John Morgan has a robust collection of songs he’s written for some of the most well-known names in country music, like Jason Aldean,Thomas Rhett and John Pardi. Now, with his debut album Carolina Blue, the singer-songwriter is stepping into the artist side, displaying his craft in a very personal way.

He wrote or co-wrote all 12 tracks on the project, chiseling out a collection that was years in the making. The storytelling is honest, and the songs are diverse, musically, but cohesive.

Morgan admits he isn’t naturally a heart-on-your sleeve type of guy, but writing songs brings out deeper emotions in him.

“Songs, for me, are most times how I get things [emotions] out,” he admits to Taste of Country. “I’m not necessarily going to sit down and spill my guts.”

This new project is a statement of authenticity for the singer.

Related: The First Time John Morgan Met Jason Aldean Was So Embarrassing 

Since becoming a dad — Morgan has a 3-year-old daughter, Willie Magdalene — his perspective has changed, and so has his music and the reason he chases it as a career.

“My daughter really did that for me,” he says. “I wasn’t sure in a lot of things in my life, like I had stuff going on career wise and all the things. It’s cliche, but if all this fell off the map for me today, it wouldn’t matter. This is all icing for me now.”

It takes the pressure off the table that “success,” as most people see it, doesn’t define his happiness — his family is his happiness. Now, he can play music because he loves it, and continue digging up joy in the art of it.

“That’s what’s fun about being a writer and writing my own stuff,” Morgan says. “I can’t deny some of these things because it’s part of my story and part of my path to get here. If it falls off, it doesn’t matter.”

Morgan was born in North Carolina, hence the title of the album, which is also a song on the project.

“‘Caroline Blue,’ I wanted that to be the title track, because it is that other side, it’s home,” he says. “That’s the song that tips the hat that I haven’t been home in awhile, but I can tell you what’s going on, nothing changes. It’s consistent and it’s a big part of who I am now, even.”

As an established hit songwriter for other people, Morgan does admit he puts pressure on himself with his own music.

“When I see something else working better, it gets under my skin a little bit,” he says. “How do we top that? How do we cut through the noise when people are releasing music every hour? On the other end of that, I have more motivation than I’v ever had in my life. The last two years I’ve gotten more work done than I probably have my whole life.”

The “how” may be a question mark, but the “why” he does this is more obvious.

“My family is probably the biggest driving factor for me now,” Morgan shares. “I get to live out my dream and make money doing it and getting to provide for them at the same time. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Sonically, Carolina Blue blends traditional country roots with rock-leaning polish and storytelling finesse, making it both nostalgic and fresh. There are notes of country rock with “Friends Like That” and “Way Out,” plus bluegrass and traditional country sounds dripping through “Carolina Blue” and “Crickets.”

Morgan will be bringing Carolina Blue to fans all over the country on his just-announced headlining tour. The Friends Like That Tour will kick off in Ocean City, Md. on Oct. 3 and wrap up in Cherokee, N.C. — his home state — on Dec. 13.

Morgan’s song “Friends Like That” featuring his buddy Jason Aldean recently went to No. 1 on the charts.