It's the big time for Little Big Town

Little Big Town (from left), Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, and Phillip Sweet, is nominated for vocal group of the year at next month's CMA Awards. (Autumn de wilde)

The Energizer Bunny has got nothing on Little Big Town. The country music quartet has suffered its share of setbacks as well as successes in its decade-long history. Singer-songwriters Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Phillip Sweet, and Kimberly Schlapman have weathered label woes, divorces, and the death of Schlapman's first husband.

The band has also scored big with hits like "Boondocks" and "Bring It On Home" and critical acclaim for its harmony-rich rock that draws on influences from Alabama to Fleetwood Mac.

The group seems to be reveling in good news lately. In addition to the marriage of Fairchild and Westbrook, the birth of the first Little Big kids (to Sweet and a remarried Schlapman), the band recently signed with Capitol Records. Today the label will reissue Little Big Town's terrific 2007 album, "A Place to Land," with four bonus tracks. One of those tracks is "Life in a Northern Town," the group's surprise hit collaboration with former tour mates Sugarland and Jake Owen.

On Thursday Little Big Town hits the Hub with Carrie Underwood, and we recently caught up with Fairchild, who can also be heard singing backup on the new John Mellencamp album.

Q. Can we expect a tour collaboration with Carrie a la "Life in a Northern Town"?
A. We can only hope (laughs). That was such a big surprise it became a hit with the fans so organically. Jennifer [Nettles] and Kristian [Bush, of Sugarland] said in the dressing room one day, "Hey, why don't we do something? Not a Christmas song, but something wintry and cool with big harmonies." So we dove off learning parts and did it in the show the next night, and man, it took on a life of its own.

Q. You're also nominated for vocal group of the year at the CMA Awards in November. But you've got some tough competition from Rascal Flatts and the Eagles, which must feel good. How do you like your chances?
A. Anytime we're in a category with Rascal Flatts - much less to be in the category with the Eagles! - my mom always goes, "Oh, I'm sorry" (laughs). And it's like, "Mom, jeez." We have renamed that category the Rascal Flatts category, but it's cool. They have worked so hard and I think sold more tickets than anybody in the business this year, so it's well-deserved, of course.

Q. It's interesting that they're so dominant right now and Sugarland is also really breaking through and groups like yours and Lady Antebellum are on the ascent. After years of solo-artist dominance, do you think the tide is turning in Nashville and country music toward groups again?
A. I hope so. It really had [been dominated by solo artists], and yet harmony singing came from bluegrass and country groups. A lot of it is the heritage of growing up in the church and singing. So it's about time, isn't it, that some harmony groups get some big awards?

Q. You sing backup on most of John Mellencamp's new album, "Life, Death, Love, and Freedom," and the band did the same on his last album. How has it been working with him?
A. I'm incredibly honored just to be a part of that record. John has encouraged us as songwriters . . . about how we can make it different and new and it is very inspiring. I'm grateful that an American icon like John sees so much in our little band.

Little Big Town opens for Carrie Underwood at the Agganis Arena Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $33.50-$53.50.