Scotty McCreery‘s new Rise and Fall album is for his fans, but it’s also for himself. The 30-year-old has earned the right to make the music that he wants to make, after a long string of hit singles, including his current “Cab In A Solo,” the first release from the next project.
“I think this record is for me,” McCreery told WNYT, “I feel like I’m at a place in my life and career where I don’t want to be chasing trends or sounds. I want to make a record that feels good to me and my soul, and what I grew up loving, and what I want to make. So we sat down, and I told all my buddies, who are my favorite songwriters but just really good friends, I said, ‘I want to write a country album. I want to tell country stories. I want to tell my story through songs.’
“‘Can’t Pass The Bar‘ is just a good, old-fashioned, country barn-burner, and I’ve never done one of those songs, but they’re a big part of country music history, so I’m glad I finally get my own on this record,” he added.
McCreery has had plenty of highs in the years since he won American Idol in 2011. Although he’s accomplished more than most, especially at such a young age, the North Carolina native says there is a lot more he still wants to do.
“I’d like to say we’re just getting started,” McCreery shared. “I hope I can do this the rest of my life. I know I’ll be doing music, whether five people show up or 5000, I’ll still have a guitar in my hand. There have been moments on stage where we’ll do guitar pulls with five different artists, and I’m the youngest guy there, but they’re all new artists and I’m the veteran on stage. Sometimes those moments are weird. We’ve lived a lot of life in the last 13 years of doing this.”
The title of McCreery’s next album is also indicative of his career, which included being dropped from his record label, which he followed with the overwhelming success of “Five More Minutes,” his first No. 1 hit.
“I feel like we’re on the rise now, but I’ve fallen pretty low as well,” McCreery explained. “I learned from every little part of that, and it helped me to know who I was as a person – let alone an artist. The rises and the falls helped craft these songs. They made this album what it is.”
In addition to “Cab In A Solo” and “Can’t Pass the Bar,” McCreery has also released “Slow Dance” and “Love Like This” from Rise and Fall. The record will be released on May 10. McCreery will be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on April 20. Find all of McCreery’s music and upcoming shows, and pre-order Rise and Fall, at ScottyMcCreery.com.