“I'm really proud of it obviously,” he says.
I've been working on this a long time. Last year, I took a little time off to really step back and focus on making the best record I can. With it being my third album, it's a big stepping stone for me. I had to pull a lot of thought, and time and effort into this - not that I haven't done that with the previous albums. This is a big step in my life and my career in order to make it up to the next level without just continually doing the same thing as I've done before. I'm really proud of where this one's going.”
Leading the charge behind the album is the infectious title track, which has already been certified Gold for 500,000 downloads – along with his previous single, “Eight Second Ride.” When it comes to his current single, Owen said that it is different than anything he’s cut before. “That song was done completely in a way that was different from the rest of the record - not to mention in a way that is different than Nashville. That's probably why it worked. It's a song I heard one night when I was supposed to be finishing up my record. Something hit me, and I just felt like it was meant to be. I went back in the studio the next morning, and told the guys who were making the record that we have to do this song, even though the record is supposedly finished. I just went ahead and we did it ourselves in this studio. We put a backbeat together, and made some claps. snaps, and a bunch of dudes on microphones singing "Whoa," played some acoustic guitars on it, and next thing you know, we had a big old sounding track. It was something that nobody at the record label had ever heard or even knew would be coming their way soon,” he said, allowing that he likes the element of surprise. “That's how I roll, dude. I like to keep people on their toes.”
He thought there might be some resistance when he played it for the brass at the label, but everything seemed to have a plan. “I brought it into the label, and they wondered at first what it was. When they heard it, I think they were pretty surprised. It seemed like the theme of my record making this time around with Joey, Rodney, and Tony Brown - everything happened for a reason.”
While there are several high-octane party songs on the disc, there are also a few more poignant performances, such as “The Journey Of Your Life.” In a 2006 interview to promote his debut disc Startin’ With Me, Owen said he always wanted to have a couple of cuts on each disc he released – just in case one of his heroes like Merle Haggard might be listening. “I couldn't have a record full of songs like ‘The Journey Of Your Life,’ but I wanted to have one on there like that. Number one, I wanted to do that for guys like Merle Haggard listening to the record, and anyone who has been a Country Music fan over the years.”
He says that for you to truly appreciate the genre, you need to realize the history and present of it. “Number one, you have to understand where it's coming from, and where it came from. But, also, you need to understand the changing ways of the world, and the way that people are listening to music now. There are people who are listening to Country Music, you pull out their iPods, and they've got everything from Lil' Wayne to Kings of Leon on there. I just had to put some validity on there as far as based on my love and liking of Country Music. When I heard that song, I knew it was one of the greatest written songs I ever heard. Alan Jackson was the king of writing songs that were simple, but yet profound. That's what this song did for me when I heard it. It's been a while that I've heard a song that every single line hit me as "Damn, that's pretty profound."
He has lived with the song for some time, saying that “I heard that song about two and a half to three years ago, and wanted to record it then. But, my last producer told me that I didn't need to do that song because it didn't have a chorus. It wouldn't work. I remember telling him that I didn't care. Songs like 'Feels So Right' didn't have a chorus. That was a song that meant something to someone. I just felt instantly that was a song that came from my grandfather and the time I spent hanging out with him as a kid. Grandpas and Grandmas seem to have a wisdom that you can’t find that often. They've been around. They've seen it all.
There's a lot of rockin' songs on my album, as you've heard. That's what I do as well. I've always loved to sing those kinds of songs. I like people to know that I can sing a good Country song as opposed to hiding behind a bunch of guitars and drums.
On the first two albums I made, I wrote pretty much everything on there. To be honest with you, if I could give any new artist a piece of advice that I've learned, it would be that writing your songs is great. Anybody can write great songs – one or two of them, but you can't out-write Nashville. You can't out-write those people that are sitting in those rooms every day for a living. If you think you can, well, good for you, go ahead and try it. I just feel like you are completely doing yourself an injustice by not including the town and these amazing writers.”
If he sounds like he knows what he’s talking about, he’s been there. “Take it from experience,” he shares. “It took me six years of my life playing songs that were hits on the radio, but that's the difference between a good song and a great song. Great songs are what people remember you for. Good songs are ones that get on the chart because the radio spends enough money to shove them up the chart. A great song is one that gets itself up there, and people remember it forever. Those are the type of songs that build careers. I'm not in it for being just a guy on the radio with a song.”
He admitted that in 2006 that was a different case. “I might have been in the beginning. You get a record deal, and you just want to be on the radio. You want someone to hear you. I've been on the radio. People have heard me. I want to be around for a long time, and the only way to do that is to have great songs. So, this time around, I met people that I had never met before. I had included people on my record that I had never met before. Now, not only do I have great songs, but a lot of people in town that have a vested interest on my record that are pulling for me. I like that feeling. I like having supporters in Nashville that are back there waving the flag saying I like that guy and I'm pulling for him. He cut one of my songs. I think it's cool. The more people you bring to the party, the better the party is going to be.”
In addition to all the exposure that the current single has netted him, he can also be seen on the road with Keith Urban on his “Get Closer” tour. When asked about that experience, he said “It's awesome. Keith Urban is probably the most legit real deal artist I have ever been around, in terms of our format. He's kind of like the modern day Vince Gill, kind of like he was to people. The guy is a true talent and a true musician. He can get on stage with anyone in any format and go head to head with them. That's something to really look up to. The opportunity to be out here, I have taken that and I have learned. I'm going to put that in my little mental note box for later in my life and career. Hopefully, one day if I can headline a tour like this one day.
If he keeps it up at his current pace, that day may come soon! For more on Jake, log on to www.JakeOwen.net!
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