Blaine Larsen

A big reason for Blaines resolute sense of direction on this project comes from some major experiences hes been through lately. The powerful lead single "It Did" closely mirrors Blaines own journey over the last three years -- marrying his wife Sammie and welcoming their first child Zoe last year. Those events also influence Blaines performance of the albums title cut, "Not Too Bad for a Good Old Boy," and the playful "Baby You Get Me."

"They always say in music that the more experience youve got, the deeper you can go. I think thats showing up on this record. Theres stuff I can sing about now that I wouldnt have been able to do before because I hadnt lived through it."

Blaines newfound perspective also shows up in his performance of "Never Gonna Feel That Way Again" -- telling the story of a high school football player realizing the surprising joy in unexpected fatherhood -- as well as "Some Day When Im Old," which takes a humorous look at what the golden years will look like. Perhaps the biggest musical surprise on the project comes in the tune "Leavin." Its easily the most dynamic performance Blaines ever put to tape.

"Leavin is a really rocking song. You cant really tone it down, and it shouldnt be toned down. It ended up being one of my favorites because it was just so different for me."

When it came to recording Not Too Bad, Blaines vision was quite clear on the style of music he wanted and which Music Row session guys could help him pull it off. The same tight group of ace musicians played on the entire album, giving it a unified sound. In the process, Blaine grew as a musician himself and even took the lead guitar part on the albums mid-tempo standout tracks, "Whats Not to Love" and "Never Gonna Feel Like That Again."

"Ive always played guitar on my own stuff in concert, but Ive never really played much on the record until now . Our guitar player Brent Mason didnt have time to do these songs in the studio. I just said, Why dont I just do it. Im not a virtuoso, but I know what I like and I can play what I hear in my head. Im good at playing my own stuff. I had the most fun playing guitar on this record."

While making Not Too Bad has been the experience of a lifetime for Blaine, one recent accomplishment just might trump it on his list of career milestones. In the process of making his latest record, Blaines also been establishing himself as a songwriter in Nashville, and hes already taken the holy grail for any Music City tunesmith -- a George Strait cut. Blaine co-wrote "I Gotta Get To You," which is included on Straits 2009 release Twang.

"I found out George had cut it on a Friday morning while driving in my truck. I remember pulling over on the side of the road and crying like a baby. Having George Strait cut my song -- thats done. Nothing or no one can take that away. Thats something Ill be telling my grandkids."

Amazingly, the Strait cut is the first time Blaines had one of his songs cut by an artist other than himself, but hes no stranger to countrys A-list when it comes to performing. Tours with the likes of Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, and Kenny Chesney have put Blaine in front of country musics biggest audiences in the past few years, and that excitement of performing live is a big part of what keeps Blaine in the music business chasing this crazy dream.

"Its an adrenaline rush beyond anything you can imagine. Its kind of like a roller coaster. Its those good nights onstage that keep you going and remind you of why you love making music. When Im performing live, I know this is what Im supposed to be doing, and Im where Im supposed to be."

Of course, its Blaines fans who give him those amazing nights onstage. Its often said that country fans are the most loyal on earth, and Blaine has experienced that loyalty first hand.

"Saying thank you to those people just isnt enough because they keep me employed and pay my bills. Its great to get this new music out to them because theyve been waiting for a long time. Theres a lot going on that Ive havent been able to share with people until now. I promise them, its going to be worth the wait." Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.