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“Our Fans Needed a Break From Us," Charles Kelley Says

Every once in a while, everyone needs to take a time out, look at the big picture, step back and live through all those other clichés about getting a break from yourself.

Then when you come back, you’re refreshed and ready to go.

In the case of Lady Antebellum, that means a new album -- Heart Break, due out June 9 -- and a new attitude about the music they’re making after their year-long break.

“We felt like our heart, creatively, needed a break. And we felt like our fans needed a break from us,” the band’s Charles Kelley told People. “It was just a constant next thing. You’re on tour and then you turn around and are promoting a record. We needed to freshen up.”

During the band’s time out from each other, they were still working hard on their own projects. Kelley put out a solo effort (The Driver), Hillary Scott and her family released a gospel album (Love Remains) and Dave Haywood took on some producing gigs.

Kelley admits he missed Scott and Haywood, and being part of something bigger.

“I was out doing a handful of solo shows in smaller venues and clubs and that was exciting, but it was exhausting having to reintroduce yourself,” he said.

Haywood added that before the break, there was a sense of fatigue. But now?

“Now we have that perspective of ‘we get to do this,’ not ‘we had to do this,’” Haywood said.

And Scott says that the hiatus gave her a chance for a little self-improvement.

“We all had our own space to grow as individuals,” Scott said.

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