Jewel Says New Baby Addition Is ‘Great Timing’

Jewel and rodeo star husband Ty Murray are less than two months away from welcoming their first baby. Due to give birth to a boy in July, the singer-songwriter says she's more than ready for the new addition.

"We feel like it's great timing, even though we're a little older," the 37-year-old says (quote via ABC News). The happy couple dated ten years before tying the knot, and then waited three more years to have a baby.

"We were both real careful and cautious about it. It sort of scared both of us," she admits. But now, even before their son enters the world, the multi-platinum-selling star says her new little boy is already affecting every aspect of her life -- including her music. She recently finished her second children's album, 'The Merry Goes 'Round,' which will hit shelves this fall.

"I wanted it to work on a lot of levels where infants would like it and they could just bounce to the rhythm of a song. Then as they get older they could get into the storytelling aspect, and hopefully have them be well-crafted pop songs that a parent would like," she explains.

As if changing diapers and filling bottles won't be enough to keep the new mom occupied, she's also getting ready to launch a new TV talent show, 'Platinum Hit' on Bravo, with former 'American Idol' judge Kara DioGuardi, that focuses on developing the talent of budding songwriters. The winner of the series gets a $100,000 check plus a contract with a major record label.

"They're hit makers," the 'You Were Meant For Me' singer says of the 12 contestants. "It's a very competitive field. One day they might be writing for Ke$ha. The next day they might be writing for Carrie Underwood. So you have to be able to be really versatile and really competitive on the radio format."

The pop-meets-country superstar says the show resonated with her for a very personal reason. "I would've loved to compete on this show when I was young," she acknowledges. "Had I known you could be just a songwriter, didn't have to be a celebrity, I might have really thought about it."

The Alaska-born songbird will wear dual hats on the show, as both host and judge. But while her new roles add to her already packed schedule, she says she's passionate about her new job titles. "My goal in being involved was to give each contestant a better shot at being hit songwriters, whether they won the show or not," she blogs on the show's website. "This is a hard business to break into, and there is NO SCHOOL that teaches it. As an artist and songwriter, I benefited so much from other artists taking me under their wing and schooling me. From Bob Dylan to Neil Young, they took me aside and gave me straightforward advice and information I badly needed as an aspiring singer-songwriter. And it became words to live by."

'Platinum Hit' airs Monday nights on Bravo at 10:00 PM ET.