When Sugarland’s Kristian Bush signed on in 2016 to produce Lindsay Ell’s debut album, The Project, he gave Lindsay a “homework” assignment: re-record your favorite album.

Lindsay’s favorite album? John Mayer’s 2006 album, Continuum, which spawned hits such as “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Say.”

“Kristian gave me three rules: I needed to play all the instruments myself, I needed to record it alone in my studio, and I had two weeks,” says Lindsay. “Through it all, I remembered all the things I first loved about making music.”

“I’m not sure she knew what kind of bootcamp I was going to put her in,” said Kristian to NCD. “I’ve been making records since I was 13, and this was her first. She has become a freaking superstar. I think one of the things we’re finding is no one knew how well she could sing because they were just looking at her guitar. They were like, ‘Oh, that must be the device we’re using to talk about Lindsay Ell.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know. Have you guys heard her sing? Like really sing.’ I didn’t get a lot of reaction until we started making recordings. Then I’m watching people’s eyes. They get bigger and bigger, and it looks like you’re looking at a cartoon character. And now the music. I told her, ‘You have to believe in the music you’re making. Otherwise, no one will believe you when they look at you or listen to you.’ She has done a fantastic job at stepping up to the plate and making and singing and interpreting.”

Lindsay will release her version of Mayer’s Continuum on May 25. Dubbed The Continuum Project, Lindsay also co-produced and co-engineered the album.