IfMagazine.com has a great article with Christian Kane. The Leverage star turned country crooner discusses his new EP, acting, and his upcoming album.

iF MAGAZINE: Has does it feel to have your country music finally coming out?

CHRISTIAN KANE: We worked hard. This is a collaboration of the last two years and a collaboration of the last ten years in Nashville for me. To have the fruits of your labor come out to an audience is one of the best feelings.

iF: This is a very authentic country album with a little bit of a rock tinge.

KANE: I’m glad you said that. Thank you. We had the legendary Bob Ezrin, who did PINK FLOYD-THE WALL and Kiss’s DESTROYER produce this album alongside Nashville’s own legend Jimmie Lee Sloas who is probably the best bass player in the world as far as I’m concerned – and he gets an award almost every year. I still wanted to make a country album, which is who I am, which is why I brought in Jimmie. He’s got one of the greatest country ears I’ve ever heard. It’s a collaboration of country, a little outlaw country and a taste of rock and roll. The worst thing that can happen for a performer, is for you to have a huge hit of a song you didn’t believe in and have to sing it every night for the rest of your life. With these songs, I didn’t get that. It’s got a little rock and roll in it, and it’s got a lot of country.

iF: How has the E.P. been doing on Amazon and iTunes?

KANE: [On the first day of release we] were number one on Amazon and it went to number 3 on iTunes on the country charts and number 13 for overall albums on the charts for iTunes. That was one day and without radio play. We were very, very fortunate. We’re shooting for radio very soon here. To have that, and to have people help me out with this, I really am speechless. It takes my breath away. If it wasn’t in my contract that [LEVERAGE executive producer] Dean [Devlin] had Eliot Spencer’s tear ducts sautered, I’d probably cry a little bit I’m so fortunate now.

iF: Do you enjoy dividing your time between acting and performing with your band?

KANE: They’re two different monsters really. With acting, I’m a paid liar, with music, I have to tell the truth. That was important about these songs I put out. I wanted people to see me. You’re not going to hear me singing a song about being married, or having kids or driving a tractor, but you will hear me singing drinking songs, loving songs. It’s a good old country album.

iF: How many songs did you write?

KANE: I wrote three of the five songs and the other two came from someone else’s heart, but it was important that it would be truthful coming out of my mouth. It had to be something I believed in.

iF: I think it’s also great that you’re offering that song as a free download for fans too.

KANE: The reason we did that is because fans have been so great to me and so great to us, they waited patiently. My schedule is not the same as other artists, and they waited with encouragement. I didn’t want to come out, and go “hey, you’ve waited so long, you’ve been so great, pay for this song.” I wanted to give them something. It’s a big move for a record label to believe in me and the fans to give away a free song. That song cost a lot of money to make, but I wanted to give them something as a thank you. I’m in this for longevity.

Even here in Nashville, Christian already has a cult-like following…You know who you are. You can read the full interview here.

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