As husband and wife duo Cole and Kendra Porter prepared to release their sophomore album as Porter Union, one word continued to emerge in my conversation with them: intentional. Kendra said, “It feels like we put so much into this one. We’ve really taken our time and made it what we wanted it to be." And Cole agrees. He says even their songwriting has become more focused and refined, “You just get better at being intentional with what you’re trying to say. You become more thoughtful at tying it all in, in a way that conveys what you’re really feeling to someone who has no idea what's going on in your head.”

That intention laid the foundation of Porter Union’s newest album Loved & Lost. It’s the kind of country album that’s authentic and traditional, raw and honest, brimming with double entendre and encompassing all that is - as the title proclaims - loving and losing.

With the help of the bandmates Jake Stringer (drums, percussion), Cody Stanford (electric guitar), Tyler Giles (pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar), Justin Boswell (bass guitar) and Molly Healey (fiddle), the album was produced at The Black Palace in Springfield, Missouri, by Oran Thornton. This was the first time the Porters worked with Thornton as their producer and loved how he helped them bring Loved & Lost to life. “He’s a genius,” says Cole. “One of the most underrated producers out there. It was a totally different approach.”

From top to bottom the 13 track album of original songs will surprise and intrigue you.

The first cut, “We Got It Right” is a freight train of an introduction. The back and forth vocals and harmonies showcase the distinct voices of Kendra and Cole. While clever lyrics like “gave up the key to my heart to have it run down my car,” delve into how, when you’ve made every mistake in the book, you just may be “wrong enough to know, we got it right.”

Originally intended to be released as a single, the title track “Loved & Lost” was the spark that ignited the concept for the rest of the album. “There’s something about that song,” said Cole “We loved how it turned out and knew we needed to make an album.”

“That’s the Spirit” falls somewhere between gritty southern-rock and clap-along contemporary church service, which plays perfectly into how the song toys with the various meanings of the word “spirit.” It's the kind of song that will have you bobbing your head and clapping along.

For anyone who’s come from a small town, “River” is vivid and sentimental, reflecting on “ghosts of better years” and the beautiful memories of time gone by.

Most notable on the album and the unanimous favorite of Kendra and Cole is “Pennies." Kendra said, “It’s the first song I really completed after I lost my dad. I had that idea and one of my dad’s old guitars and it just kind of fell out.” The lyrics of “Pennies” draw a hauntingly beautiful picture of what it might look like to put a value on pain and how it would be perceived from the outside.

Following in quick succession is their first single and most danceable tune, “I’ve Got You Covered;" the steady and alluring promise of forever in “Banded Together;” and the song that emphasizes how, when it comes to love, actions will always speak louder than words, "Laundry."

With only a small handful of great country female duets in the world, “Curb Appeal” is a catchy, quick-witted surprise. It’s the kind of song you could picture being done by the likes of Reba and Dolly, but fearlessly championed here by Kendra and Kayla Ray. It’s full of twang and sass with lines like “she’s got a nice big pair of aftermarket parts / to cover up that cold black heart.”

“Looking for Love” gave the Porters a chance to showcase the hidden talents of their close friend and sound engineer Cody Jones. Cole laughs, “If you look on the album, you’ll see there’s a guy with hand clap credits. That was our sound engineer. That was Cody’s big moment to shine.”

There’s very clear growth from the first album the Porters worked on together as Cole Porter Band to where they’ve evolved now as Porter Union. It’s rare for a couple to chase the same passion and enjoy doing it together along the way, but Cole says, “I don’t know how we’d do it otherwise. I know people make it work all the time, and I’m sure we’d figure it out, but it’s the coolest thing to share the thing you truly love with somebody else.”

Kendra said she’d been thinking about that a lot lately and feels incredibly grateful for the life they’ve made. “In these really high, happy, great moments you have someone who understands exactly what it feels like to put out a brand new album with songs that you’ve written. We get to share those feelings in these big moments.”

The new album is available now on Porter Union’s site theporterunion.com along with a whole new line of merchandise. It’s also available to download on your music service of choice.

Track List