STAIND Frontman's First Full Country Album Projected To Sell 18K-21K First Week

"The Road", the first full country album from STAIND singer-songwriter Aaron Lewis, is likely to sell between 18,000 and 21,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on November 13 via Blaster Records through Warner Music Nashville.

"The Road" follows up Lewis' 2011 debut solo EP, "Town Line", which entered the Billboard Country Albums chart at No. 1 and featured the hit single "Country Boy". The new album was produced by Nashville hitmaker James Stroud, who also worked on the EP with Lewis.

Lewis wrote nine of the 10 songs on the CD, with the exception of "Grandaddy's Gun". That was composed by Nashville songwriters Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Bobby Pinson, marking the first time Lewis has ever recorded another artist's music for an album.

"In the beginning, when I decided I wanted to do a country record, we kind of compiled a list of producers to talk to, and James was the first and last producer I talked to," Lewis told CMT.com. "As soon as I talked to him, I didn't even bother calling anybody else. And obviously, it was meant to be because we work very well together."

Lewis recently said that STAIND will go on hiatus after finishing its touring commitments, but insisted that the group is not breaking up.

STAIND had a difficult time making its latest record, with the band in turmoil and the sessions eventually leading to a split with founding drummer Jon Wysocki.

The new album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard album chart and marked the end of the group's deal with Atlantic Records.

Lewis said the band would explore its options during the hiatus, adding that it would take "a ridiculous, ridiculous check for me to be willing to sign a label deal again."