Album of the Month (June 2015): Easton Corbin, ‘About to Get Real’

Having earned just over 35 percent of votes in The Boot's readers' poll, Easton Corbin's About to Get Real has been named Album of the Month for June 2015.

Corbin's upcoming disc beat out new releases from, among others, Kacey Musgraves, Billy Currington, Gloriana and Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard to earn the June 2015 Album of the Month title.

The country singer announced his plans to release About to Get Real in late April, at which time he shared the album's cover, title and release date (June 30). The project is Corbin's third full-length release with Mercury Nashville.

“When deciding on an album title, About to Get Real just says it all for me,” Corbin explains. “When country fans listen to this album, I want them to take away that even though the music mixes the modern with the classic, it’s entirely real. Like the music of my heroes, it’s the real deal.”

A full track listing for the album has not yet been released, but we do know that the record will feature 11 songs, "Clockwork" and "Baby Be My Love Song" likely among them.

"Baby Be My Love Song" was released in September of last year, and Corbin says that he knew from the very first listen that he wanted to record it.

“I was like, ‘Man, that song really feels good,’” he says of the Brett James- and Jim Collins-penned tune. "So I took it and kept listening to it, and I felt like every time I listened, it got better and more contagious ... I think it’s a very fresh sound, but it’s still country, right down the middle.”

Corbin first shared "Clockwork" back in January of 2014. The song was written by Carson Chamberlain, Wade Kirby and Ashley Gorley.

""Clockwork" is a good reflection of my country roots, and it shows that I’m growing as an artist," Corbin explains. "I think when my fans hear this song, they will get a good taste of how my upcoming album is going to be.”

Indeed, keeping that traditional country sound as part of his music is something that's very important to Corbin.

“[Traditional country]‘s part of who I am and what I love,” he says. “You know, I grew up loving Merle Haggard and George Jones and Keith Whitley and folks like that. It’s just what I love. And ever since I’ve been small, it’s just really spoken to me.”

The infiltration of pop, hip-hop and other genres into country music "makes me want to do traditional country even more," Corbin says. "... It just makes me wanna sing even more traditional country music, to keep that alive, ’cause there just ain’t that much of it out there being represented.

“As an artist, you have to keep growing. I think that’s very important. You can’t stay stagnant. You’ve got to keep evolving,” he adds. “Still, with that evolution and developing, you’ve still gotta make music you believe in and that’s true to you."

About to Get Real follows Corbin’s sophomore album, All Over the Road.

“I’m always thinking about [new music],” Corbin tells The Boot. “I think the creative process should always continue and I’m looking for new songs [and] writing. They say you have a lot of time to prepare the first record, the second record sneaks right up on you. I’m not going to let that happen with the third one.”

About to Get Real is available for pre-order on Corbin’s website.