615 Spotlight: Joe Bachman Is the 'One'

The Associated Press, Thursday, December 27, 2012, 5:31am (PST)

Billboard --

When Joe Bachman takes to the stage, there is no place he would rather be. "I love what I do…the stage is my home…there is no place on Earth I would rather be," he states emphatically. The artist, who is promoting his debut album, "One," says that the road is not just a "way of life," it is his life.

"That's all I have done," he tells Billboard. "I have played five or six days a week minimum for the last decade. I feel uncomfortable if I have more than a couple days off. I start getting cabin fever. That's just where I feel the most at home. It's not work. It never has been and never will be."

That love of the road served him well on his recent radio promotional tour on behalf of his single "Small Town Rock Stars." He said he has enjoyed each and every second of it. He's also gotten to share the stages with some of the country world's biggest stars.

"I have been very fortunate," he states. "I got started in the business thanks to some help from Big Kenny from Big & Rich and Kenny Chesney, so I have been graciously asked to open up some shows. In Philadelphia, I opened up for Miranda Lambert and Chris Young, then we worked with David Nail down in Delaware."

The willingness of country artists to share the musical spotlight is not lost on the Pennsylvania native. "I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and moved here for that reason. They are very much more open to sharing songs and sharing experiences - even with my album, it was Jason Aldean's band that played on it, and everybody just wants to experience each others' music. It's very much a community - more so than some of the places where you just do your own thing."

Bachman's "thing" on "One" includes some rollicking tracks such as "I Sell 'Em Out Of Beer." He says that track is a true to life song. "That was the first track we picked for the record. The moment I heard the song, I knew it had to be on there. It really describes going from place to place and city to city, and interacting with the fans, and doing what the lyrics say."

But, there are also some deep emotional moments on the record, such as the touching "Brothers." That track, in particular, is one that is personal. "I have two younger brothers that I was raised with, and the military is so important to me. My father is retired from the United States Army, so when I heard that song, it melted me, because it has so many different meanings. It's obviously brothers from a family standpoint, but it could also be a team, my band, or the military. So, that one is very important. I got so lucky because my dear friend, Ken Block, the lead singer of Sister Hazel, heard the song and fell in love with it. He asked me if we could turn it into a duet, and we did. I hold that very near and dear to me for sure."

2013 will see Bachman return to the place he knows so well - the road, and will also have him perform that song - as well as his powerful new single "Soldier's Memoir" in front of the troops on several occasions. "We're constantly staying in front of the troops as much as possible. We typically do from six to ten shows a year for them, and we never turn them down, so if we get offered more, we do them - for sure."

_ _ _ _

Find more online: Billboard.com