Dustin Lynch spent three years making his third studio album, Current Mood. The record, which includes two (so far) No. 1 singles, "Seein' Red" and "Small Town Boy," and now, as the 32-year-old headlines his own Ride or Die Tour, Lynch says he can finally see that his hard work has paid off.

"It’s amazing. I got to see that firsthand on the first weekend of the tour, of the Ride or Die Tour -- just the excitement of new music and finally getting to play songs that aren’t on the radio," Lynch shared with The Boot and other reporters at a recent media event. "That’s been an amazing blessing to be opening for artists and not only get to play the hits, but now that we get to play some album cuts and see the reaction -- see people singing and feeling that new emotion in the headlining shows, it’s been amazing. And the songs that I wanted to get out there and maybe affect some people and have them grasp on to it have done that, and that’s been really cool to see."

Lynch has become good friends with one of his former tour bosses, Luke Bryan, who invited Lynch to join him on his several of his tours. Because he spent so much time on the road with the superstar, Lynch has firsthand knowledge of what kind of man and artist Bryan is, and he says there's no one better to fill the American Idol judge seat than Bryan.

"First of all, Luke’s hilarious. He's very quick-witted," says Lynch. "He’s going to be amazing for the genre. And he’s just cool. There’s nothing cheesy or corny about Luke, at least when he’s in public. I know him when he’s behind closed doors, but he’s a great guy: goofball, great role model, somebody I look up to and I owe a lot to for taking me on tours for two years."

As 2017 winds down, Lynch has plenty to be grateful for, including his big Thanksgiving plans: He's playing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

"I’m going to be on the KFC float, and I’m taking the whole freaking family up there with me," Lynch shares. "So we’re going to do it big in New York City this year."

Not to worry, though: Lynch will still make sure to incorporate his own traditions this holiday, most of which involve food.

"There’s certain dishes that my mom and sister cook that I know we won’t find in New York, so we’ll probably pig out again," adds the singer. "That’s a great excuse to pig out twice."

Lynch is joined by Michael Ray, Lanco and Ryan Hurd at select shows on his Ride or Die Tour. Dates and venue information can be found on his website.

Rising Stars Share Lessons Learned as Opening Acts

More From KIXS FM 108