Uncle Kracker Returns To Studio For Next Album

Uncle Kracker is headed into Nashville this week to start recording his fifth album and follow-up to 2009's Happy Hour. He's written about 20 new songs for the recording sessions.

In an interview with Billboard, he talks about the new project:

"I'm kind of excited -- actually, the most excited I've been in a long time. (The songs are) a little more Americana. I don't want to say rootsy, but I think it's more 'me' than the last record was. The overall goal this time was to go in and have fun."

"I've never really been in the process where I had a second single still at radio and I started writing to record," he explained. "It's pretty calculated, I guess, probably the most organized I've ever been. Me and organized in the same sentence -- that's weird."

Uncle Kracker collaborated on the new songs with J.T. Harding and Shane McAnally, who co-wrote Kenny Chesney's latest country chart-topper, "Somewhere with You." Keith Stegall will be producing. And Uncle Kracker said the as-yet-untitled project is under the gun to record quickly, in order for him to hit the road supporting Chesney starting March 17 in West Palm Beach, FL.