When a caller asked the trio if they would consider going to Iraq to entertain the troops, lead vocalist Natalie Maines answered, “Absolutely. We get a lot of positive response from [military] families, a lot of letters.” Bandmate Emily Robison added, “I think soldiers are not just one homogenous group, just like Americans aren’t. They all have different feelings about the war.” The group also called their new CD, Taking the Long Way, their most complete effort yet. “I think our music is a little more mature and we take on heavy subjects, but in a more serious way,” explained Martie Maguire. Emily revealed that the title track “encapsulates our career a little bit. We wrote this song as kind of a recap of where we’ve been and where we feel like we’re going.”