Lady A’s Charles Kelley joins forces with pop-rock hitmaker Richard Marx to reimagine “Driving and Listening to Music,” a nostalgic standout from Kelley’s 2025 solo album ‘Songs For A New Moon’ and a song about the car rides, songs, and small forever-moments we never forget.

Stream: “Driving and Listening to Music” – Charles Kelley ft. Richard Marx

Before the awards, the hits and the tours that would take him around the world, Charles Kelley was a kid in Georgia listening to songs from the passenger seat.

Those drives with his dad became the inspiration for “Driving and Listening to Music.”

The standout track from Kelley’s 2025 release Songs For A New Moon has now been reimagined with one of pop music’s most recognizable voices: Richard Marx, adding another layer of nostalgia to a song that already feels like a well-worn map of Kelley’s memories.

It traces the simple, but unforgettable moments that shaped him – from childhood drives with his dad to the freedom of having a license and a car full of friends.

“It’s funny – my dad didn’t talk a lot in the car, but it was one of those things where we’d bond over songs,” Kelley says, calling from a rehearsal studio in Nashville.

Growing up in the Kelley household in Georgia, music did the talking. His mom filled the house with ’80s hits and pop rock. His dad gravitated toward country. Add older siblings with their own playlists, and Kelley grew up listening to just about everything.

“I think that’s where a lot of my influences across the board came from,” he says.

Those early experiences became the foundation for “Driving and Listening to Music,” a song that captures the way music stays with us through every stage of life.

The idea is simple, which is exactly why it works.

“I remember when we were writing it, we were trying to think of a cooler way to say ‘driving and listening to music,’” Kelley says with a laugh. “But that’s what it is.”

For Kelley, some of the song’s most vivid memories come from the freedom of being young and finally behind the wheel.

“You had that moment where you knew you were in a moment in time that it can’t get any better than that,” Kelley says of driving around with friends after getting his licence. “There’s something about road trips and music.”

By the final verse, the song arrives in adulthood, where a drive can still offer the same escape it did years earlier.

“Whatever you’re going through, you need to just kind of zone out and hop in your car and go drive,” Kelley says. “It all seems better.”

That universal feeling is also what drew Marx to the song.

“Charles Kelley was kind enough to send me his new album Songs For A New Moon last year and it went immediately into heavy rotation in my house,” Marx says. “I really love the whole album. But something about the song ‘Driving And Listening To Music’ kept me playing it on repeat.

“So when Charles asked if I’d be into collaborating on a track, I immediately thought of that one.”

The pairing feels natural from the first listen. Kelley’s nostalgic storytelling and Marx’s instantly recognizable voice come together in a song that captures why a simple drive can mean so much.

“Charles is one of the best singers out there and a great hang, as well,” Marx adds. “We had fun singing together. Total pleasure.”

The collaboration grew out of a friendship that began after Marx attended one of Lady A’s Las Vegas residency shows. He joined the trio onstage for “Right Here Waiting,” and the two kept in touch.

When Kelley later sent Marx Songs For A New Moon, he wasn’t expecting such an enthusiastic response.

“He called me back and was blown away,” Kelley says. “He said he was really loving every song.”

So Kelley made him an offer.

“If there’s ever a song you’d want to sing on, let me know.”

Marx already knew his answer.

“He immediately said, ‘Driving and Listening to Music,’” Kelley recalls.

The collaboration even includes a subtle nod to Marx’s own catalogue. He told Kelley the song reminded him of “Should’ve Known Better,” inspiring the pair to weave a few lyrical references into the outro.

“It’s almost like you’re driving and listening to that song,” Kelley says.

For Kelley, who has spent nearly two decades as one-third of country trio Lady A, the experience also reinforced something he’s been thinking about lately.

Making Songs For A New Moon reminded him why he fell in love with music in the first place.

“There was something about making this record where I just couldn’t get enough of the music after I made it,” he says. “It’s the first time in a long time where I just kept going back and listening to it.”

The Marx collaboration follows a series of partnerships Kelley has explored since releasing the album, including a new version of “Can’t Be Alone Tonight” with Maren Morris. For Kelley, revisiting these songs with artists from different generations and musical backgrounds has become part of the fun.

Looking back at that kid in Georgia, Kelley says he wouldn’t spend much time explaining what was ahead.

“I’d probably tell that kid to enjoy the ride,” he says. “You never know where life is going to take you. That’s the beauty of it.”

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