Trailblazers in Black History: Darius Rucker

“To me, the South means a laid-back lifestyle, beaches, family, and being able to have a good time when you want to,” says Darius Rucker. “In Charleston, where I’m from, nobody’s in a rush to get anywhere. And there’s a mentality that there’s room for everybody.
 
“So with these songs, I wanted to bring out the way I live, the way my friends live, and all the things that are important to us.”
 
The results, Rucker’s fourth solo album as a country artist, reveal a sound and a spirit that bring him closer than ever to the genre’s fundamentals. From “Homegrown Honey” ’s country-girl-gone-uptown to the back-porch party in “Dixie Cup,” the thirteen songs on Southern Style are filled with the instruments and images that define a region and its musical traditions.
 
“I knew that I wanted to do what great country songs do, which was to write and record songs that you just couldn’t deny,” says Rucker. “You never know until after you have the songs, but tracks like ‘High on Life’ started steering us to where we wanted to go. In the end, this might be my country-est record so far, and that really was the first thought.”
 

The full article is available here. 

Source: http://www.dariusrucker.com/