Terri Clark plans September CD release

When Clark learned three years ago that her mother Linda was struggling against cancer, she knew it was going to change her life. "When you see someone fighting as hard as my Mom was, it strikes you the things that matter," Clark said. "To her, life was everything. It was about personal integrity, her family, the things she loved about living...and I realized I couldn't make my music for any less. My fans deserved that from me, especially after the stories they tell me about things my music's gotten them through over the years."

Cark asked label head Joe Galante to release her from her Sony/BMG contract. "Joe was unbelievably gracious," Clark said. "I think he understood that this record I needed to make needed to be more...more personal, more country, more raw...He is an incredible artist guy, in that he knew where I was and needed, and he didn't hold me to (my contract)."

Clark recorded the disc in Nashville with particular players in mind. "I really tried to 'cast' these sessions," Clark said. "I needed a certain kind of burn from the guitars - so that's Kenny Greenburg...I needed a honky tonk, and then a steamy, but also a spiritual kind of keyboard on there - so that was John Hobbs...I tried to think about what these songs called for, and once I got the players, I wanted them to be able to really create, really dig inside and feel what was going on. So many of them have recorded with me over the years, so I trusted they'd know where to go."

An exact release was not set.