Cline celebrates “American Mojo” with a CD release party at the NuttHouse at 7 p.m. today. Tickets are $10 and available through Eventbrite.com or at the door.

Cline took time from his tour schedule to answer a few questions by phone.

TimesDaily: Does your love of music go back to your childhood?

Cline: Well, I guess it does. Growing up in the church, we sang a bunch. Interestingly enough, I’m still friends with my childhood music teacher. It’s pretty neat.

I didn’t get into music until later as far as playing and performing. I sang in choirs growing up. When I went to junior college right out of high school – I got a scholarship for singing in college. I didn’t really study music that way.

My music teacher — I think she’s 83 or 84 now — just recently stopped playing in church. They moved, and she retired. We still keep in touch. Her uncle, I think it’s her uncle, wrote “You Are My Sunshine.”

TimesDaily: Did you mostly concentrate on your voice when you were younger?

Cline: When I was in junior college, I just sang in choirs. The initial thing that got me interested in it was, I went on a cruise and I didn’t realize it was for scholarships. Some friends of my mother who worked at the college suggested that I try out. Sure enough, I got a scholarship.

I really learned how to find my harmonies. But, I didn’t study music academically.

It wasn’t until college that I really started playing guitar. After I graduated college, was when I really picked it up to practice it and study it.

TimesDaily: Did you start writing songs at about that same time?

Cline: It was a little later. Actually, I was 30 years old when I started.

TimesDaily: So, did you have a completely different life before getting into music as a career?

Cline: Yes, ma’am. I did. That was very different.

I studied natural resources, environmental studies and geography. I followed up with a master’s degree in human dimensions of natural resources. I worked for the USGS (United States Geological Survey) and then started a consulting company.

I did all of that for quite a long time before dropping it. I’ve put that down for right now to do music.

TimesDaily: What led you to put that career on hold to pursue music?

Cline: As I was traveling, I would play and find people who were interested in music. I found other fans of music.

Growing up, there wasn’t a place where we could go see music. My neighbor was a musician and there was music all around me, but I didn’t understand the culture of it. That’s a different thing — going out and supporting live music. It’s a cultural thing that you have to learn and value.

I started going to music festivals and meeting people. Regionally, I knew a lot of the music being performed. It was a chance meeting of some of those folks — meeting them and getting inspired. I thought, gosh, I want to do this.

I was traveling a bunch. As a consultant, I would go all across the country. I would practice my guitar. Either you go out and eat too much and drink too much or you sit and practice.

I’m from Texas, and I lived in Colorado for about 16 years. I traveled around the country. I first played sitting in with a band while I was in Wyoming. But, the first time I sang and performed in front of anybody was actually in Alabama — a little town, Brewton.

TimesDaily: How did you come to move to the Shoals?

Cline: I’m going to put that on Jimmy Nutt. He’s friends with my friend, Shelley King, who I’m actually traveling with now. She and Jimmy were in a band together in Austin. Jimmy knew James LeBlanc, who was with FAME for so many years, which inspired him to move here. He became an engineer and studio owner.

It’s really amazing how wonderful they’ve been to me. We met for the first time in Austin when the Swampers came to SXSW.

My perspective before that, back when I was 30, I was coming down 65 — “The Lost Highway” — I was going through a change in my life. I had been married for seven years, and I was going through a divorce. It was a big change in my life. I could feel it.

I was so interested in why I was so drawn to doing this. I was trying to understand it. I think that’s an important part, listening and trying to pay attention to what you’re doing. I felt like I had the bug.

TimesDaily: Tell me about your first album, “All the Right Reasons.”

Cline: From there, I went to Cheatham Street Warehouse and met a songwriter, Kent Finlay. He passed away maybe a year or two ago. He was George Strait’s mentor. I met him through a friend of mine, Gary Hartman, who I met at a festival.

I got to perform in front of Kent. He sat there and listened to me. He told me I had to write my own songs. So, I did.

I had this idea for the record, “All the Right Reasons.” It was me trying to define what in the world I was doing. It was conveying this story of understanding unconditional love. The song, “All the Right Reasons” is about loving someone who doesn’t love you anymore.

I wrote this album, I wrote the titles of the songs then I wrote the songs.

I got to make that with a band called the Subdudes. I didn’t realize but they’re a very prolific band. They originated in New Orleans. John (Magnie) studied with Professor Longhair. They ran around with The Meters and the Nevilles. They’ve got some soul — they listen, they’re paying attention.

I learned through them how to work with a band. I really understood the identity of trying to become an artist and the responsibility of it.

Now, making a career out of it, it’s just the balance and the responsibility of making it sustainable.

TimesDaily: It does seem like things have fallen into place for you as you made this life change. It feels good, right?

Cline: It does. I’m just grateful. That’s where it is and that’s what keeps us going.

This is a very challenging thing. Having had another career where economically I was very independent, I really had to put my faith in moving forward.

It’s a scary thing. In life, we balance that fear. It has been that internal struggle that we all have. That’s the important thing about getting out and doing it and seeing other people who believe and are doing it. It’s surrounding yourself with that while going out and earning your keep.

It has been nice. Especially in the Shoals, it’s such a unique place.

TimesDaily: It is pretty unique. We have living music legends walking amongst us.

Cline: They have such value in the community and there’s a perspective of respecting where you come from. There’s a lot of talent out there. The only way to show value for that is to show respect. Within the music industry, you show respect by being professional and learning the craft and by being spiritually awake.

The nice thing about the community is that it doesn’t take advantage of the people who really have to sing. Like me, being able to do this certainly is a blessing. Being able to perform and really connect with folks — when you’re able to do that, it’s fulfilling — there’s a peace.

You see people who are really talented but they’re struggling and you wish you could help them but you have to show them how it’s done, too.

TimesDaily: There’s a track on your new album, “American Mojo,” called “Boys from Muscle Shoals.” How about those boys from Muscle Shoals?

Cline: Yeah. It’s a different perspective because these guys are so humble. They never bust the door down saying hey, this is me. They never will. As an outsider, these are the guys. These are the ones.

Getting to work with Peanutt (Earl Montgomery) and tour with him has been super neat. It’s interesting because in certain places, people couldn’t wrap their head around it. I want to be able to convey to people what a legend he is. When they were in the room with it, they were like, holy cow.

That’s live music. You have to show them. They have to feel it themselves. You can’t tell them the value of it, they have to see it.

Guys like Peanutt — what a tremendous career — they started this stuff.

TimesDaily: Do you enjoy performing live?

Cline: Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve been able to travel and experience the grassroots of how it all starts instead of just having a million dollars to throw at it. That’ll work but you miss the whole thing. I’m pushing my way on through.

It’s something, getting thrown into it and all. It’s the people who take care of you. That’s the only way, economically, that it really happens. Folks believe in what you’re doing and it comes down to an eco-tourism economy. People who value what you’re doing, they hear it and support it.

TimesDaily: Tell me about your show tonight at the NuttHouse. Is it open to the public?

Cline: Yes, ma’am, it is. We have tickets on Eventbrite.com. There will be tickets available at the door.

What I’d like to say is, I know there’s another big event going on that night, but we’ll have a full band and this is going to be a great intimate thing at the NuttHouse.

It’s really a way to thank these folks for being part of this. I want to take that story to all the other places, too. That’s part of my obligation of doing this. You know, it really is, so that people can grasp this a little bit. The movie, “Muscle Shoals,” did such a great job of telling that story but it takes new generations to keep building value in that.

As an artist, it takes time to build an audience and it takes time to earn your chops. I just want to do as much as I can to show respect to the folks who have given us so much of this. They gave it to the world. It’s something that keeps me going.