Kate Hudson on making 'Glorious', her debut album: 'If I hadn't done this, I would have regretted it a lot'

It's fair to say that Kate Hudson has unveiled her new album. Although the actress has been writing songs since she was 19, it wasn't until the COVID lockdown that she felt strongly that if she didn't make an album, “I'm going to regret it so much,” she says.

At the time, she sang a Zoom benefit for one of her children's schools and the song caught the attention of Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer Linda Perry, who had a child at the same school.

“He called me [and asked] “You sing a lot and would you like to come into the studio and sing a song that I think you would sound really good?” Hudson, 45, recalls. “The song wasn't on the album. it was just a way for us to meet and see. And then he says, “Are you writing?” and I said, 'Yes,' and she said, 'Well, let's write!'”

The result is Gloriousa wide-ranging set on Friday (May 17) that draws on many different styles, including bouncy '80s synth-pop (“Talk About Love”), acoustic folk (“Live Forever”), blues (“Love Ain't Easy”) and thumpy rock (“Gonna Find Out”).

Most of the 12 songs – which examine all kinds of relationships, from romantic to platonic to parental – were written over the course of two weeks. The music was poured out by Hudson and her co-writers/co-producers, which included Perry, her finances, musician Danny Fujikawa and songwriter (and Carolina Liar keyboardist) Johan Carlsson.

“It was literally like opening a channel,” says Hudson. “At one point, we wrote three songs in one day and Linda said, 'I think we should stop. I think we have two albums.' We could write forever. Linda said. “You have all this feeling that just needs to come out.”

Hudson, who is managed by Sandbox Entertainment, decided to release the album independently through record services company Virgin Music Group. Below speaks the sparkling star Advertising sign from the set of the upcoming Mindy Kaling-created Netflix basketball comedy Running point — where Hudson serves as an executive producer and also plays the head of the fictional Los Angeles Waves professional basketball team. She talks about her independence, the making of the album, and what a fan of fantastic music might think of her new album.

We all knew you could sing from Joy and other roles, even since then Almost famous. But was it different singing as yourself instead of a character?

Yes! When I used to sing in movies, [I’m] produced to sing in a certain way. The music I've always written has developed since I was very young – what my natural, instinctive singing voice is. So when I went in to make a record with Linda, it was very important that what came out was just instinct. I wasn't going in with the intention of singing a song that sounded a certain way. It was really fun for me, because I realized what my natural, instinctive voice was.

It sounds like the perfect confluence of events — because you said that during the COVID lockdown, I felt very strongly that it was the right time to finally record music after decades of making it.

In COVID, it went something like this for me. I was writing a lot of music. I was at my house with my piano and our guitars and our studio, and we just started writing a ton. That's when it really started to hit me that if I don't do this, I'm going to feel like I left something creatively on the table and I'm going to regret it so much. So I was putting it out there and then it happened.

Meeting Linda, she came without any expectations. I didn't have this grand plan. I didn't know what the album would look like, where it would fit. But when Linda and I started writing with Danny, something happened. We wrote so well together. She and I are both Aries. We both like to move quickly through things and not overthink things. So we have this great spontaneous, productive writing relationship and I felt so lucky because she's an amazing songwriter.

Linda is one of the world's leading songwriters. Were you scared to write with her?

No. We didn't have that kind of relationship. We had a real love for each other. I have deep respect for her art, but I'm no spring chicken either. When you're working together and collaborating, you have to be really open — and it goes both ways. When we walked in, the first thing Linda said was, “I want to be a facilitator and help you get what you feel and what you want.” That's just how she approached it, which wasn't about her, was to help me really realize some of the sounds and feel that I wanted to bring to an album.

One of the most emotional songs on the album is “Live Forever,” which is about your oldest son, Ryder — and almost growing up together, having him when you were so young. What was his reaction to hearing it?

Emotional. It's an emotional song — and he was leaving at the time [for college], so it was even more emotional when I wrote it. He has been in college for two years. You realize very quickly that your children are leaving, but they are not really leaving. [Laughs.] But that moment for a parent and their child is so intense — and if you have a great relationship with them, it's so emotional. I actually sang it in New York [a few weeks ago]. I did this little show and it was the first time I sang the song in front of him, which was really cool.

You can cover a lot of different pop styles here, while “Live Forever” is country. So many pop artists, including Beyonce, Post Malone and Lana Del Rey, are making country albums. Thinking of making a country album?

I don't know what I want to do. I think this country comes naturally to me. A lot of the songs we write kind of sit there – Americana, country, roots rock. I know there's going to be a lot of that — especially from the writing, whether I'm singing it, or performing it, or for someone else. Danny and I wrote a couple of country songs the other day, and we're like, “Oh, who are we giving these to? We have to get it into someone's hands.” I've always loved country music, but my mom's whole family, the Hawns, are all Nashville. I have many of these in my family.

You're not short of musical people you're connected to, including Ryder's father, Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes and your second son's father, Matt Bellamy of Muse, as well as your father, Bill Hudson. Have you talked to any of them about making music or played them the album?

We are all very close. We've all shared music before it's out. I need to hear some of Chris's new album [The Black Crowes’ Happiness Bastards], which I think is so great, before it comes out. I don't know how we managed it, but we were all very close and together holiday after holiday. Honestly, I've always had nothing but support from my partners in my life when it comes to music, and that's forever. So it was always so cool. Without talking about them, I think they're all very excited and happy that I'm really pursuing it.

You are also known as a shrewd businesswoman. You are the executive producer of your new line and co-founder of the activewear line, Fabletics. How did you educate yourself about the music industry?

From a very young age I have understood it a little. I met Chris when I was 21 years old. But I have to say that I didn't really understand the ins and outs of the business until I started really having to set things up and figure it out. And my God, it's such a complicated business. It's a lot of work. It's one thing to love music and love to play music and then another thing to have this career. The business side of it – shocking. I had no idea there were so many different avenues and revenue streams and people involved. It is a very complex business. The version, your bosses and if you own them. It is endless.

I think when you're young and hungry, you just want to get out there and hit the road. But the business side of it can be so complicated that you realize, “Oh, wow, no wonder there are all these stories of kids and people who aren't really protected.” I feel there should be a lesson.

Why did you decide to release your album independently?

I feel like at this time in my life, I want to do it because I love it and because it was really important to feel really authentic. I just felt like the only way I could do that was to be independent.

We found out Almost famous before, what do you think Penny Lane would think of the album?

[Giggles.] Well, last time I checked, she was my No. 1 Band-Aid — but, you know, she's also biased.