Jerrod Niemann on Creating Music: ‘I’ve Always Just Tried to Stay Out of My Own Way’

Jerrod Niemann is putting the finishing touches on his upcoming new album, but he isn't worried about fitting into any of the current trends in country music. The singer-songwriter says that he is trying to find songs that resonate with him, regardless of if he thinks they have radio potential.

"I’ve always just tried to stay out of my own way, at least attempting to carve my own path, whether it’s parallel with what’s going on or not," Niemann tells The Boot. "Everybody gets thrown into certain categories, but I think if you trend hop, sometimes you go away. And that’s what was so great about guys like George Strait and Alan Jackson: They never really would bend, just because they had their own thing, which is amazing, and that’s why they are who they are."

Niemann says that spending so much time on tour over the last couple of years has actually helped him hone his own sound.

"We’re on the road so much, you’re kind of in your own world, playing for people that are nice enough to show up," he says. "I guess I feel like I do my own thing when it comes to that."

The Kansas native also credits his loyal fans with his successful career, which has already spanned more than 15 years.

"I definitely noodle on the guitar, just trying to write stuff, but I would never take a guitar off the wall and just sing a song by myself," he says. "The people that literally will spend their hard-earned money traveling all over the place to let us play music is mind-blowing. So I definitely think of them when I’m recording, writing, and just a lot of them -- there’s some that have definitely been to 100 shows. I see them more than I do my parents. It's kind of your family away from family. That’s really nice of them to take their lives and intertwine them with ours on the road. They’re definitely a big inspiration."

Niemann just released the debut single, "Blue Bandana," from his new record. The song is available for download on iTunes.

Jerrod Niemann Opens Up About His New Music

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