Kenny Chesney might be one of the biggest solo country music artists of all time, but he isn’t about to take all of the credit for his success. The eight-time Entertainer of the Year praises his band members for their own ability and prowess, especially as they prepare to embark on Chesney’s Sun Goes Down Tour.

“I never take my band for granted,” Chesney says. “When we get into rehearsals and the massive amounts of sound start bouncing off the walls, it just makes you stop and take it in. After all these years, there’s nothing like hearing Kenny or John or Danny taking a solo, and nobody plays drums like Nick Buda. Harmoni and Wyatt, the way they fill in harmonies? It’s a sound unlike any other, and I get to listen to them for the rest of the summer!”

Chesney is in full-blown rehearsal mode, in anticipation of the tour’s opening night on April 20.

“This is where it all starts to really feel real,” Chesney says. “We’ve got the stage and the T taped off. We have room to really play off each other and jam while we’re dialing the songs back in. But even more, all the teams are together, and we’re catching up after so many months off! When you’ve got a road family like I do, it’s a rush just being together.”

When announcing the tour, the Tennessee native said that the tour’s name was a good indication of what fans could expect night after night while he is on the road.

“I wanted a name that suggested – obviously – when all the good stuff starts to happen,” Chesney shared. “The one thing I’ve learned about No Shoes Nation and these stadium shows is they start the good times early and they just keep it going. But we all know, when the sun goes down, that’s when people really get loose and enjoy themselves.”

Chesney’s Sun Goes Down Tour comes on the heels of his latest album, BORN, released last month.

“I think the best thing someone could say about this album  BORN is that it reflects me, is that it’s genuine,” Chesney said. “It’s not made-up, and there’s just a lot of me on it. It’s a fun record to listen to. It’s an emotional record to listen to. It’s a mirror to my life, and I think that’s what I would say when somebody asked me what do you want people to hear from this? What do you hope they take away from it? And that would be it.”

Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker will serve as Chesney’s opening acts. The tour will conclude with three shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on August 23, 24 and 25. Find all of Chesney’s music and tour dates at KennyChesney.com.

Read ‘Kenny Chesney: 11 Things to Know About the Superstar’ here.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of EB Media / Jill Trunnell