Country Duo Tayla Lynn and Tre Twitty Make a Name for Themselves with New Album “Cookin' Up Lovin'” (Exclusive)

The two will perform at the Twitty and Lynn Salute Conway and Loretta concert at Loretta Lynn's Ranch on July 6

Courtesy of MPR Tre Twitty and Tayla Lynn
Courtesy of MPR Tre Twitty and Tayla Lynn

Tayla Lynn and Tre Twitty are the oddball duo country music needs.

"We're just kind of stuck together," Twitty tells PEOPLE with a laugh. "This is kind of our fate."

It’s a fate neither necessarily saw coming, despite having grown up under the spotlight of their famous ancestors — Tre’s late grandfather Conway Twitty and Tayla’s late grandmother Loretta Lynn, Certainly, these two icons went and forever changed the course of country music when they paired up back in the day, racking up 12 Top 10 hits, five No. 1 singles and four No. 1 albums. But since joining their voices and their addictive personalities as a country music duo back in 2016, Tayla Lynn and Tre Twitty say they have increasingly felt as of late that fate has also played a role in their story too.

"We just wanted to see if people would care about this kind of show," explains Twitty. "We just wanted to tell some stories and invite them into our little family. But now, we just kept building steam. I had no idea this would turn into what it has turned into."

Indeed, with nearly 120 dates booked nationwide in 2024, Twitty and Lynn do much more than just spend their stage time singing the covers of their respective grandparents. Instead, the country duo recently began focusing on their new music which now finds a home on their first full-length album, Cookin’ Up Lovin’, a 12-song compilation that has begun to help the duo write their own history and ultimately cement their own legacy.

"It was so exciting to sort of do our own thing but stay in the same vein as Conway and Loretta," says Lynn of the making of the album, which includes three covers of duets made famous by her "Memaw" and Tre’s "Poppy." "We can be the caretakers of the past and we can carry the flag for our grandparents and their music and their legacy, but we can also write our own chapters and serve as a continuation of what they started in a way."

And while this new chapter is filled with new music such as the ultra-soulful "I Hate Me (For Lovin’ You)," the satisfying songs also continue to be influenced by a certain miss Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty.

"I'm a Conway Twitty fan," states Twitty, who will join Tayla at the much-anticipated Twitty and Lynn Salute Conway and Loretta concert at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch on July 6. "He was a big influence on me, just as Tayla is a Loretta Lynn fan and a big influence on her. So, a lot of my style that I got from Conway was not just because he's my granddad, but because I just love him as an artist so much."

Related: Twitty & Lynn to Perform at Annual Loretta Lynn Birthday Bash — the First Since Her Death (Exclusive)

The new album has also allowed both artists to stretch their writing muscles a bit more than ever before.

"Tayla is an amazing songwriter,” says Twitty. "She's the voice of this group as far as what she writes about and the way she thinks it will appeal to our target demographic. She does that more than what I do because I'm more of a rock 'n' roll guy. So, her input and her lyrics and what she wants to write about is going to land better with our audience rather than what I would write about. She's the quarterback of the songwriting."

"And I have learned what an incredible vocalist Tre is," adds Lynn. "His vocals really shine on this record. I was listening to ‘Need Your Love (Give It Up)' and I had chills and tears running down my eyes. I was so proud to be a part of this musical journey with him. He used to be somewhat timid, but now he blows those vocals away."

Courtesy of MPR Tayla Lynn and Tre Twitty
Courtesy of MPR Tayla Lynn and Tre Twitty

In a way, it seems as if this duo is just getting started.

"I'm excited to see what the future holds and what our next album's going to be about," Lynn tells PEOPLE. "And I'm excited to go forth and create our own music."

Just don’t ever call them impersonators.

"I'll put a ball gown on and pretend to be ‘Memaw,’ but we are not impersonators," Lynn concludes. "We're two totally different people — Tre and me. And if the fans didn't like what we were doing, they sure would leave. We would be nowhere without the fans."

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