Photo by Jim Wright
Chuck Wicks is a bit of a renaissance man. After his 2008 debut album, Starting Now, garnered critical acclaim and landed the number seven spot on Billboard's Country Albums chart, he released a string successful singles before making appearances on several television shows including Nashville and Dancing with the Stars. In the last three years, he's co-hosted America's Morning Show with Blair Garner while continuing to release heartfelt singles promoting his maturing sound and skill as a songwriter. On February 26, Wicks releases his second full-length studio effort, Turning Point and we had the opportunity to about his new album and work around Music City.
Nashville Lifestyles (NL): Talk to us about the songs on your latest album Turning Point.
Chuck Wicks (CW): Well, Turning Point has been a long time coming, just because it's been eight years since my last album was out, so I've had plenty of time to think about it and write it. I've just been sitting on these songs for three, four, five years, waiting to have the right project to put them on. This album is that!
I've always considered myself a songwriter first. Some of the songs I wrote right before we were deciding what to put on the record, and a lot of them were based around the success I've had as a songwriter. Like 'I Don't Do Lonely Well,” you know, that was on the Jason Aldean record, and I had my version of that I always wanted to put out, so I just started building on the ideas that came from that inspiration. That gave me 'Us Again,” which was the very first single off this album. I knew the sound I wanted on this record, and I was just picking and choosing from what I've been writing and filling in the holes.
NL: This is your first album on Blaster Records. How did working with this label influence the record?
CW: Working with Blaster has been extremely easy because they let their artists be themselves, you know, and they didn't hover over the project and get nit-picky about every little detail. They just told me, ‘hey man, just go. The reason we signed you is because we believe in you as an artist and as a songwriter, so just do your thing.' And I think the result of that is the best album that I've ever put out to date.
NL: What was it like co-producing the album with your friend Andy Dodd?
CW: You know, Andy is very, very easy to work with. He is a gem in this town who I don't think a lot of people have heard of yet. But the more and more people find out about his talent, things will start happening. I remember walking down in his basement the first time and seeing like, these platinum records and stuff, like Hannah Montana, and all these Disney acts, and I was like 'What the hell?” But we sat down and wrote 'Us Again,” and produced that demo together, and I knew right away that I wanted him to finish the record with me. That's when the best things happen, man, naturally... organically! Especially with a talented dude like Andy.
NL: What are you looking forward to most about your upcoming eight-city tour?
CW: Just getting back out there. I mean, playing the music that I love to make, live. And meeting all the fans and saying hello and seeing their faces. It's an exciting time for me because I've been at it for a while now and there were times where I didn't think I was going to get another shot at this. Going through that's made me so much more appreciative of this moment and I'm going to make sure I enjoy it. The first album was so chaotic and so fast that I didn't really sit back and smell the roses, so to speak. This time, I'm gonna take it in.
NL: You've been featured on a number of TV programs and been a longstanding co-host on America's Morning Show with Blair Garner. How does this work play into your career as a country artist?
CW: It's just me! Everything I do, I try to do as myself, with my own identity. All the shows that I've been on, I've been on as Chuck Wicks. I've gone on as myselfI wasn't playing a part or playing a role, even when I was on the show 'Nashville,” just recently, I went as myself.
The thing about the morning show is that I don't take myself too seriously. I'm a jokester. I like to smile and I like to laugh! But at the same time, I work my ass off. I get to wake up with forty-plus cities every morning for four hours and I get to talk and hear from country music fans. Then on the weekends I get to go see those people and play shows. It's all an opportunity for people to see another side of me.
NL: With so much time and variety of roles in the biz, what are some of your career highlights?
CW: One overall highlight is the fact that I'm still in the game, you know? I was telling my mom the other day, 'Next year, when I hop on the tour bus, that will mark my tenth year,” that's a big accomplishment of its own, getting to do what you love and still be relevant within the industry. One thing I'll never forget is getting to play the Grand Ole Opry. That's a highlight for any artist!
NL: Any dream collaborations/collaborators?
CW: I've always been a huge Carrie Underwood fan. She's got one of the best voices in the business. I also think it'd be fun to do a collaboration with Justin Timberlake. He's such a cool dude.
NL: You sing about drinking a six-pack with a girl on the lighthearted single, 'Saturday Afternoon.” What are some of your favorite places to grab a beer in town?
CW: I've got a couple favorite spots in Nashville. Union Common is a new restaurant with very good food. Kayne Prime steakhouse, because I love me some good steak. And I also love sushi, like that place Samurai Sushi, and Sushiyobi on Demonbreun next to Tin Roof. And yeah, I love grabbing a beer at Tin Roof.