Luke Bryan will return once again to serve as a judge on American Idol, along with Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, joined also by host Ryan Seacrest. The upcoming season, which marks the sixth one for all three of the judges to be part of the reality TV talent show, is not only a chance for Bryan to see new talent, but for him to reunite with Perry, Richie and Seacrest, whom he now counts among his closest friends.

“We keep showing up,” Bryan tells Nightline. “It’s been really amazing, getting to call Lionel and Katy and Ryan my friends over the past now going on six years. We’re invested with each other outside of the show. Obviously, Katy being a new mother … we’re sitting at a desk, and she’s always face-timing Orlando [Bloom], and I’m always face-timing my kids. We’re always checking on one another. We just seem to have the right vibes with how we want the show to go and how we want our professional and personal lives to go.”

Bryan loves almost everything about being on Idol, but he admits turning people away is something that he will never, ever enjoy.

“You never really get used to it,” Bryan concedes. “And some of these kids are talented. They’re just not ready. Sometimes I have to yell at Lionel and Katy for sending people away, and then sometimes I know they’re going to yell at me. That’s how it works.”

The 46-year-old balances his time on American Idol with his soaring music career, which includes writing for his forthcoming new album. Bryan just released “Country On,” the debut single from his next record, and plans to continue to balance being on Idol with touring and writing music, all thanks to lessons he learned, perhaps ironically, while growing up on a peanut farm in Georgia.

“I just grew up waking up and getting after it,” Bryan reflects. “Work hard, play hard… I’m constantly typing in song ideas in my iPhone. Sometimes you can type an idea like, ‘old wooden fence posts,’ and you’re like, ‘Well why did I type — what was I thinking?’ A lot of times it’s trying to sit down and focus. I don’t write nearly as much as I used to, but when I do sit down and write, it’s very enjoyable.”

Bryan is currently on his Raised Up Right Tour, which includes Riley Green, Mitchell Tenpenny and DJ Rock serving as his opening acts. Find music and tour dates at LukeBryan.com.

Read ‘Luke Bryan: 11 Things to Know About the Country Music Superstar’ here.