Feeling at home

After traveling into uncomfortable musical territory, county star Gary Allan back on familiar road

Gary Allan knows his fans have been patiently waiting for a new album, which, when released later this year or in early 2019, will be a follow-up to 2013’s “Set You Free.” ¶ The platinum artist, who has released nearly 30 singles with 14 fourteen top-10 hits and five chart-toppers — “Man to Man,” “Tough Little Boys,” “Nothing on but the Radio,” “Watching Airplanes” and “Every Storm (Runs out of Rain)” — never intended to take half a decade between albums. ¶ “It’s going to be worth the wait,” said Allan, calling from Hendersonville, Tennessee. “I’ve cut, like, 25 songs now. It’s made me sick because of how long it’s taken, but I just have to pick a single, and we’ll swing the bat again.”

The California native, who has sold more than 7 million albums with more than 1.4 billion total streams, found himself at a creative crossroads three years ago when the single “Hangover Tonight” stalled at radio.

The progressive tune, which positioned the outlaw country singer as kowtowing to the Music City sound, literally left Allan with a hangover.

“I remember when I turned that song in, my label at the time got excited,” Allan said. “I told them if you release this and you miss, it’s going to look like Gary is trying too hard. And if you release this and it works, then Gary has a brand-new sound.

“They convinced me they could make it happen, it didn’t happen and that’s why I ended up leaving. I feel like every time I reach out and try not to worry, that’s when I stub my toe the hardest. ‘Hangover Tonight’ is a good example. Also, during a big span between records you start second-guessing yourself, but I’m not second-guessing myself right now. I feel good about what’s going to come out.”

Allan’s most recent studio material is decidedly in the traditional vein, which is where he feels most comfortable.

In terms of creativity, the singer said he’s just flexing his quintessential sound, which includes new tunes “Unfiltered” and “Less Is More.”

The former, which could end being the new album’s lead single, is his favorite.

“I’m in love with that song,” Allan said. “The hook is, ‘I want my truth like a hand-rolled cowboy killer/Give it to me unfiltered.’ It’s a really cool, cutting song. To me, it’s like ‘It Ain’t the Whiskey.’ It really sticks out.”

It’s not a stretch to suggest the titles of Allan’s unreleased tunes — “Unfiltered” and “Less Is More” — speak to his personality and appeal in the countrymusic world.

“Absolutely, but a lot of thought went into these songs,” Allan said. “I’m curious to see what my label thinks.”

Area fans will have a chance to hear the new tunes when he returns to Northeast Ohio for a show Nov. 15 at the Masonic Cleveland Auditorium.

Looking ahead, will fans have to wait another five years before getting a new album?

“I hope not,” Allan laughed. “Not if we get something on the radio and start rolling with this stuff. That’s the goal.”

SUBMITTED Gary Allan says to expect a new album by the end of this year or early next.