Tracy Lawrence became one of the reigning hitmakers in country music in the ’90s, churning out chart-topping singles like “Sticks and Stones,” “Alibis,” “Time Marches On” and more. After spending a decade on Atlantic Records, Lawrence moved to a few other record labels, before he realized he would have better success on his own.

“I spent ten years on Atlantic, and then a little time on Warner Brothers, went to DreamWorks, had a couple of huge hits over there, and then DreamWorks got bought out by Universal,” Lawrence recalls on his TL’s Road House podcast (via Music Mayhem), while speaking to Jelly Roll. “I got bounced over there, had a really awful relationship there. It was nasty. Didn’t like the label head at all, and coming off that, you feel like your career is done. Because I had been used to having hit records on the radio.”

Fortunately, Lawrence’s instincts, about his music and his fans, proved correct, and he was still able to continue releasing music, even on his own.

“Over the last several years, I’ve found that your career can continue to blossom if you stay engaged and stay in touch with your fan base,” Lawrence shares. “And with all these new tools that we have, you don’t have to disconnect from all that.”

Lawrence has released several albums on his own, including his recent three-part Hindsight 2020 collection, which included both new songs and new versions of some of his former hits.

“I believe that music fans, if they find something of yours that they like, if they’re a fan of your style, your voice, whatever it is about you that they love, they will go through your entire body of work,” Lawrence explains. “And they will follow you, because they connect with something about you,” he says.

“And I think that goes back to having charisma and likability and whatever it is that makes you connect with people out there,” he continues. “I think there are more people that feel like you and I, that are burnt out on the mainstream media and the scripted crap going on out in the world. I believe people just want to see the real thing, man.”

Not only has Lawrence continued to record and release music, but he’s also maintained a rigorous touring schedule as well, including co-headlining a tour with Clay Walker, which Walker hints might continue into 2023 as well. Find music and tour dates at TracyLawrence.com.