American fans of Sugarland star Kristian Bush's solo material have been begging him to release 'Love or Money' at iTunes, and he's been paying attention. Thursday's (Oct. 10) release will be his first official release as a solo artist since ... umm, maybe ever?

"Hang on, let me think it through," Bush says, laughing. "It's been a long 40-something years."

"Prolific" is how Bush describes his 2013 so far. He's written more in the last year than the previous five years combined, partially because he's had the time (Sugarland aren't touring this summer for the first time in nearly a decade), and partially because he has the equipment and access to talented engineers and musicians.

"And when you combine that with kind of an explosion with being back in my life and not just on a bus," one half of the famed country duo tells Taste of Country, "it changes what I see in my day and what I feel in my day."

'Love or Money' was released to digital retailers in Europe and the U.K. in March, but until now, fans couldn't get ahold of the song Bush wrote with Jeff Cohen and Relient K's Matthew Thiessen. During a recent Music Monday, Bush explained the story behind the song.

"Matt had just moved to town, and I asked him, 'Did you come here for love, or money?'" he shares. "And then we all kind of looked at each other, and I said, 'Oh. We're about to write that song, aren't we?' Sometimes that's all it takes: just one great line."

Music Mondays are Bush's weekly drop for the new music he's been writing and recording. It began in April, and with about 160 songs to fall back on, he says he figures he could go on for years if he wanted to. Fans know that how he tells the story behind each song is often as enjoyable as the song itself. Bush is a colorful storyteller capable of pulling you into the scene with just a few descriptive words.

The web feature solved a problem for the 43-year-old, who co-founded Sugarland in 2002. Finally, he had an outlet for his music. However, choosing 10-15 songs for his debut solo album is proving to be more difficult.

"When we put out a Sugarland record, we put one out about every two years," the singer says. "And there are about 10 songs that go on that record and Jennifer (Nettles) and I usually write them together, so 10 songs every two years to me, and I'm running about 160 songs a year right now. So there is a great deal of material that is just sitting around."

Not that every song needs a home. Bush says he purposely stopped thinking about where songs would end up because it slows him down. When he finally gets to record that full-length album, he'll feel the same way as he feels on the eve of releasing his first (maybe) solo iTunes single (buy here).

"Excited, there's no nervous or anxious about it, I don't think at all," he admits. "I'm just excited to get music out. I know that sounds cliche, but it's absolutely true and kind of the story of my year."

Listen to Kristian Bush, 'Love or Money'

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