Garth Brooks Takes "The Call" Down to Two Voices

It's been way too long since Garth Brooks sent a new song to country radio stations. Like more than five years when he released "Midnight Sun" in 2008. So I'd say the world is very, very ready for new music. 

Brooks told industry publication Country Aircheck all about when and if new stuff will be part of the 2014 comeback. He just sent his duet with his wife Trisha Yearwood "The Call" to radio, so he talked about why that song is so special to him. 

"It's about that point in a relationship when you make the decision whether what you have is worth fighting for, or is it just easier to call it 'friends' and live life from there," Brooks said. "Everybody goes through this; Miss Yearwood and I were in the middle of it in 2002-03." The version playing on radio now is just Brooks and Yearwood. Intentionally. There's no big band behind them.

"We tried cutting this song with a full band but kept going back to the Wynn performance where it's just like two people talking to each other. The echo-type piece in this is something I haven't seen since 'Mockingbird' with James Taylor and Carly Simon," he said. "I love how unique this song sounds and when you bring it down to just two voices and a guitar, the conversation happens."

Whether or not there will be another new Brooks single is up in the air. It sounds like he wants to do it, but there are a few obstacles in his way. The lack of a digital partner, for instance, means the music may not make it into the hands of all the fans.

"We'd love to do new music. But if the songwriters aren't being taken care of, why are we creating? Everybody says, 'It's for the art.' Don't get me wrong, the music is everything. But if we don't nurture and protect our songwriters, the music is going to suffer and will eventually disappear."