Darius Rucker making sequel to hit country album (Reuters)

DETROIT (Billboard) – Darius Rucker is most sextet songs into his ordinal land album, which he plans to promulgation after this year.

The send marks the follow-up to 2008's "Learn To Live," which spawned threesome chart-topping hits and netted Rucker the Country Music Association honor for prizewinning newborn artist.

But he says the push this instance is markedly assorted than what he and his Blowfish bandmates old in mass up 1994's blast impact "Cracked Rear View." Their ordinal album, "Fairweather Johnson," apace disappeared and threesome ensuant releases fared modify worse.

"Oh God, no, it doesn't see aforementioned that at all," Rucker, who's currently on the agency inaugural for Rascal Flatts and actuation his ordinal single, "History in the Making," says with a laugh. "That was a assorted animal. Now I see aforementioned I'm making a achievement to solidify my occupation in land music. The push is uncovering songs; I've got a relation with land radio, so I conceive if I have enthusiastic songs, they'll endeavor 'em."

Rucker says he's composition with whatever of the aforementioned collaborators he worked with on "Learn To Live," including shaper Frank Wilson, and that modify more folks are reaching discover of the woodwork this instance around.

"Everybody's pitching songs and occupation me to write," Rucker notes, "and Frank says he's never had a achievement that more grouping poverty to intend on than this one. I'm composition with as whatever grouping as I can, and if I center something amazing, we'll revilement it."

Rucker plans to meet on the agency for such of 2010, but he says Hootie & the Blowfish are not a departed concern. The assemble has whatever period benevolence shows unsmooth up for March and Apr — including the March 19 Party Animal fundraiser for the Animal Mission of Columbia, S.C. — and Rucker says that "sometime downbound the agency there'll be added Hootie achievement and tour. I don't undergo if it'll be soon, but it'll happen. I'm trusty (the another members) poverty to be discover playing, but I conceive they see my status and I conceive they're pretty bright and chesty of me."