Gary Allan unveils new music at CRS

For Gary Allan, the process of creating an album always begins the same way: "I write my heart out," he said Wednesday afternoon before debuting new recordings for Country Radio Seminar attendees. "Then I see what I've got."

Allan worked with Chris Stapleton and Jesse Frasure on a number of his new songs that will be on his next album, including "Played Again," a track whose upbeat production belied its lyrics about being used by a woman who treats him "just like a record (she loves) to spin." He said his collaborations with Fraser and Stapleton were "the first time I've ever written without guitars. I don't even know how to describe (the experience) to you. I think we just need to play it." As with most of Allan's music, the new material is primarily lyric-driven, with arrangements that he says reminded him of his days playing rockabilly when he first started making music.

Two of the songs Allan unveiled, "High As I've Ever Been" and "'Til It Felt Like You," were written by his former merch guy, Matt Warren, who also co-wrote Allan's last chart-topping single, 2012's "Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)." Warren may have been a terrible T-shirt seller, as Allan joked, but he has a bright future as a songwriter.

Though Allan's new single, "Hangover Tonight," got the most applause, the highlight of the afternoon was "Mess Me Up," a toe-tapping song that he's been playing at his live shows recently.

Allan's new album, which he co-produced, doesn't have a title yet. However, it is tentatively planned for release in the spring on his longtime label, MCA.