Doing a day of phone interviews lined up in a row can drive a fellow nutty, and even Uncle Kracker seems surprised when his discussion of songwriting turns to crack. "Hits give you more confidence. Hits definitely help. Of course, some people get lazy; I hate to say it, they lose that eye-of-the-tiger feeling. But I just have a natural love of writing songs, and being that way, I guess I am always looking to write that perfect song. It never seems to happen. I guess, it is like crack, you are always looking for that one … I don't know why I just made the comparison."
Because songwriting is addictive, because no matter how many you write, it is never enough and the songs aren't even good enough. Or, maybe it is just because there is something incomprehensible about the impulse to write songs. "I don't know. You are always looking for that one song, you are going to write that one song, and then that is all you'll ever need to write to fulfill yourself. I don't know what it is, but when I write it I'll know."
Of course, Uncle Kracker has come a long way since paying his dues backing Kid Rock. There have been hits like "No Stranger to Shame" and his recent song with Kenny Chesney, "When the Sun Goes Down." But still, it seems not only a stretch but also an unbearable burden for the poor fellow to think that one day he is going to sit down and write a perfect song. Who can really expect to pull off a "Like a Rolling Stone" or "A Day in the Life."
Of course, Uncle Kracker admits that so far he hasn't even come close to writing his perfect song. But when asked to name a song that he would die happy if he had written, he doesn't hesitate: Dobie Grey's '70s smash "Drift Away." Well, good for him, because if that is where the bar is at, he may have a chance to write one that good after all. Until then, there is always the schlock-hit queen, Diane Warren, to fall back on. Warren penned "Rescue," the first single off Uncle Kracker's latest disc, 72 and Sunny, due out at the end of the month.
Beyond his quest for the perfect song, Uncle Kracker also seems to have a driving need to defy expectations. In addition to recording with Chesney, Uncle Kracker has signed on to tour with the country star.
"It just kind of happened by accident," Uncle Kracker says, of his connection with Chesney. "He called me up out of the blue. I did an encore with him once when he was playing a hometown show and we just hit it off, and then we had the hit together." As for the tour, the decision to take Uncle Kracker along was not exactly embraced by the country establishment people advising Chesney. "Everyone told him the same thing that they told me, that it wouldn't work. But so far, from the duet to the tour, it has been working."
Though Uncle Kracker says his rap fans are surprised by his participation in a country tour, they also have been supportive. "I've been really lucky. I got this really cool core audience that doesn't give a shit what I do one way or the other. I guess I'll find out after this one if I can do any wrong with them. I am a gambler, and that is what making music is every time you throw one out there."