Decades after carving out the reputation of a songwriter’s songwriter – a dedicated country tunesmith with as much poetic skill as commercial common sense – he’d settled in to his role as a behind-the-scenes hit maker paid to do what he loves … and if he’s honest, that was enough.

Combining an insightful creative spirit with a love of Southern sonic tradition (and a bit of meandering good ol’ boy whimsy), his world revolved around the twin poles of penning tunes in Nashville, and then heading home to fish and raise a family. But even so, the results were undeniable. Success came with cuts by Hootie & the Blowfish (“One Love”), Lee Brice (“Best Part of Me,” “My Carolina”), Craig Morgan (“Love Loves a Long Night”) and many others, and over the years, many of those collaborators had turned into close friends. Best of all, he didn’t have any of the hassle that came with being an “artist.” No interviews. No travel. No ego driven power struggles. … No drama.

Looking back now, it’s actually kind of impressive he pulled it off for so long. But after more than 4,000 songs and decades of under-the-radar appreciation, Lammonds has been pushed out his shadowy comfort zone. The rootsy-yet-refined Cowboy Things marks his long overdue album debut – and the rare moment an unsung hero steps up to the mic.

He blames it all on Brice, the multi-Platinum country star (and good buddy) who became the project’s producer. The two had a brotherhood born of shared loves – songwriting and the outdoors – and Brice had cut many of the songs he and Lammonds co-penned together. Then he decided to turn the tables.