Hail to the 'Chief' of country music

Country singer, songwriter and guitarist Eric Church, who is touring with Toby Keith, will make a stop at Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach on Saturday as part of the "Locked & Loaded" tour.

Church wrote his first song at the age of 13.

"I know it was about a girl who broke my heart. It was a terrible song," he said from a stop in Pennsylvania where he was performing with fellow artist Jason Aldean. "At least I started young enough that I could get better before it was time to have a lot of people hear it."

Church's third album, "Chief" will be released Tuesday.

"My grandfather is chief of police in Granite Falls (N.C.), where I'm from and where he has worked for 35 years. In a weird twist of fate, my nickname has become 'Chief' on the road."

We chatted with Church about his albums, about being named the Academy of Country Music's new solo vocalist of the year and the reason he wrote "Two Pink Lines."

What was your first thought when you were announced as ACM's new solo vocalist of the year?

I'm not new! (He laughed.) That was my first thought! It was a little bit of a shock, to be honest with you. I have been doing this a while: six years, two records and on my first single from my third record. I just kind of thought they passed me by. There are plenty of other people deserving of it - they're younger and newer and fit the category better. I've never made music to win awards,... and I never will. But it was cool for my fans, my family and for the people that have believed in me.

Describe each of your albums with just one word.

"Sinners Like Me" (2006): gritty

"Carolina" (2009): introspective

"Chief": aggressive

How is your new album different?

I think within the last couple of years I've really come into my own skin musically. It really started with "Smoke a Little Smoke." What you see live and onstage matches what you see on the video. I guess I took a little bit of the rope that people let me have, tied it to the back of the truck and drove down the road with it. We are definitely taking some liberties with this record.

With your first single, "Homeboy," what do you want listeners to take from the song?

I hope they take away the message. I love the message... of the family element. I think everybody at some point and time in their life... has been on the wrong path. I know I have.... I think it's about having a family member come and say, "Hey, I think you're on the wrong path." And I know that's what the sentiment of the song was for me. It attacks some social things and uses the environment that we're in today to tell the story.

What made you sing about "Two Pink Lines" back in 2006? (Church and his wife, Katherine, are expecting their first child in October.)

Because it's true. Whether married or unmarried - I've experienced the same thing married - it's a scary thing.... The great thing I love about country music is it's about real life. If you can talk about it at the dinner table, then we should be able to sing about it.

Patty Jenkins, (757) 446-2298, patty.jenkins@pilotonline.com