Trouble in Mind (EP)

Background and content

Womack and her spouse/producer Frank Liddell discussed the intention to record an album with limited background production. The pair decided on choosing "handpicked compositions" and one musician for the album. American guitarist Richard Bennett was chosen as the record's session player. Bennett used "vintage" guitars for the recording process. The album was recorded in Liddell and Womack's personal studio. Hannahlee Allers of The Boot music blog called the album a "less is more approach", which followed a similar style to that of Womack's 2014 studio album The Way I'm Livin'. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Womack spoke about her reasons for the project,

"I love the idea of mixing things up, but stripping them back...When you make things that basic, you can hear all the commonalities between, say, Lightnin' Hopkins and Ralph Stanley. When you make those connections, that's when it gets interesting."

Three tracks were chosen for the release of Trouble in Mind. The title track is a blues standard that has been recorded by various musical artists. The second track, "Where Have All the Average People Gone", was first made commercially successful by Roger Miller. Music journalist and critic Stephen L. Betts called the song a "penned gem" that was "unearthed" for the album's preparation. The third and final track, "I've Just Seen the Rock of Ages", was notably recorded by Ralph Stanley in a gospel-bluegrass format.

Critical reception and release

Trouble in Mind has mainly received positive responses from music critics and journalists. Stephen L. Betts of Rolling Stone commented, "For an artist who is so deeply rooted in traditional country music that the cover of her 2005 album, There's More Where That Came From, was designed to resemble a classic country LP, doing something unique to celebrate next month's upcoming Record Store Day isn't surprising." Jessica Nicholson of the trade publication series MusicRow praised Womack's musical choices, stating, "Trouble In Mind is just the latest in a string of interesting collaborations Womack has taken part in during recent months. She co-hosted the International Bluegrass Music Awards with bluegrass stalwart Jerry Douglas, participated in a CMT Crossroads taping with John Legend, recorded with Ralph Stanley, and more."

The extended play was released on Record Store Day on April 18, 2015. It was issued only as a 12 inch vinyl record on Womack's label, Sugar Hill Records. It was available for a limited time period at selected record stores.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from EP information at Discogs.