Travis Collins on family, his new album Any Less Anymore and discovering what's important

"During the pandemic you ask a lot of questions about who am I now?," Collins says. "Without all this stuff and all the noise of touring and being an artist.

"For the first time in my adult life it made me have a look at who I was as a brother, a son, a husband and a father. I had some time to deep dive and have a look at that stuff."

The Golden Guitar-winner, like many people who are driven to succeed, could be accused of being a workaholic in the past. He discovered that his successful country music career had come to define him.

But after COVID forced the 38-year-old to spend a greater amount of time at home in Cessnock with his wife Bec, and then the arrival of the couple's daughter Ava in November 2021, led to a shift in priorities.

"I realised my whole existence was built around what I did," he says. "I feel like I've had a chance to correct that.

"It's still a major part of my life, but I feel the balance, if I can coin it like this is; my career is now something that enables me to have a great life as a family man."

Collins' more relaxed mindset is a common theme on his forthcoming ninth album Any Less Anymore.

The album was 80 per cent written over Zoom in collaboration with songwriters in Nashville, as well as The Wolfe Brothers and Canadian country-pop artist Lindsay Ell.

When it came to recording, Collins teamed up with pop producer Stuart Stuart (Sheppard, The Veronicas, Lee Kernaghan) and handed him control of the project.

"It was a whole different approach to what we've usually done in the past as well," he says. "I really wanted him [Stuart] to take the reins and steer me in a place I wouldn't have had the courage or the balls to go to before."

Any Less Anymore still contains Collins' classic country-rock party songs purpose-built for B&S balls and rodeos like One Of Them Nights, Runnin' The Country and Good Time Found Me, but elsewhere there's concerted signs of maturity.

Gettin' Old is a contented ode to married life, while Raise Me is an impassioned love song written by a soon-to-be father nervous about the impending birth of his daughter.

"There's a lot of reflection and appreciation of where I'm at on this record," he says.

"It seems strange that through one of the most disruptive and tumultuous times professionally was when I did the most growing personally.

"The songs really came from that, looking around and appreciating that all the things you're chasing in life are there in front of you."

Any Less Anymore is out on June 16. Travis Collins plays Smoke In Broke on Saturday and Wallsend Diggers on June 16.