Country duo Maddie & Tae in feisty debut

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

The country duo Maddie & Tae took on gender stereotypes in their first platinum single, “Girl in a Country Song,” and now they are targeting another overused effect in today’s country music: electronic drum machines.

“Fake drums,” said Maddie Marlow, clenching her fists in mock anger. “I hate the fake drums. Those need to go away!”

Country music’s young provocateurs came out swinging last summer with their on-point criticism of lyrics that portrayed women as simply objects of desire in cutoff jean shorts and bikini tops.

Now that they’ve got everyone’s attention, Marlow, 20, and Taylor “Tae” Dye, 19, have got much more to say on their debut album, “Start Here,” which was released Friday.

The two songwriters from Texas and Oklahoma met at age 15 and found inspiration in the other female artists known for starting trouble in country music, the Dixie Chicks. But they never expected “Girl in a Country Song” to ever get played on radio, much less make them the first female duo to have a Top 10 country song since 2007.

They wanted to follow up with a song that would be just as powerful, but also a true representation of their harmony-laden melodies and original lyrics.

“Fly,” an acoustic guitar-driven song about spreading your wings through adversity, is currently No. 14 on Billboard’s Hot Country songs chart.