It’s raw and emotional. It’s freight-train-to-nowhere lonely. It’s hard-rockin’, no-apologies
country music that has traded in its twang for a gravelly growl millions of fans recognize as
the voice of Gary Allan. And with LIVING HARD, his latest release from MCA Nashville, Allan once again proves that, though times may change, the thread of truth at the center of his music remains the same.

“I think the fans are gonna feel that this record is different,” he says, “but the most
important thing is that what I do is authentic. I’ve never pushed for a certain image. I’ve
just always done my own thing.”

Allan, whose life is a whirlwind of hard-driving touring, also made a conscious decision to
carve out more songwriting time for this album than ever before. “It’s the most I’ve written
on any album,” he says. “I usually only write on my time off because I’m going so much
that I hardly have time to ponder and sit around enough to want to write. Last year I sort
of forced myself into it early so that I could write more for the record.”

If you’ve been to his shows, Allan says, you know that when he sings about “baring my soul for the price of your ticket,” he’s not just blowing smoke. Since his last studio album,
2005’s TOUGH ALL OVER, which drew on his experiences coping with the death-by-suicide of his wife, Angela, in 2004, Allan has become known for putting all his emotions on the line in his songs. “I’m exactly the same on the stage as I am off the stage,” he says, “and what I found is, the bigger the arena, the more you’re standing in the middle of those people, the more transparent you are. You can tell when somebody’s not authentic or they’re trying to be something they’re not.”

With LIVING HARD, Allan is sure to find his music speaking to an ever-growing number of
fans. “I want to reach even bigger audiences,” he says. “I feel like I’ve got so much to say
and so much to do right now and things are moving so fast. It’s great to have something
new to throw at people.”

Most of all, he says, he just wants people to come along for the ride -- and hear the sounds of a life in progress. “It’s a good listen, I think,” he says. “I’m excited for people to hear it. It’ll take you through a whole range of emotions, and I think it’s going to take you on a journey. That’s my goal.”