It's so much more interesting when you're human. I hate making mistakes, but I'm not afraid of 'em.

I made records in the past that are as traditional as any other country records that have been made, but at the same time the records have a contemporary slant on it too.

The real amazing thing about all of this is I think I've maintained the mentality of a musician throughout it all, which I'm proudest of. And I'm still playing on people's records and singing on people's records.

It is not fun singing about losing somebody like that, but at the same time it was easy to write because the memories were so real and vivid and so much a part of who I am.

The funny thing is, people's perceptions of what a song is about is usually wrong a majority of the time. But they're still going to read what they want to into it.

With The Key, it was, I had gone through a divorce and losing my father, and just kinda really reminiscing about how much I loved the traditional side of country music, so I made a record that was really traditional from start to finish.

It really does take a lot of time to make records, to be in the studio and do all that stuff.