I try to make an album that reflects what I love about country music. It's not just all about happy parties all the time. There are some sad songs.

But as far as being an American and loving this country and getting a chance to travel across it every day and meeting people on the road and folks in the military, I love this country on so many different levels.

As a songwriter, you might write every day and throughout the course of a year you might get four songs that are really special.

And I'm the biggest country fan there is, but I'm always a little cautious of a slower song or just a song with subject matter.

I try to make an album that reflects what I love about country music. It's not just all about happy parties all the time. There are some sad songs.

I like big shows, a lot of volume and a lot of energy. I love electric instruments. But I do love mixing those with bluegrass instruments and cranking those up, too, with a little bit of that rock energy.

No, as an artist, you have to be free to explore all the corners of your heart. There are no boundaries.