Carly Pearce teased that many of her songs off Hummingbird are inspired by love and relationships — but played coy about her romantic status.
“That’s what I always say. I’m like, ‘I’m very happy in a relationship,’” Pearce, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly at CMA Fest on Sunday, June 9, confirming that love is “for sure” inspiring her writing these days.
Pearce, who released Hummingbird on Friday, June 7, noted that writing the new album has “been a process where I opened my heart back up.” (The singer confirmed via Instagram in fall 2023 that she started seeing her drummer that summer. The twosome showed they are still going strong when they took the stage together for CMA Fest on Sunday.)
She revealed, “Hummingbird shows [me] getting back out there again and kind of getting hurt again, and then finding love again.”
Pearce added: “I’m in a really good place, and this album is kind of bridging that gap of like 29 and going towards the light.”
The new record features Pearce’s hit single “We Don’t Fight Anymore” with Chris Stapleton and is the singer’s first album since 2021’s 29: Written in Stone.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve put out music, and there’s purpose to that,” Pearce told Us. “I needed time to process and kind of figure out what did come next, and it’s been really gratifying to see the response.”
Pearce’s latest album came out one year after news broke that she and Riley King called it quits after two years together.
“Things didn’t work out,” King, 30, told Page Six in June 2023. “Carly and I have parted ways and I wish her nothing but the best in both her career and personal life.”
Pearce, for her part, hinted at her breakup that same month when she dropped “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” which appeared to be about her rocky romance.
“This song embodies a place that I think, if we are honest with ourselves, we’ve all felt at some point in a relationship. The distance that feels heartbreaking, yet you’re also indifferent,” Pearce wrote via Instagram in June 2023. “I’ve always been a writer who never wanted to shy away from the ‘uncomfortable’ moments in all of our lives, and this song feels too important not to share.”
Prior to her relationship with King, Pearce was married to country singer Michael Ray for eight months. The duo split in June 2020.
In addition to overcoming heartbreak and finding love with her boyfriend, Pearce has been dealing with a newly-diagnosed heart condition, which she announced last month.
“I have developed something called pericarditis, which is a heart issue, and I’ve been working with doctors and talking to my cardiologist, and I still want to be out on the road,” she said in a May Instagram video, noting that she’d be altering her shows “a little bit” to help with her health.
Pearce told Us on Sunday that she felt it was important to talk about her heart condition, which is described as “swelling and irritation of the thin, sac-like tissue surrounding the heart,” because no one is invincible.
“I’ve wanted to be honest because I think so many young people just assume we’re gonna be healthy and fine forever,” the musician explained. “I’ve had to alter my shows and just kind of slow down. It’s a journey every day, but we’re doing it and I’m so grateful for just the support that I’ve gotten for it.”
One of the shows that Pearce was able to keep was her CMA Fest gig, which took place on Sunday. Before she hit the stage, the singer hosted her third annual Carly’s Closet in Nashville, which gives fans the opportunity to shop her pre-worn clothes and connect with Pearce.
Pearce described the event, which benefits the CMA Foundation, as “a bonafide yard sale meets Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” gushing over how “cool” it is to see her fans buy her secondhand items and “wear them to my shows.”
Hummingbird is out now and available to purchase in stores and online. Plus, Pearce is currently touring with Tim McGraw.
With reporting by Jeremy Parsons
