Sugarland says it wants to “shake things up” by working with this hot new artist

The mood at Rockefeller Plaza was undeniably joyous on August 12.

To celebrate Hoda Kotb’s 60th birthday, the TODAY Show threw an all-out party featuring friends, special guests and performances from two of Kotb’s favorite bands, Sugarland and Little Big Town.

Both groups of countries also celebrated their own significant events.

In honor of their 25th anniversary as a group, Little Big Town have released their “Greatest Hits”” album on August 9th.

On the same day, Sugarland released their new EP “There Goes The Neighborhood,” their first release in six years.

Even better for fans of both bands, Sugarland and Little Big Town will once again team up for a joint tour that kicks off in October.

The chemistry between the two groups was undeniable as Little Big Town and Sugarland joined forces on the square to perform their cover of Phil Collins’ song “Take Me Home.”

Sugarland, comprised of singer-songwriter duo Kristian Bush, 54, and Jennifer Nettles, 49, have remained close friends with the members of Little Big Town throughout their long musical careers.

In fact, Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook revealed in an interview after their joint performance that Sugarland gave Little Big Town their first guitar packs so they could move around on stage early in their career.

“That’s why people love country music: it’s the community, it’s the family,” Craig Melvin said.

More than two decades after launching Sugarland, Bush, 54, and Nettles, 49, aren’t ready to rest on their laurels just yet, though they certainly have plenty of them.

Before going on hiatus in 2012, Sugarland solidified their position as the king of country music with four platinum-certified albums and five consecutive CMA Awards for Vocal Duo of the Year from 2007 to 2011.

For their performance on the square, Sugarland drew inspiration from both classics and new material, first performing their new song “There Goes The Neighborhood” before delighting the crowd with a rendition of their 2010 hit “Stuck on You.”

Above all, Nettles and Bush aren’t afraid to try new things, working with outside songwriters on their latest music or sitting down to answer questions for TODAY’s original video series “8 Before 8.”

What does it mean to you to be on tour with Little Big Town?

Jennifer Nettles: For me, being on this tour is part of the title of the tour: Take Me Home. You know, we love the road. We’ve been on the road for so many years and to be able to go back on the road with these guys, which we did very early in their careers and ours, it’s like being home.

Christian Bush: That’s right. Backstage, we feel as much at home there as in our living room.

What made you decide to work with outside songwriters for your new EP?

Bush: What I love about working together is that we love doing things that we’ve never done before. It was on our bucket list, but we never really thought about it that way. What’s the one thing we can do to really change things? And since we’ve written pretty much everything that’s been on our records throughout our career, we thought, “Well, these are these great Nashville songwriters and craftsmen. Why don’t we try to do it the way a lot of other people are doing it?” Which is: not writing them. And it’s totally risky for us. And exciting. And that’s why.

Nettles: Yeah, just to, you know, to be able to see what it would be like to be in the studio – of course, we love doing covers – but what it would be like to be in the studio together as artists recording other people’s songs.

What’s the song you’re a little tired of playing?

Nettles: We keep things fresh. I don’t know if there’s one that I get tired of playing. There’s a lot that I wish we’d played that we don’t.

Bush: I think I have more of that kind of problem. Like, why not play this?

Nettles: I would love to play “Genevieve”.

Bush: I would love to play “One Blue Sky” again.

Nettles: There are so many.

Who is the artist you have always dreamed of collaborating with?

Bush: I mean, we’d welcome Coldplay. We’d welcome U2. But it’s not always necessary.

Nettles: They’re icons. I mean, Springsteen, Sting. Icons.

Bush: These are just things that we listened to growing up. It would be really cool to sit in a room and do something with some of these people.

Nettles: Yeah, but if I was picking someone now, we’d really change things up, we’d pick Chappell Roan. She probably likes country music!

Jennifer, what was it like being the host of “Farmer Wants a Wife”?

Nettles: First of all, I love a good love story. And I love a good love song. And I love being the host of Farmer Wants A Wife, even though I’ve never been a big fan of reality TV, especially dating shows. But when I looked at the credibility and the history of that show, they’ve, you know, over 500 marriages and over 200 children because of that show. So it’s been around the world for a long time. It’s just here for the first time. I’ve loved being a part of other people’s love stories. It’s fun.

What is your birthday wish for Hoda’s 60th birthday?

Bush: I hope that after this birthday party, Hoda will wake up a little calmer and feel better than ever. She will have a great morning. Yes, that’s what I wish.

Nettles: I hope she eats the whole cake and feels appreciated. Obviously, she has so much gratitude in the world, but to be appreciated for who you are feels so good. So I hope she feels appreciated and celebrated.

What does “home” mean to you?

Bush: I mean, we’ve been on the road our whole lives. So home has always been the pillow that we’re closest to. But it’s kind of where our loved ones are.

Nettles: Home is people, for sure. Luckily, they can travel too.

A question from singer Maggie Rogers: Who would play you in the movie version of your life?

Nettles: (addressing Rogers) You! I’m looking at you right now, my girl. You, the same curls, except for that haircut.

Bush: I don’t know, someone with a beard who plays guitar. Pick one.

Rapid fire:

What was the last song you listened to?

Bush: Mine was probably a Holly Humberstone book. I’m deeply obsessed at the moment.

Nettles: I saw that Amos Lee had a new record out, and I listened to it in the car yesterday. And then I also listened to Maren’s (Morris) new EP.

What is your favorite fast food place?

Both: Chick-fil-A.

What is your favorite city to visit on tour?

Bush: My brother and I are going to Europe soon, so it will be a good idea to go back to Edinburgh. I don’t know, I just like places that aren’t home. I was recently in Seattle and I forgot how much I loved that city.

Nettles: It’s a hard question to answer. I mean, there are so many good ones. Often, more than cities, I like concert halls. Because when we’re on tour, we don’t see much of the city. When you’re on tour, you see the concert hall, that’s what you see.

What is your favorite place to play?

Nettles: I think one of my favorites is the Merriweather Post. They have a pool. They have little hammocks and everything.

Bush: Yeah. You look out for us, we look out for you. Merriweather Post.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com