Jana Kramer Takes a New Direction With Her Career After Leaving Nashville

A post shared by Jana Kramer (@kramergirl) on Jan 23, 2017 at 7:38am PST Singer and actress, Jana [...]

A post shared by Jana Kramer (@kramergirl) on

Singer and actress, Jana Kramer shares she is taking a new direction with her career after packing up from Nashville and heading back to the west coast.

In an interview with Chicago Splash, the former Dancing With the Stars alum and One Tree Hill actress opened up about moving back to Los Angeles after parting ways with her record label of six years, Warner Music Nashville.

MORE: Jana Kramer Mourns the Loss of Her 'Best Friend'

Kramer tells the Midwest publication that Music City wasn't exactly a good fit for her.

"Nashville wanted to put me in a box. [It dictated] how I was supposed to sing and what I was supposed to sing about," the 33-year-old said. "I'm just not the kind of artist that's meant to be in a box."

In 2011, Kramer established herself with a strong start in country music, landing a Top 5 single with the track, "Why Ya Wanna." She won an Academy of Country Music Award for new female vocalist just two years later. But following two records and much acclaim, Kramer's musical career began to slow down. She landed a spot on ABC's Dancing With the Stars, but it wasn't enough to make the mother continue her career in Tennessee.

Her last country music concert will take place July 14 to 16 in Chicago, as part of the Windy City Smokeout, performing with Lee Brice and Jake Owen, just to name a few.

But just because she is done with country music, does not mean the multiltalented artist is done altogether. Kramer will head into a new direction with music and debut a few new songs from her upcoming EP at the Smokeout, which she says is "100 percent me" and "authentic" to who she is.

While her stop in Chicago is a quick one with her and daughter, Jolie, Kramer tells Chicago Splash that she will also be returning to acting come August, and a possible return to the Midwest.

"I eventually want to get back to Michigan," she says. "I love how I was raised. I grew up on a lake … I didn't go inside until 9 o'clock at night. It's where I got all my values — and [even] if we're not able to move back, I want to make sure to instill those in my daughter."

Photo credit: Facebook, Instagram / @kramergirl; homepage, John Shearer / Getty Images for ACM

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