Kiefer Sutherland is set to release his debut album in 2016, but he admits it didn't come easy.

The singer-songwriter and guitarist is perhaps best known to most fans as the star of TV's 24, for which he's won an Emmy, Golden Globe and two Screen Actor's Guild awards. He's also a producer, director and the star of films including Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, A Few Good Men and Young Guns, but his most recent endeavor is a foray into country music with an upcoming album titled Down in a Hole.

Producer Jude Cole — whose previous credits include Lifehouse — says Sutherland was well aware that he would have to work to overcome an inherent bias. "Yes, he's Kiefer Sutherland. Yes, he's a famous actor," he says in the video above, which is premiering on Taste of Country. "But he knows ... there's no forgiveness when you decide to strap a guitar on and go onstage. Even your greatest film fans have one eye open, like, 'Okay, what is this? Is this a vanity project?' No, it's not."

Sutherland says he actually relishes the notion of being part of a true ensemble.

"The thing that I've always loved about the idea of a band ...  it was like a small gang. That doesn't happen the same way amongst actors," he says. "There's something about musicians and the way they go from town to town."

Sutherland and his band members perform a song acoustically in the video above, showcasing his rough-and-ready voice and songwriting skills. He co-wrote every song on Down in a Hole, and he admits he was initially nervous about playing the material live.

"I have to say, the first time I went onstage with a band as an adult ... probably the single scariest moment I've encountered as a performer," he says. "My right hand just would not stop shaking, which is really not good for a guitar player."

He says he's excited not only about playing his own songs live, but the confidence he can bring to the stage now.

"We've played a hundred-and-some-odd shows, and I've got a band that I am really proud to go out with," Sutherland states. "We'll have a run at anyone in a bar, and I think we'll give you a really great show."

Sutherland's debut single, "Not Enough Whiskey," is currently available on iTunes.

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