2020 is just getting started, but it's already shaping up to be a banner touring year for Travis Denning. After closing out 2019 on the road with his good friend and fellow artist Riley Green, he's headed back out on Dustin Lynch's Stay Country Tour, a jaunt that starts on Thursday (Jan. 30) and will extend through March.

"Man, tours can be so special when you have the right collaboration of artists," Denning reflected to The Boot at the 2019 CMA Awards, adding that although he was feeling a little nostalgic about Green's tour coming to a close, he couldn't wait to perform for Lynch's fans.

"I'm gonna go into it with the mindset of, like, 'We really have the opportunity to kick off 2020 with a band,'" the singer explains. "We're gonna find any way that we can to step it up, being onstage. I think it's gonna be awesome."

Denning's live show is an integral part of his artistry, and even has an impact on his process of choosing songs and cutting them in the studio.

"Oh, totally," he adds. "I think about what songs are connecting, what songs would connect, and I think that's one of the best ways you can make a great record, is to get out there and sing songs.

"I've sang new songs that crushed, and I was like, 'Oh, we have to record that,' and I've sang new songs that dudded pretty hard," Denning admits, adding that the trial-and-error process ultimately makes for a better batch of songs, both for him and his listeners.

"At the end of the day, I want my fans to feel connected, and I want to connect to my fans," he says. "That's about the best way to do it."

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