang out as friends at least twice a week and are “constantly in touch.”
The following year, they would reunite to release their third studio album.
The 2023 CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on November 8 at 8:00 PM ET on ABC and exclusively on Hulu the following day.
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Source: HIS Education