In the past year, Trace has reaped many of the rewards he has sown with a decade of hard work and working-class anthems. He is thrilling packed houses across the country with one of the industry's highest-energy shows. He has been made a member of the Grand Ole Opry and of the board of directors of the Country Music Association. He has been a frequent guest on TV talkfests and shows including "King Of The Hill" and "Yes, Dear," and spent time as a national spokesman for KFC. Both his Comin' On Strong CD and Trace Adkins Video Hits have recently been certified platinum, and his Greatest Hits Collection, Volume I, which entered the charts at #1, is on the verge. His CD Chrome has gone gold.
Now, with the release of "Songs About Me," he is poised for yet another breakthrough, this time to country's elite territory. The album is filled with the kind of grit and passion for which he has always been known, and the title track is the fastest-moving single he's had in several years. The recognition may be greater than ever, but the formula behind it hasn't changed. "I record songs I can believe in and sing with conviction," he says. "It's that simple." Over the years, that approach has helped him build one of country's most compelling catalogs, from breakthrough hits like "Every Light In The House Is On" and "This Ain't No Thinkin' Thing" through the powerful "I'm Tryin'," the sexually charged "Hot Mama" and the raucous "Rough & Ready," a slice of pure attitude captured for posterity.
"There's so much about this CD that is autobiographical," he says of the new project. "Even if we're able to release four singles on this record, every one would perfectly represent me and where I am. Take 'Metropolis'--that song kills me. It's about where I came from and exactly what has happened to me. 'Arlington' allows me to express a deep reverence and respect and to pay homage to veterans without making a political statement. And then there's 'Songs About Me.' I didn't even have to hear the second verse before I knew I wanted to cut it. I've been in that situation many times, telling people why country music is important, and this is my chance to stand up for this genre."
The first single and much of the album finds Trace working with long-time producer Scott Hendricks. It is a pairing that has wrought many of Trace's hits from the forge of relentless work. "Scott's known me long enough that he can tell when there's something left that he hasn't gotten yet," says Trace with a grin. "He'll keep at me until he gets it, and I'm not always happy about it, but in the end I can sit down after having taken a good Scott Hendricks vocal beating and listen back in the studio and go, 'OK, there it is. That's why I sang three hours on this one song.'"
Trace also cut three tracks--"My Heaven," "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" and "My Way Back"--with producer and guitar whiz Dann Huff, with whom he'd first worked on the Chrome project. "I ran into him at a CMA board meeting and we said to each other, 'We need to do something together again,' and we were able to make it happen. He's so talented in everything he brings to the table. It's an awesome experience to have the producer also be the best musician in the room."