Brian Kelley 'Hopes People Get to Know Me More' on New Solo Album About 'Truth': 'Trying to Level Up' (Exclusive)

The musician is enjoying this new chapter as he settles into himself with his second record: "I love music. I'm excited that it's leading my life still"

• Brian Kelley released his second solo record, Tennessee Truth, on Friday

• The Florida half of former country duo Florida Georgia Line hopes listeners "get a sense of who I am"

• "I'm really excited about hitting it again and just always trying to level up," he tells PEOPLE

Brian Kelley is here to tell a new story — his own.

The Florida half of former country duo Florida Georgia Line released his new album Tennessee Truth on Friday, May 10, and at the heart of the project (eight tracks of which were written by Kelley) is everything he’s always wanted to say.

“Shoot, where do I begin?” the 38-year-old tells PEOPLE with a good-natured laugh. “I spent a lot of time making this record in Nashville and it was just kind of a tribute to my family. And people may not know this, but in 2007 I moved to Nashville to chase a songwriting dream. And then really, at the end of the day, 'Tennessee Truth' for me really means — and I hope people understand this when they hear the record — that they get to know me more and they really get a sense of who I am and what I'm about.”

What Kelley is about is exactly what he’s trying to drive home with the 12-track album: his morals, his values, his penchant for working hard (and playing hard) and his love for his wife of more than a decade, Brittney.

“I have the same mindset as the fans that I think are going to listen to this music. It's God, family, country,” he says. “It's kind of crazy because I thought I was going to call the record something else. But then it was clear as day, I was like, oh my God, I made Tennessee truth here.”

The specific turn of phrase isn’t a title of any of the songs on the album, but rather a lyric from the project’s first single “Kiss My Boots.”

The track is admittedly not the “airy, bright, positive” side of Kelley that so easily shines through on the rest of the album. It’s a song about navigating betrayal, infused with a grittier melodicism paired with catchy, country lyrics (take the line “I’m cranking Hank, drinking Jack,” for example).

“I thought it was really important to put out into the world [so] people also know that I'm a real person, and just like anybody, we all have had tough times in our lives with navigating relationships and people not treating us right,” Kelley says.

In fact, "Kiss My Boots" is one of Kelley's favorite songs on the record (second place only to "Acres," he says), and he's proud of the songwriting that went into its creation. Still, some are interpreting the track as a diss toward Kelley's former bandmate, Tyler Hubbard.

Kelley, however, wants to set the record straight (literally).

“I've seen a little bit of talk and people, I think, just are always looking for a story and looking to create something,” he says of the online chatter. “But this song means a lot and is about a lot of people — consider the co-writers on this song. So it's not just about one person. I can honestly see how people could say that, but that's not really the truth.”

One of the genuine overt influences on the entire album is Kelley’s wife, Brittney. Tracks like “Barefeet or Boots” and "Dirt Road Date Night" are so clearly inspired by her and the couple's more than a decade of marriage.

“She's easy to write about. She's the best thing in my life. I don't know where I'd be if she wasn't in it," raves Kelley. "It's been the best 10 years of my life and I'm so grateful for her love, her support and her loyalty."

Related: Brian Kelley on 10 Years of Marriage to Wife Brittney: 'She'd Love Me If I Was Managing a Blockbuster' (Exclusive)

Together, the two are also partners on a number of business endeavors, including new beach restaurant Papa Surf Burger Bar in Florida, but the secret to making it all work, says Kelley, is just the simple fact that they really like each other.

“It’s really fun to collab on a couple brands and businesses, and then to also just kick it. Just go, 'Hey, babe, you want to go fishing with me? Hey, come out to the dock, let's go on a little boat ride,' or, 'Let's go on a bike ride,'" Kelley says. "All these things that we get to do together. It's just amazing. And so it's easy to write about her and just re-narrate what we're doing, really.”

Related: Brian Kelley 'Excited' to Offer a Glimpse Into His Life with Wife Brittney on Debut Solo EP

As he looks ahead into the summer, Kelley's schedule is packed with music festival performances, and he says he's already ready to get back in the studio.

“I'm really excited about hitting it again and just always trying to level up. I feel like I made some really good strides, even vocally, from Sunshine State of Mind to this. And that's all intentional," he says of the growth between his first solo album and Tennessee Truth.

"I love music. I'm excited that it's leading my life still and I'm very, very grateful," he says. "I'm a lucky guy."

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