NASHVILLE (AP) — Tim McGraw says his newest record, “Two Lanes of Freedom” is “sort of a flag in the ground” for him.

It’s his first release for Big Machine Records after a longtime dispute with his last label, Curb. McGraw says he prefers to think about the future instead of the past and believes he’s 30 to 35 percent into his career.

He says it’s liberating to know that he’s in control of his music now.