Ross Wilson recorded his first album in eight years in the US because he wanted fresh ears on his style.

I Come in Peace was recorded in Nashville so the Aussie veteran could work with a group of players who had no preconceptions about who Ross Wilson was or was supposed to sound

like.

"They had no idea who I was," says Wilson, often known as Mr Eagle Rock after the Daddy Cool hit which is his signature song. "They listened to the demos and we started playing. It was remarkably fast, which was refreshing. The musicians also really enjoyed working with flavours they don't usually encounter. Plus they enjoyed rocking out a little as well."

I Come in Peace was produced by ex-pat Mark Moffatt, Australia's only Grammy-

nominated producer.

The singer, guitarist and writer calls the album a bit of a reality check at a time when talking about love in songs can be idealised rather than real.

The front end of the album contains songs concerning the planet and then the songs get closer to home and more personal.

"Because I listen to a lot of blues, I would say this is my blues album in terms of sentiment but not style. It's about life and death and that life goes on. We're here and we can't get off. We have to make the most of what we're dealt."

Ultimately, the album is certainly more optimistic than gloomy and hopeless. It's about acceptance and letting go of anger.

The album features a number of ballads, which, as a rock act, Wilson says he had been discouraged to include on previous albums. This time he took the gamble and feels it has paid off in an album with greater emotional depth.

I Come in Peace's rocky first single is the title track which Wilson co-wrote with The Angels' Rick Brewster.

It has already been picked up by more than 50 radio stations across Australia. In a chart first, this makes Wilson the first rocker of his generation to have a new song added to commercial radio playlists, which normally prefer to play the classic hits by these artists.

Another cool feather in Wilson's cap is the addition of the Aussie classic Eagle Rock by Daddy Cool to the National Film and Sound Archive's (NFSA) Sounds of Australia registry. The registry is an annual celebration of iconic music, speeches and other recorded sounds in our history.

"Eagle Rock very much represents a feeling more than anything," he says. "It's a great honour for everyone involved in the song."

Wilson has also been nominated for his first Helpmann Award in the best Australian contemporary concert category. The winners are announced next Monday at the Sydney Opera House.