On Thursday, October 27, 2011, Suite101 chatted with country singer Joe Nichols about his latest album, It’s All Good, which is set for release on Nov. 8, 2011, by Show Dog Universal Music.
Nichols Talks About his Newest Single
At this writing, Nichols' latest single, "Take It Off," is a top-25 hit on the Billboard Country charts and its music video has received more than 1 million views on YouTube.
"It’s a fun song!" Nichols exclaims. "It’s a summertime song that I wish we got out a little sooner. It was meant for the summertime when you go out to the lake or when you go out to the river and have some fun. It sets the tone for a good, fun album."
Nichols Talks About 'It’s All Good'
Nichols notes that the song selection process for his new album It’s All Good was "lengthy."
"We had a lot of material to choose from, and we had to make up our minds on what musical style to go towards. I wanted to stay true to my past and to be more traditional. This album shows who I am. It’s a little more country than most things out there, and I am extremely proud of it. Be ready to cry, be ready to love, be ready to hug your boyfriends, wives and girlfriends," Nichols said.
Nichols Reveals his Favorite Song from the Record
When asked about his personal favorite tune from his newest album, Nichols remarks, "I have a couple of favorites on this album. I love 'I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.' I like the way it was produced and it has a throwback sound that reminds me of something from the 1980s. At the same time, it has Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski singing harmony. They sing so great and match up just perfectly with what I was doing there. It’s a good time record. The lyric is sweet, and it’s a good country love song. It feels great like a lively record."
Nichols Talks About Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski
On collaborating with Tyminski and Krauss on his latest project, Nichols says, "it was great, but I didn’t get to see them since I wasn’t there that day when there were in the studio. I heard all about it, and of course I wanted to be there so bad, but they were really good sports about it. They lent their Grammy voices to my record!"
Nichols Talks About 'She’s Just Like That' Single
His new song, "She’s Just Like That," is his wife’s favorite song from the record. Shared Nichols: "The lyric catches me! It’s very descriptive of what my wife Heather is. She’s very down-to-earth, and very into praying and being thoughtful, and loves being from the country, and she’s very intellectual.
"Heather’s a great mixture of all these things, and the song says it really well. She’s a honeysuckle sweet, but she’s also a ball of fire," Nichols admits.
Nichols Discusses 'How I Wanna Go'
"'How I Wanna Go' is special to me because it’s so close to home. I have lived my life wide open. It goes back to what’s real to me. It made me look at things completely different than how I used to look at them. I used to think that my life would be out of control and reckless until I die, but now I look at my life as being fulfilled thanks to Heather," he acknowledges.
Nichols Recalls His 'Gimmie That Girl' Hit
Nichols’ "Gimmie That Girl" peaked at No. 1 for two weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Charts, making it his most successful radio single to date.
"That was great!" Nichols acknowledges. "It was one of the bigger singles that I’ve had over the last two years. The lyrics were very flattering and very likeable for women. It was a very endearing song, especially for people in relationships. It had a groovy melody and the production was just right!"
The One that Got Away: 'Who Are You When I’m Not Looking'
"I desperately wanted 'Who Are You When I’m Not Looking' as the first single from the Real Things album," he says, referring to a song that Blake Shelton ma
"It’s one of those things where you can sit back and you can question everybody else’s judgment on the mistakes that they’ve made. The record label had said ‘no’ since they wanted to go a different direction with ‘Another Side of You.’ It’s one of my favorite songs. I still remind those people that made that decision about that decision today. Of course they regret it as much as everybody. Blake Shelton had a big hit with it, and I am proud of Blake for that. I am also proud that the songwriters got the due that they deserve for writing a great song!"
Nichols Talks About Gene Watson
In our phone conversation with veteran country singer Gene Watson on July 12, 2011, he praised Nichols as a "fantastic singer," and dubbed him as a "favorite" of his, since he came out in the music scene.
"Gene Watson has been one of my musical influences my whole life. He is one of the most underrated singers in the history of country music. For him to know my name is just pretty awesome to me. I think that’s the biggest compliment I could ever get. Gene’s one heck of a singer," Nichols remarks.
Nichols on His Future Plans and Dream Duets
According to Nichols, "My plans for the future are to get out there and spread the word about this album, It’s All Good. We have a touring schedule for next year, and hopefully, the success of this album will create new opportunities. We look forward to getting out another single out after 'Take It Off.'"
"I think Miranda Lambert’s got a great, country voice. Ashton Shepherd is great and I love her voice, and Brandi Carlile is an outstanding singer. There are some great female country singers out there that I would love to duet a duet with," he adds.
Nichols Talks About Staying Fit
On staying physically fit, Nichols reveals, "The only thing I do really to stay in shape is trying to get a solid workout in every day, and I try to minimize the terrible food that I am presented with every day, which are usually burgers and pizza. I indulge in these foods a little bit, but I try to eat them as little as possible."
To learn more about Nichols, and his latest album. It’s All Good, visit his official website.
Source
- Telephone communication with Joe Nichols. October 27, 2011.
Markos Papadatos - Markos Papadatos holds over six years journalism experience, authoring over 700 articles, many of which are feature profile interviews.
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