Alan Jackson is preparing to release his first record on his own label, Alan Country Records, alongside EMI Records. And while it may be his first album on his own label, ‘Thirty Miles West’ is actually the star’s 17th studio release. ‘Thirty Miles West,’ out this summer, seems to be a personal album to Jackson, who says even the title harkens back to his childhood.

“There’s this highway that’s been in existence for forever now — it’s called the Dixie Highway and it runs from north of Michigan all the way down to South Florida, and I wrote a song about it that’s on the album,” he explains (quotes via the Boot). “I grew up on Highway 34 outside of Newnan, Georgia, and that’s where we came up with ‘Thirty Miles West.’ I think we were about thirty miles west of the official part of the Dixie Highway that runs through Georgia.”

The legendary singer remembers listening to the song that became the first single on this record — ‘So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore’ — which was written by acclaimed songwriter Jay Knowles and Jackson’s nephew, Adam Wright. Jackson says he thinks it’s one of the best songs to come out of Nashville in a long time.

“At first, it raised the hair on my arms when I heard the demo,” he says. “It’s the kind of song that made me want to be in country music. I’m such a big fan of that kind of song. Sad songs, break-up songs and heartache songs are always the best ones to bring that emotion out … People are comparing it to a new ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today.’ I wouldn’t want to put myself in that category with George [Jones], but it is a great song.”

Alan Jackson’s ‘Thirty Miles West’ officially hits shelves on June 5.

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