Gaslighting A Chick
The real story behind The Chicks’ first single in 14 years
The Chicks were on a self-imposed hiatus when Natalie Maines started going through a divorce. It was a relief for the singer/songwriter because she didn’t want to write songs at that point. And without a project or the deadlines that come along with it, she wasn’t forced to create.
Natalie told interviewers that she didn’t want to analyze herself or her relationship during this time. It would have been too painful for her to delve deeper into her emotions than she already had to. All she wanted to do was forget about how her life had turned out.
Her friends and bandmates, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer spoke with her about her issues. An idea of The Chicks (fka The Dixie Chicks) recording a new album came up, which Natalie fought back against. But the seeds were planted, and she began to think about what kind of songs they could produce.
Ideas were formed, and the ladies went to work on writing some songs.
Adrain Pasdar, Natalie's soon-to-be-ex-husband, caught wind of the new album in the works and became worried about what would be included in the songs. Natalie was well-known for including personal stories in the songs she writes. And he wanted to avoid any public embarrassment.
What he really wanted was for people not to know why Natalie filed for divorce.
Til Infidelity Due Them Part
Adrian Pasdar and Natalie Maines met at Emily Strayer’s first wedding in May 1999. There was a spark between them, and they began spending a lot of time together, which was disrupted by some band business.
The Chick’s album Fly was released in June 1999. A tour ensued, but Natalie and Adrian kept in contact during her time away. They decided at some point to take their relationship to the next level.
Once again, there was a wedding on June 24, 2000. Everyone celebrated the love of Natalie and Adrian. However, storm clouds were already darkening the couple’s honeymoon.
Stories swirled that Adrian was less than faithful to his new bride. Both downplayed the stories in the press and tried to put out an image of a happy, successful couple…
