Jake Owen Opens Up About Inspiration Behind ‘Loose Cannon’ And the Powerful Bond He Shares With His Fans

Jake Owen has unleashed his next wave of music with his seventh studio album, Loose Cannon.

Out now, the 16-track project finds Owen tapping into the current chapter of his life as a dad to two girls and an artist with the ability to touch so many lives with his music.  He has taken the spirit of his fan-favorite classics like “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Beachin’” and elevated the essence of these works with a collection of new, breezy tunes that hold an equal amount of heart and authenticity to his story. 

The title stems from the song “Loose Cannon,” which finds the country singer delivering a staggering love story to the special person who acts as an “anchor” to his hardheaded personality and somewhat reckless lifestyle. 

“This song got sent to me called ‘Loose Cannon,’ and every line in the song, it was kind of written about my life,” Jake Owen shared with Country Now. “I’m just this kind of guy that flies by the seat of my pants. I’m always in one place or another. I’m never really steady. I’m kind of restless and that’s what it’s about.”

He continued, “But luckily, I have these two little girls in my life and I’m lucky enough to be a dad. I have a great girl with Erica, my fiancée. So, they’re kind of like my rock in this life, and I feel like it was the perfect way to title what this album’s all about, which is kind of how I feel and how my life is going.”

“Loose Cannon” appears as the final track on the album while previously released, “Hot Truck Beer,” leads it. Co-written by Austin Nivarel, Jim McCormick and Jordan Fletcher, this song serves as a reflective ode to his days of “Smoking something from the center console” and “drinking too early by a couple years.” While life may look a bit different for Owen now, this summertime anthem proves that he will always remember where he came from. 

“I’m from Florida and summertime is something that I love, and I’ve always thrived with my music. And that song is very reminiscent of kind of some of my early hits, like ‘Barefoot Blue Jean Night,’ it’s got that kind of anthemic feel.”

On top of its feel-good melody, the first line notes the fact that Owen chose to quit drinking a few years back. He sings, “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t think like I did back then Seventeen somewhere in between who I was and who I am.”

“I wouldn’t change anything about the fun I had doing it and I just thought it was a good lead-off to the record and it kind of exemplifies me,” he added. “Again, this record’s kind of about how I want to feel, how I wanna portray myself and thought it fit well.”

Fans got a taste of the new music ahead of its official release through songs like “Solo Solo,” “Nothing,” “Hot Truck Beer,” and his newest drop, “On The Boat Again.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jake Owen (@jakeowenofficial)

The warm air anthem, “On The Boat Again,” is the perfect summer track for a day on the way as it reflects the chorus of Willie Nelson’s classic “On the Road Again.”

Owen has taken the signature track and recorded a new, beachy version that still holds the same country-rooted melody and old-school sincerity in the lyrics.

“I feel really lucky that throughout these years I’ve kind of built a brand identity around what I do and if I’m not writing, what I’m looking for. This song came to me from the guys Rocky and Grady Block, and they’re over at our label at Big Loud,” Owen explained. “I think they knew that I wouldn’t be scared to cut something a little outside the box, but kind of tongue in cheek like that and it fits my life really well. It feels real to my life and it’s something that I wanna sing.”

In honor of his completed album, Jake Owen recently took to Twitter to reconnect with his fans. Together, they reminisced on the journey of his career, raised their glasses to the future and even came together to celebrate the friendships that have been formed as a result of his music. 

One fan shared a heartfelt photo with the caption, “Do you ever stop and think about the lifelong friendships that have been formed because of you and your music? ❤️”

The multi-Platinum recording artist responded to the post saying, “Absolutely. Every day. It’s what I’m most proud of about my career.”

Absolutely. Every day. It’s what I’m most proud of about my career. https://t.co/u9RwiLoNSO

— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) June 19, 2023

While further discussing this sentiment, the singer/songwriter expressed his gratitude for every one of his fans that have given him the opportunity to be an artist and share his passion with the world.

“There are people that have come out to the shows so many times, and I’ll say, ‘you’ve seen us play so many times, and I know you love our music, but like, why? You travel, you spend a lot of money, I mean, I really appreciate it.’ I just wanna know how they’re feeling, and so many times, they’ve said ‘it’s about the friends that you make, and we love seeing each other and meeting up.’ So the other day when that girl tweeted that, that’s the stuff that makes you feel really great.”

Seeing this community grow has also taken some of the stress off his shoulders as it’s living proof that his voice is making an impact on the industry. 

He continued, “I think we can beat ourselves up as artists trying to climb this imaginary ladder of what’s next, but if you can look at what you’ve already done as an artist and the people you’ve affected with your music and the way you’ve made them feel, which is again, goes back to songs like ‘On The Boat Again’ or whatever. I enjoy making people feel good. And I enjoy my music. Being able to be a product of their life and something they can remember; they look back on those moments and I feel very validated and fulfilled by that.”

Beginning September 7, Jake Owen will take his new music on the road for his headlining Loose Cannon Tour. When it comes to the setlist, he hopes to deliver a mix of brand-new songs and his signature tracks that fans have fallen in love with. 

“So I’ll just be cognizant of what people want to hear and pull it out. I’ve always been that kind of guy. Like I said earlier, I’m a loose cannon, like I’ll fly by the seat of my pants. If somebody goes, ‘will you play this song?’ and they have a sign and they scream it out, there’s a good chance I’ll probably play it even if it’s not on the setlist,” he shared. “I kind of like the challenge of trying something new and more importantly, I love the ability to make someone happy with something that they want, you know, a request.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jake Owen (@jakeowenofficial)

Kicking off in Cleveland, OH, the 12-date trek will bring a bit of sunshine nationwide with support from Tyler Booth, and Mississippi-born sibling trio, Daves Highway.

In addition to his headlining dates, Owen will perform at a slew of fairs and festivals throughout the summer including Boots & Brews Country Music Festival, Cattaraugus County Fair, Voices of America Country Music Festival, Lasso Festival and more.