On the surface, today's Billy Ray Cyrus seems remarkably different from the one most folks remember, that being the "Achy Breaky Heart" guy who broke through with the mega-platinum Some Gave All in 1992. On the most obvious level, the tennis shoes and ponytail are gone, and the chart-topping hit well dried up long ago. But what gets lost in superficial observations like appearances and chart-dogging is the fact that nearly five years ago, Cyrus dropped an intricate album that when compared to the platinum heights of his first two releases fell like a tree in an empty forest. It's too bad, because that album gave a new layer and deeper perspective to the entirety of Cyrus' career. His career moves since have been deliberately loose-feeling, yet tightly executed. With a lively new album (Southern Rain, due on Oct. 17) a new label, a new perspective and his old band (he's a fiercely loyal frontman), Cyrus just might climb his way back onto the country charts. And if not, the myriad instances in which he discusses his single-minded love of being able to play music seem convincing enough proof that being a musician is enough to keep him satisfied.

How are you enjoying working with your new label, Monument?

I'm loving it. They have a very rich heritage. Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison , they've had some greats. They have a rich history and I'm proud to be a part of it. They put the music first, that's what turned me on about 'em. They wanted me to make a real album and that excited me because that's what I wanted to do. We just wanted to make some real music again to be honest. We wanted to make a real album.

Was there any anxiety on your part after breaking with your last label?

What was nice about it was I never thought about it. All I knew was that for the first time in a long time, I had a chance to make music again because I loved to make music not because I had a contract that said I had to. I just found myself writing songs and recording music again, because that's what I love doing.

This one sounds like it has a big handful of potential singles.

Oh yeah, man, we were shooting to make a deep album. I'm guessing that it all depends on what happens with the first one, but the album could go six singles deep.

That's rare these days.

It is rare. But I wouldn't have said it, if you hadn't said it first.

How did you feel when the GOP picked "We the People" as their theme?

From what I heard, Bush's campaign manager heard it and within thirty minutes had contacted [Cyrus' label] and said, "We want this song for our anthem." He heard it that morning and by lunchtime they had lawyers on the phone working out the details. I just recorded it to be a working people's anthem. And I fell in love with it. And [the label] wanted to make an event out of it. Put Waylon Jennings, Montgomery Gentry, Danny Lee and Yankee Gray and John Anderson on it.

It does have a non-partisan vibe.

I cut the song not to be political, but I cut the song because it's about people. It's to encourage people to go out and exercise their right to vote. If we don't vote, we aren't using our power.

The album has a decidedly more upbeat and loose vibe to it.

The entire album was therapy for me. And I love being in the studio and making records. To think that I had the chance to make this with two of the most respected and hottest producers working today was like a dream come true.

Hey Elvis seems to best capture the mood.

I heard a demo of that song several years ago and I just loved it because it was fun. Good ol' rock & roll fun. I wanted to cut it on my last Mercury album. But the people in charge of the A&R said "we're not going that direction." That's a direct quote. So when I got off Mercury the first thing I did was work up "Hey Elvis" with my band. We started paying it at the shows and when we did the crowd would stand up and start dancing. It made 'em feel good. So we just wanted to recapture that feeling. We thought that was the perfect way to finish that album. Let Elvis run through there a little.

It seems that post Trail of Tears there's been a greater range on this album than your previous recordings.

I wanted each song on this album to complete the whole pie. I just gotta say this, I didn't make this album to prove anything, or to do this or to do that. I made this album because I love making music. I really feel like this body of work, no matter what, will speak for itself. It'll be interesting to see how it fits into this career of mine. And I guarantee you in the archives of country music, there's no other career that's been like mine, this has been an extremely bizarre story starting back when I sang in my dad's gospel quartet when I was a little teeny boy.

Do you still encounter much criticism about your early success?

One of the most dominant myths about me was that I'm an overnight success. Well, there's film of me singing with my Pawpaw Casto playing the fiddle and my mom playing piano and I'm three years old. And shots of me playing in clubs as a kid. I don't hold any grudges for that at all, but now there's been enough time gone by to where there's no excuse for it. I understand "Achy Breaky" was enormous. Some Gave All was the fastest rising debut album to number one in history. I understand how the persona of Billy Ray Cyrus became bigger than the truth of who I am. But the truth is that I'm a guy from Kentucky who's made music all his life. Music is my passion. Here's who I am and here's what I do. That's as simple and complex as it gets. Here's my album. Like it or leave it, here it is. It's a reflection of the last ten years of my life.

ANDREW DANSBY
(October 18, 2000)