Aerosmith's Steven Tyler has been hinting for awhile that his next solo album would be a country effort. The frontman, according to Billboard, is expected to sign with Scott Borchetta's Big Machine Label Group following months of recording in Nashville. An insider told the publication that the deal is scheduled to go down sometime "before the summer."
Tyler appeared in a segment on American Idol during the week to sing Borchetta's praises (the label head is a mentor for the Season 14 contestants). Tim McGraw, The Band Perry and Reba McEntire, prominent country stars signed to Big Machine, were all filmed for the segment too. Tyler is bound to make some noise with his new release with the same team behind him that helped make Taylor Swift a superstar.
Big Machine and Tyler have yet to confirm the deal. The source said his new album could be out by the end of the year. A 2016 release is more probable.
The singer announced his plans in October to release a country album. He moved to Nashville in January and began working with some of the genre's best songwriters.
"There's a piece of me that just loves country so much," he said last year. "And I'm not sure what kind of country that is, but it's got the fifth harmony, and anyone who knows who the Everly Brothers is — it's those kinds of melodies that are just so, so good."
The frontman was quick to assure fans that Aerosmith was still together.
"I think it's ridiculous to go, you know, write a bunch of songs that I started five years ago and never finished. It feeds my passion, you know," he explained. "But, no, the band's not breaking up. Me doing a solo record doesn't mean the band's not working on a record, you know what I mean? But I get that in the press one has to hear that from one lead singer of one Aerosmith."
