Ingrid Andress Shares at 2023 Grammys How a Kickball Game Led to Collaboration with Sam Hunt
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The ball was in Ingrid Andress's court.
Well, actually, the ball was on the field, as the country singer, 31, joined a kickball game after she had finished writing the Grammy-nominated song "Wishful Drinking."
After laying eyes on fellow country star Sam Hunt, 38, who was also there to play kickball, the "Lady Like" singer realized Hunt was just the person she needed to complete the track.
Andress, speaking to PEOPLE on the red carpet prior to the 2023 Grammy Awards, explained that she "did not have the balls" (no pun intended) to ask Hunt to collaborate right then and there.
However: "I had my team reach out to his, and he was like 'Yeah, I love this,'" Andress recalled.
As for where she was the first time she heard the song —up for best country duo/group performance honors Sunday night — on the radio?
Andress, who claims she "can't cook to save my life," revealed she was, ironically, on her way to the grocery store.
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"It wasn't even official yet that it was gonna be played at radio," she recalled. "And it came on while I was going to the store, and I was like 'Wait, what?'"
"It was such a wonderful surprise. I'm so glad people can relate to it."
Jon Kopaloff/WireImage, Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Hunt, who is known for hits "Body Like a Back Road" and "Breaking Up Was Easy in the '90s," is "so down to earth," according to Andress.
"I appreciate him because he and I are similar; because we are paving our own way sonically," she noted.
Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Sam Hunt
She also raved about his vocal talent: "When I got his vocal [track for the song] I was like, 'I need to re-do mine! He sounds better than me!'"
Did she actually go forth with that?
"I did! I did!" Andress told PEOPLE, laughing.
The 2023 Grammy Awards are airing live on CBS and Paramount+ Sunday night from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
