Toby Keith has signed Trace Adkins as the newest artist on his record label Show Dog-Universal Music, and he's really excited about the new music he's hearing from his new artist. Toby says, quote, "[Trace] finally saw what he wants, and he went for it....it's got a lot of attitude, a lot of smile and it's got a lot of edge."

Trace doesn't think his new music is a big departure from what he's done in the past, but he says, quote, "It's a reflection of what I'm at right now. I feel good. I feel upbeat. I feel healthy and happy, and I think it's reflected in the stuff that I'm cutting."

Now that Toby and Trace record for the same label, expect to hear a collaboration from them in the near future. The two of them went on the road together last year, and Toby says, quote, "We sat in my bus a lot of days and discussed music ideas and songs that we're going to write and song that we're going to record."

Trace also gained a new level of respect for Toby as a performer on their tour last year. He watched Toby's show from the side of the stage each night before their joint encore, and Trace says, quote, "He's like a 12-year-old on Christmas morning when he's onstage...That joy that I've seen from is real. He ain't that good an actor."