Country singer David Nail shows more upbeat side

David Nail’s latest album, “I’m a Fire,” is a departure of sorts for the country singer-songwriter.

While his previous works were more melancholy with songs about breakups (“Red Light”) and missed connections (“Strangers On a Train”), “Fire” shows a more upbeat side of the singer.

“I’ve changed as a person, grown, just as anybody grows and becomes wiser with experience,” said Nail, who has reportedly battled depression. “Hopefully, my music parallels that.”

Nail performs with Native Run on Thursday at the Cotillion. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m.

Growing up, Nail knew he wanted music to be apart of his life. “In the middle of my teenage years, I became more curious and really wanted to explore what possibilities there were,” said Nail, who grew up in Kennett, Mo. “I had absolutely zero clue how I was supposed to go about pursuing a life like this.”

Over a decade ago, Nail, 35, made the move to Nashville. He still seems surprised by his success.

“I moved here with the expectation that I could make records and sing for people, hopefully make money. And in the last decade, I’ve been able to make a living,” Nail said in a recent telephone interview. “I always say: in the whole time I’ve been in Nashville, I never had a real job. I always hope for a good enough ‘this year’ to keep me going on a ‘next year,’ and that philosophy has worked pretty well so far.”

You could say that Nail’s career has been more than “good enough.” His first major-label album, “I’m About to Come Alive” (2009), produced two singles, “Red Light,” and “Turning Home,” that reached the Top 20 on the country charts. In 2011, he released his second album, “The Sound of a Million Dreams,” which produced a No. 1 song with “Let It Rain.”

“I’m a Fire,” which was released in May, also produced Nail’s biggest hit to date – the uptempo “Whatever She’s Got,” which has sold a million copies.

Nail’s time in Nashville has also led to collaborations with some of today’s major country stars, including Kenney Chesney and Gary LeVox from Rascal Flatts. David Cook, winner of the seventh season of “American Idol,” co-wrote “Kiss You Tonight” from “I’m a Fire.”

“I’ve been fortunate to have some really cool people involved on each of my records,” Nail said. “It felt like the song needed something special, and they wanted to be a part of it. I’m very grateful and flattered.”

This story was originally published October 1, 2014 at 11:07 PM with the headline "Country singer David Nail shows more upbeat side."