Days of Gold was produced by Joey Moi, who also was behind the boards on Barefoot Blue Jean Night. While he's thrilled and honored by the success he had with that 2011 album, he's also eager to keep moving forward. And that's what Days of Gold is about.

"I want people to feel more than they did with Barefoot Blue Jean Night," said Owen. "I want to be better, and I think [Days of Gold] for me is a great definition of who I am, but also a step forward."

While Owen deliberately set out to make his new album "different," at the same time he said he wasn't looking to "reinvent the wheel or be too cool for school." So ultimately Days of Gold represents the Jake Owen that his fans know and love.

And besides, he explained, in the end it's all about the songs. "An artist's career is defined by their catalog of songs," he said, "and that's really what I want to put together on Days of Gold, a solid collection of great songs."