James Otto’s voice is deep, rich and edgy and yet with his 1-year-old little girl, Ava, toddling around in the background, he sounds more like a pussycat.

 They’re getting ready to watch Yo Gabba Gabba and that, he says, is all right by him. (“It’s got a music component that I can tolerate!”). The singer entered mainstream country music in 2008 with the hit single, “Just Got Started Lovin’ You” which became the most played song on country radio that year (he also got a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance). In 2009, he snagged a ACM Award in the Song of the Year category as co-songwriter for Jamey Johnson’s “In Color,” and also reached the Top 25 on Country Billboard for “Groovy Little Summer Song.” Shake What God Gave Ya, Otto’s newest album to date, finds the soulful singer at his best, and he’s currently exploring more of that sound in the studio. I found him relaxed and happy on a break — and on daddy duty with Ava — when we talked.

So how are you liking this daddy business?

It’s my favorite part of life these days!  Ava’s 11 months now and we’re surprised because she’s been taking steps for two months. The doctor tells us she’s incredibly active — she’s a handful which is all right with me. She’s got such a great spirit.

What kind of dad are you?

I’m a big kid at heart! I definitely change a lot of diapers and all that, too. My favorite time of day is the morning with Ava. My wife does (or did) the overnight — but now the morning has developed into our time and we have that bonding time together. I’m blessed.

I know your father was in the military, so do you think that will have any influence on how you parent Ava?

Well, she’s definitely going to have to fight for herself. My Dad was a drill sergeant, so I got heavy discipline growing up and went through long trials. I want her to be able to do what she wants to do, but also to treat others a certain way.

What’s her personality like?

She’s extremely outgoing, way more outgoing than I am. She wants everyone’s attention and she’ll huff and puff about it — I’m not exactly sure where she gets it! My wife (Amy) is a lot more outgoing than I am, so she gets that part from her.

Has she been on tour with you yet?

No, she hasn’t come out on the bus yet. There’s no place really for a little girl to get down and play. It’s a bunch of smelly guys!

When you came out with “Just Got Started Lovin’ You” in ‘08, you said that people who knew your earlier stuff might not have thought the work was ‘like you’ — what did you mean by that?

I think what I meant was, before that song I was making southern rock music. I wouldn’t say I was less rebellious, but I think what the success of “Lovin’ You” did was give me license to make more of that soulful sound which is where I was headed and where I’m still headed. We really did that with “Shake What God Gave Ya.” Since the album came out, my shows have become more fun and more interactive.  It feels good.

You’ve definitely had an interesting journey so far — you’ve done a lot.

My folks divorced when I was young, so I moved back and forth and around. I trace my roots back to Finley, North Dakota. I also trace them back to Fort Lewis Military Base in Washington state. But I’ve lived a lot in 38 years. I’ve been a sailor, an electrician, I’ve been to over 20 countries. I’ve done a lot of living and I definitely feel blessed.

 
So what do you think? Anymore children?

We’re definitely having those conversations for sure. For the first three months with Ava it was like, huh-uh, but we made it, so ... who knows?

Learn more about James Otto at jamesotto.net, and watch for his new album due out this fall.

Susan Day is editor in chief of this publication.

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