Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (June 18th 2004)

Military music isn’t all pomp and circumstance

[edited version]

Blake Shelton isn't in a hurry to score a multitude of big hits every year.

Shelton came out with his first big hit, "Austin," in 2001.

"I've been slow building since then. We've had about one hit a year," he said in a telephone interview, laughing. "I like to take my time with this stuff and make sure I make the right decisions. I'm just not in any hurry because this means a lot to me and I want to do this stuff right."

On July 4 he will perform with Chris LeDoux at the Rocky Mountain Stampede in Greeley, formerly known as the Greeley Independence Day Stampede.

Last November, Shelton, who turns 28 today, married his longtime sweetheart Kaynette Williams.

This fall he'll release a new single, "Some Beach," and an album, "Blake Shelton's Barn and Grill."

In a couple of weeks he'll be shooting the video for "Some Beach."

Shelton hopes "Some Beach" is a hit.

"People have to be the ones to decide that," Shelton said.

He said this is the third run he's made at this.

"I've been fortunate so far," he said. "I'm just hoping for if nothing else, equal success.

"I'm just gearing up for another big run at this," Shelton said. "I've been pretty slow coming on."

When Shelton began his music career in Nashville he was just a songwriter. Now he only has time to write two or three songs for each album.

Paul Overstreet, who wrote "Forever and Ever, Amen" for Randy Travis and for other artists, wrote "Some Beach" for Shelton.

"It's basically an anger management song about a guy that drives down the interstate," Shelton said. "People are in a hurry and are cutting him off. He has to think about some beach some where. It's a funny song. It has a great hook and you don't know exactly what the guy's talking about at first until you get halfway through the song."

"Blake Shelton's Barn and Grill" album is an indication of who Shelton wants to be as an artist and as a person.

"By far it's the most country out of the three albums that I've made and it has more of a direction, too, as you listen to it," Shelton said. "Musically, there is more of a common thread that runs throughout all the songs.

"It's just about simple life and everyday struggles that people go through, relationships and things like that," he said. "There's nothing that's so heavy on there that people can't relate to it. I wanted to make an album that anybody could listen to and find stuff in there that wouldn't matter to them."

Shelton said he'll perform new songs and old hits at the Greeley show.

"One of the ways that we decide what the singles are going to be is by playing new stuff from our new albums," Shelton said. "There is such a hard-core country music fan base up there. It's a good place to get an indication from people and what they respond to."

Shelton has only performed one other show with LeDoux and that was in Houston.

"It never ceases to amaze me how popular the guy is," Shelton said. "He doesn't get national radio airplay, but still yet he's bigger than all of us. Chris LeDoux is a guy who knows who he is. The audience loves him for who he is."

Shelton's said doing a July 4 show with LeDoux will be insane.

"I honestly can't wait," he said. "I know he's got a real energetic show. I'm looking forward to getting my part over with, getting a nice chest of beer and sitting next to the stage and watching his show. He's a great entertainer."