Breland marked watershed — and history-making — moments throughout his Cross Country chapter, including with the extension of his debut full-length album, Cross Country: The Extra Mile, in September. Now, as the award-winning artist looks ahead to the next stage in his music, he’s spending the final weeks of the year fueling his creative ideas and connecting with audiences in unique ways.

The “My Truck” artist recently caught up wit iHeartCountry about his deluxe album, his recently-released rendition of “The Christmas Song,” his upcoming headlining gig honoring active service members and veterans, what he’s looking forward to next, and more. Breland will mark Giving Tuesday with a game day viewing party hosted on Monday (November 27) in San Antonio, Texas. He’s also teaming up with NFL superstar DeMarcus Ware, who is set to MC the Crown Royal Game Day for Veterans event.

“It’s an honor to be a part of it,” Breland said. He’s previously performed special events for veterans and active duty military, both in the U.S. and abroad, and “it's been something that's brought me a lot of joy. I have a lot of family members who have served and are serving currently, and I know how difficult it can be, especially around the holidays. And so, I feel like this event is really well-timed and should be a lot of fun, just kind of flipping the script. These people have literally sacrificed so much and given so much time and energy toward serving us that this kind of gives us an opportunity to serve them.

“It means a lot,” he continued later. “I can only imagine what all of these people have gone through and what their experiences have been like, and it can't be taken for granted. I mean, look, I'm an artist and a performer and I get to travel around and there's very little risk in what it is that I do. And so, for these people who have taken a lot of risk to be able to keep us safe, I feel like it's quite literally the least I could do to put on a show like this. And to be able to do it in a capacity that also is tied to a community service component of they're going to be donating some money toward some food banks and some local food banks, which I think is really dope, as well. But to be able to show the military community a good time is something that I think makes my job a lot sweeter.”

Breland said he’s ready to respond to the energy the crowd, though he pledged to perform his fan-favorite hits — including “My Truck,” “Throw It Back,” “Beers On Me” and “Praise The Lord,” to name a few — and noted that he has “a bunch of new music and even some newer, unreleased stuff.” Now, with his calendar momentarily freeing up from an active touring schedule around the holiday season, the genre-blending artist is aiming to focus on creating and “finish the year strong in the studio and see where it takes us.”

Breland, who aims to release “as much music as possible,” has played his music from Cross Country: The Extra Mile around the world, connecting with audiences around the world. Now, after unveiling the long-awaited 24-track deluxe project, “we are onto the second album cycle,” and focused on growth in the New Year. Until then, find the full Cross Country: The Extra Mile on iHeartRadio here, and listen to Breland’s “The Christmas Song” here:

Jim O'Hara