Aaron Watson will always love his country, regardless of who is President. The Texas singer’s love of the United States of America was instilled in him at a young age, and has nothing to do with who is currently living in the White House.

“I love America and I don’t care if Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck is elected president,” Watson tells People. “I’m going to wake up every day and be so darn proud that I am American. I can’t control anything that these politicians, or frankly anything anyone else does, but what I can control is what happens under my own roof and what happens in my own community. People need to stop putting all their faith in these men and women in Washington. Put your faith in God and the ones you love.”

Watson’s latest album, American Soul, is out now. The record was created before much of the world shut down because of the pandemic, and political unrest was prevalent in the country. Still, Watson insists the songs still work, may now more than ever.

“I wrote American Soul two years ago, before the pandemic and everything that’s going on right now in politics and such,” Watson says. “We are going to go through hard times, but you can’t hold down the American soul.”

Watson grew up with a disabled Vietnam War veteran as a father, and spent much of his time in the VA hospital. The unusual upbringing gave Watson a keen sense of what did and didn’t matter in life.

“The hardship that this country has been through has always been in my face,” says the 43-year-old. “This world has been through hard times, time and time and time again.”

While much changed for Watson in 2020, he wouldn’t trade any of it, even the hard times.

“When I look back on 2020, I will remember it as a crazy year,” Watson says. “I lost a lot of money and I made some priceless memories. I have a better idea of who I am and the parts of me I need to work on. I truly appreciate things I once took for granted. I’m different now. We all are.”

Purchase American Soul at AaronWatson.com.