No one is more surprised than Brooks & Dunn that REBOOT II is out in the world. The duo, made up of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, released REBOOT II in November, joined by artists like Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen, Mitchell Tenpenny, HARDY, Riley Green and more. The record followed their original REBOOT album, out in 2019.
“We had no plans of doing it again,” Brooks insists to People. “We just figured, ‘That was cool, and that was successful and that was good, and I’m glad it worked, but that was about it.'”
Fortunately, that wasn’t it, and the new version is also a new glimpse at the iconic duo, with jaw-dropping collaborations and new versions of some of their biggest hits, including Halestorm’s rocking “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” Wallen’s reimagined “Neon Moon” and much more.
“This time, we got in the studio and turned them loose,” Dunn recalls. “You pick your song, you take the approach, and we’ll go with you wherever you want to go. No rules.”
If anyone has earned the right to creative freedom, it’s Brooks & Dunn. Their debut Brand New Man album will celebrate its 34th anniversary this August.
“We’re not worried about radio rules or whatever,” says Dunn. “If they wanted to have a guitar player play for 16 or 32 bars, let’s go.”
While it’s impossible for Brooks or Dunn to pick a favorite track on REBOOT II, there is one track that blew their minds: Megan Moroney’s take on “Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You.”
“[Megan] was out touring with us for two years I think, and we never heard that voice come out of her — that sultry, sexy voice,” Brooks boasts. “It felt like she’d been up on a three-day bender smoking Camel cigarettes. They’d already kind of had that idea and sort of had all that worked up.”
Brooks & Dunn have plenty of history and longevity to celebrate. But they are, refreshingly, more concerned with where they are going than where they have been. Their last studio album of new material, Cowboy Town, was released in 2007. Fortunately, there could be a new record of new songs, out later this year.
“We have to stop and remind ourselves that we’re songwriters and we need to play with that a little bit,” Dunn hints. “So, we’re going back and forth with some other stuff.”
When receiving their CMA Award for Vocal Duo of the Year in 2024 — their first in 18 years — Brooks & Dunn hinted that they might have new music coming out soon.
“It’s just back to the music,” Dunn said at the time. “This business is going to go through stages, and is going to go through cycles. A lot of people are going to like it. Some people, they’re not going to like it. Just stay true to what you do. If you’re in the music business, if you’re in it to make music, make your music. And let’s just see what happens.”
Find REBOOT II and all of Brooks & Dunn’s music and upcoming shows at brooks-dunn.com.