"Feels Like Home" is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, released in the US and Japan on September 10, 2013, in Europe on September 13, and in the UK on January 27, 2014. This album marks Crow's debut in the country music genre and is her first release through Warner Bros. Records. The recording took place in Nashville, Tennessee, and the album was produced by Crow and Justin Niebank. Billboard recognized the album as one of the ten best country albums of 2013.
In a 2008 interview with Billboard magazine, Sheryl Crow discussed her transition into the Nashville music community after relocating from Los Angeles in 2006 following a breast cancer diagnosis. Crow noted that she was drawn to the country music format as she felt there was little room for artists like her between dance-oriented pop, rap, and country. While she did not see herself as a traditional country artist, she felt her music had roots in Americana and old country traditions, though she was not familiar with contemporary country sounds. Crow expressed a desire to make a classic country record, although she doubted it would receive much play.
Crow had previously collaborated with country artists such as Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Brooks & Dunn, Dwight Yoakam, and the Dixie Chicks. She also released renditions of classic country songs, including The Carter Family’s "No Depression in Heaven" and Hank Williams’ "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," the latter earning her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2002.
After her last album through A&M Records in 2010, Crow was dropped from the label in 2011. She later participated in a performance of Loretta Lynn’s "Coal Miner’s Daughter" alongside Miranda Lambert and Lynn at the CMA Awards. Brad Paisley, a fellow Nashville artist, encouraged Crow to return to the country music genre, suggesting that her earlier pop-oriented work would fit well with country radio today. Although Crow had concerns about how her crossover would be received, she saw the shift as a natural progression given the changes in pop/rock and country music over the years.
