Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott had a bumpy first two years together as the trio Lady Antebellum, they tell the Associated Press.

"It took us time to learn how to communicate with each other the best way and each of us receives it," Hillary says. "We actually—I don’t feel ashamed to say—actually had someone come and mediate a couple of times.

"[We used] not really a therapist, but a communications specialist. . . . We figured out how to argue and work through things, but argue respectfully. Because we agree on a lot of things—on most things—but on the things that we didn’t, it was figuring out how to work through those things. Time and a couple of sessions with that mediator and we figured things out."

Adds Charles: "The first two years were really hard. The last two years have been really easy."

And Dave says, "I think we’re the closest we’ve ever been as a group right now."

Lady Antebellum is releasing its third album, Own the Night, this week, and the trio is off to a good start: The first single, "Just a Kiss," shot up to No. 1.