Darius Rucker Is a Man in Demand

Darius Rucker is busy working on his sophomore country album, and he's definitely experiencing something different this time around as the follow-up to his platinum-selling 'Learn to Live' disc takes shape.

Darius recalls that following Hootie and the Blowfish's astronomical initial success, the second Hootie album, 'Fairweather Johnson,' quickly disappeared, and three subsequent albums did even worse. But these days, fellow artists are clamoring to be part of the upcoming project.

"Everybody's pitching songs and calling me to write," Darius tells Reuters, "and my producer Frank Rogers says he's never had a record that more people want to get on than this one. I'm writing with as many people as I can, and if I hear something amazing, we'll cut it."

Among the artists with whom Darius will be collaborating on the new album are Brad Paisley and Luke Bryan.



Darius also reveals his Blowfish buddies are eager to get back out on tour, and are patiently waiting to make another record. "Sometime down the road there'll be another Hootie record and tour. I don't know if it'll be soon, but it'll happen. I'm sure [the other members] want to be out playing, but I think they understand my situation and I think they're pretty happy and proud of me."