Frankie Ballard Talks Touring With Taylor Swift + Bob Seger

Frankie Ballard is proving he's a bona fide road warrior, as he wraps up his stint opening for Bob Seger and gears up for Taylor Swift's Speak Now World Tour.

"I'm so excited. The Bob Seger thing is incredible for me because I'm from Michigan, and he's a huge deal up there," Frankie tells The Boot. "What's cool about those two tours is that it's totally different audiences. The Seger fans are a group of older fans who are digging what we're doing, but then going out with Taylor we're going to be in front of all new fans. It's a great opportunity to get my music in front of a bunch of people."

The singer-songwriter is loving the opportunity to spend time around a hero. "I've talked to Seger a few times," the 'A Buncha Girls' singer recalls. "He really digs our band. He's been so sweet to us. Him and the crew have opened every possible door to make the thing go smooth. It's been so much fun."

Frankie's been able to pick up a lot from just watching the icon work. "He's in a position where he could probably just mail it in, go through the motions, but he's there ready to rock," Frankie explains. "You forget about all the hits he's had and he starts pouring out all these songs, and it's like, 'God, what a rockstar.' I'm so honored."

While he hasn't received any advice from the 'Like a Rock' singer (yet), Frankie is taking notes. "I'm learning everything I can," he explains. "He is a true professionally, totally still rocks. He brings it every night, shows up for soundcheck ... I've learned so much already. The best advice he gives is just watching him on stage. A guy who is almost 66 years old, still bringing it a stadium like that, there's a lot to learn for a young artist."

In regards to Taylor, though, Frankie doesn't seem to worried about the one occupational hazard the tour comes with: the 'Mean' singer could always write a song about him. "That's only if I start dating her, I guess," he laughs. "I don't know if it's good or bad for my career if she writes a song about me ..."

Our money says that it's good.

Frankie hits the road with Taylor May 27 at the tour's North American kick off in Omaha, Neb. Get a full list of tour dates here.

In other news, Frankie's self-titled debut hits stores tomorrow (May 24). The singer will celebrate its release in his home state of Michigan. Get details here.