Blake Shelton‘s set to step on the main CMA Fest stage at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium Saturday night, and if it seems like he’s been away for awhile — well, he says you’re right.
“I have been. … For 12 years I was a coach on The Voice and we were filming two seasons a year,” he told ABC Audio at the 60th ACM Awards. “And funny, I just saw Kelsea [Ballerini] walking around in here, and she’s got my old seat now. And as much as I miss my friends and family that work at that show, I do not miss that job.”
What he has missed, however, is being part of the music scene in Music City.
“It had taken over, you know, for sure,” he says of The Voice. “And that’s the reason I wasn’t around as much, because even if my schedule did work out, the last thing I wanted to go do is something else, you know.”
“It got just to be too much,” he says. “And now I’ve had a couple of years off and I’m just really enjoying stepping back into this role again, and being a part of the music industry again. It’s a lot of fun.”
CMA Fest fans can expect to hear his new single, “Stay Country or Die Tryin’,” from his new album, For Recreational Use Only.
Even though he wrapped his tour earlier this year, Blake still has a handful of festival dates this summer.
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