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Country singer Jake Owen, who will perform at Foxwoods on Friday, Oct. 9, was a Nashville nobody before landing a record deal in 2005, when he was only 24. The Florida native soon scored multi-platinum hits with a string of party anthems (“Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” “Beachin’ “) while opening major tours for Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley.

Now that he’s in his 30s, however, Owen’s tone has become slightly more serious. “What We Ain’t Got,” a single from his 2013 album “Days of Gold,” signaled the shift away from songs about drinking on the beach. “Real Life,” from his forthcoming new album, continued the trend while adding a Sugar Ray-inspired twist on his sound.

Owen spoke with us about getting away from the fantasy and taking stock of his career.

Q: You’ve talked in interviews about how “Real Life” signals a break with the kinds of songs you’ve been known for in the past, “getting away from the fairy tale,” and so on. What compels you to do that at this point in your life and career?

A: I think there’s a lot of music I’ve put out, and that other artists are putting out, where the format is becoming fictitious. What I’ve always loved about country music … is it’s very truthful. That’s not to say that these songs aren’t for taking people away from their problems. That’s what music’s for. That’s why people come to concerts. They need an escape sometimes from their day-to-day lives. But I think, for me, it’s just a blend. Instead of a lot of it being songs about partying and drinking, I’m recording more songs about life. I recorded a song called “Everybody Dies Young,” and it’s not about dying at all. It’s a song about living, that it doesn’t matter how long we’re here, it’s never gonna be long enough. It’s not about the amount of years, it’s the amount of love, and I really believe that.

But I’ll still always record and sing songs like I have put out in the past. It’s funny because people read my interviews and say, “I thought you weren’t going to do something like [‘Beachin’]. You’re totally contradicting yourself.” I just want to make the point that I’m not contradicting what I’m saying, I’m just adding a little bit more depth to my own music, in order for people to see that side of me that perhaps they haven’t seen before. And also, because they’re deep in thought, that doesn’t mean that the feel and vibe of the song has to be depressing. I’m trying to find a way to make music that feels good but still feels the way people want to feel… Look at Pharrell, when he put out “Happy.” It was such a huge song. Why? Because it felt good.

Q: When you first got to Nashville, did you have to do what was expected for a little while, before being able to pursue your own vision?

A: I can only speak from my own experience. When I came to Nashville, I got a record deal. I was very lucky. I had been in town for a couple years. I had to write every song in order to validate myself among a group of industry people, other amazing songwriters in town, other artists. I felt like the only way to prove myself and to be one of them was to try to do it all myself. And trying to do it all yourself really puts a lot of pressure on you. You rely on yourself to open up and find things that might really be you by just opening up your mind a little bit.

This was all stuff that, after having a record deal, I’ve been able to process and think about what works and what doesn’t work. When you’re the new guy, and you’re trying really hard to make everyone happy, you tend to do what you need to do in order to keep people happy, to be a guy who people get behind. But I’ve seen my career slow down a little bit. It’s never gone downhill, but more like little plateaus. It’s a climb to the top of a mountain: You start at the bottom and work really hard. You do everything you can do because you’re excited about it. Then you hit a point where you’re like, “Man, I’m tired.” You need a spot to sit down and rest for a second. While you’re sitting down and resting, you look at the bit of climb you’ve already made. You’re able to process your thoughts, and then you say, “It’s time to get back up and start climbing again.”

I’ve never looked back downhill or said I’m going back down because this is too hard. I’ve taken time in my life and career and I’ve taken the experience of just living life and understanding that in order to portray myself the way I want to be portrayed. I have to know a little bit more about myself. When I got my record deal, I was 24. Now I’m 34. There’s a big difference between a 24-year-old kid and a 34-year-old man.

Q: Do you feel you’re at the point where you only want to record music that reflects who you are now?

A: It’s never strictly about music, because it can’t be that way. There are too many people invested in my career to just go, “I am strictly based upon what you hear on my album, and that’s what it is, take it or leave it, this is what I am.” I’ve got management and labels, radio guys, promoters looking to do a tour. You can’t start a tour if you don’t have the right songs to support it. There’s money that’s being spent. I got guys in a crew and I feel responsible for their lifestyles, their families and their livelihood. I can’t afford to be selfish, nor do I want to be.

Q: Your new album will be released sometime in the future by RCA Nashville. What can you tell us about it?

A: My label head just changed. It’s the third record label president that I’ve seen in my career, which is interesting. I want them to be invested in me. It’s kind of like anyone that has a job: they don’t realize that my job is the same as most people’s, sitting at a desk for a lot of years, and a new guy comes in. Everyone starts worrying if they’re going to be able to keep their job. I’m not worried about keeping my job. I’m worried about my boss, the guy who’s running my label, feeling like he’s a part of my career. I want them to want to work for me, not feel like they have to work for me.

I already made a record. I pretty much almost finished it, when all of a sudden the new label head comes in and doesn’t really have any vested interest in me. And now I’m going back to the drawing board to record a few more songs, so they feel that connection with me and know that I care about their insight and advice. My record will probably come out early part of next year, in the spring and I’ll put a new single out January.

JAKE OWEN performs at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket on Friday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m., with Kristian Bush opening. Tickets are $39.50 to $79.50. foxwoods.com.