Josh Turner Back in the Studio

Josh Turner has already released five studio albums, but he admits he is a bit nervous as he heads back into the studio to record a new set of tunes.

"In all honesty, it's been the hardest record of my career to make," he admits (quote via CMT). "I don't know why. It's been tough for me to write the songs. It's been tough for me to find the songs. I think this whole town has been in a funk, you know? Everybody's writing about the same thing, the same kind of melodies. It's just been very frustrating."

The South Carolina native, who has already recorded nine songs, says he wrote 60 for his upcoming project.

"When it came time for this record, I didn't have a direction," he concedes. "I didn't know what I was supposed to be writing towards. I didn't know what I supposed to be doing or saying."

Turner, who has sold more than five million albums and had 12 Top 40 hits, reveals he became plagued by self-doubt in the process.

"I'll be completely honest, I started asking myself, 'Do people like my kind of music anymore?'" the 'Long Black Train' singer acknowledges. "I had to ask myself that question, you know, or else I wasn't ever going to get the answer. And I came up with the answer, 'Yeah, they like my music, my style of music.' But I went back to my mantra -- which has always been do traditional country music but find a new way to do it."

The 36-year-old says he wanted to find a fresh way to record the music he loves, and thinks he is finally on the right path.

" I don't know if I've totally found the way to do it yet, but I definitely feel like I'm headed in the right direction. I have the recipe now," he says. "This is gonna be a sweet record -- regardless of what happens once it gets out there -- because I've worked my butt off for this one."

Turner is certainly having a busy 2014. In addition to touring and working on the new record, he has is also releasing his first book, ‘Man Stuff: Thoughts on Faith, Family, and Fatherhood,’ next month. Pre-order a copy here.