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"It's pretty overwhelming," says the country newcomer. "To be a new artist, you don't expect to get one or two, much less seven."
Also a two-time CMA nominee, Easton was traveling to a show when he found out about his ACA nominations via an email from his publicist. "I counted every one of them," he admits. "I told one of my bandmates, 'Let me read these off. Count these on your fingers.' It was funny. I was sure I wasn't reading it right."
It's an experience Easton insists he won't take for granted. "It's an honor because it shows that people really like the music and people are going out and buying it," he says. "I am so appreciative of that because if they didn't buy music, I couldn't do what I do."
The Florida native's career has certainly been moving full-speed ahead since he hit the air waves with his debut single, 'A Little More Country Than That,' last August. He still vividly recalls the moment he heard himself on the radio for the first time. "We did an acoustic show, and after that was over, I was going to stay home for a few days with my folks," he shares with The Boot. "I got in the truck with my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law, and I mean, right after the gig, sure enough, my song came on. In fact, it was the minute they cranked up the truck to leave the venue parking lot, that's when it came on. Perfect timing. I felt great. I thought, 'I'm actually getting heard on the radio!' That's a dream come true! It was one of those moments when you sit back and say, 'Wow!'"
While he did write four of the 11 tracks on his album, Easton's first No.1 wasn't self-penned. "I knew it was a good song and that it fit me," he explains. "I hoped it would be a hit song, but I wasn't sure about that. I thought that it would be a great debut single because it described who I was and gave the audience a chance to get to know me better."
Easton is currently on the road with Brad Paisley's H2O World Tour, and says it's non-stop education for him. "You learn so much," Easton tells The Boot. "That's the first tour I've ever been on, [and a] good one to start out on. Just the opportunity to go out there and play in front of that many people, and the experience of watching Darius [Rucker] and Brad ... You learn a lot just by watching those guys; what to do on stage, what not to do, what works and what doesn't." Find his tour dates here.
