I'm the Trobadour

"I started writing a handful of songs while living in a log cabin in Wimberley, TX. It just evolved from there," Ketchum tells Billboard. "I demoed a bunch of these songs with my friend, Kenny Grimes, playing guitar. I pitched it to Kelcy Warren at Music Road Records, and he and Jimmy LaFave said, 'We want you to make a record for us.' I'm very happy. It's an amazing gift to be able to come back this strong. I feel like it's the best record I've ever made."

Ketchum tells Billboard that I'm The Troubadour is also one of the most eclectic discs he's made during his career. "It's reminiscent of a record I made with Stephen Bruton years ago called Awaiting Redemption. It had some folk ballads, some R&B and some jazz. The studio musicians on the record made the songs what they are. I wrote the lyrics and the melodies, and turned it over to them. John Silva engineered and mixed the record, and did a great job."