Country singer Rodney Atkins knows the value of taking the long way home, of veering off the beaten path onto that road less traveled once in a while.

You can hear it in his music, in the lyrics of his smash new single, “Take a Back Road,” a song that celebrates that feeling of getting away from the noise of everyday life, really living in the moment, and getting right with your soul.

And you can see it in the way he lives his life: putting family first, listening to that inner voice and remaining true to himself, and striving to evolve and find unique ways of expressing himself through the music he puts out into the world. It’s a philosophy he tries to employ throughout his life, and it has led him to some amazing places.

One of those places will be Penn’s Peak. Atkins takes the local stage at 8 p.m. Feb. 16.

“What does it mean to follow your own path? I try to think about that a lot when I’m making an album,” said Atkins, describing the journey he took in making his fourth album, “Take a Back Road.”

“To me, it’s go somewhere you’ve never been, because when you do that, you wind up seeing things that no one has seen before. Which means you can paint the picture differently.”

The hardworking artist gathered up a whole new set of colors when he set about creating his latest CD, and he cranked the whole recording process up a notch in intensity — which is saying something for a guy who is pretty darned intense to begin with. But he wanted this project, his first in nearly three years, to convey and express some emotions and feelings in an authentic yet different way. Simply put — Rodney had a lot to say musically, and he wanted to say it in exactly the right way.

The East Tennessee native has an impressive track record with hitting on sentiments that strike a chord with the country listener: he’s had five number one hits from his first three albums, from “Watching You” and “These Are My People” to his most recent smash, “Farmer’s Daughter,” (which skyrocketed to platinum,) and he’s sold over 4 million singles in the past five years alone.

Though his new crop of songs has some edge, and the vocal energy may be amped up a notch, Atkins is still the same hardworking, patriotic, rock-solid country boy who fans have grown to know and love since his debut with 2003’s “Honesty.” He still relishes the time spent with wife Tammy Jo and his son Elijah, and still serves as the spokesman for brands like Massey Ferguson and the National Council for Adoption, a cause dear to his heart as a child of adoption himself.

Atkins volunteers for the council on a large scale, but also makes plenty of time to return to the Holston Methodist Home for Children in Greenville, Tennessee, where he was adopted as a small baby as well, for visits. After all, the road back to the tiny hometown where he got his start may be a long one, and a long way from the glitzy one he travels now as a country star, but for Rodney, nothing could ever beat the power of taking that back road and returning home to your roots.

Also at Penn’s Peak

• Sunday, Rebelution and Raging Fish, 8 p.m.

• Jan. 26, Thompson Square, 8 p.m.

• Jan. 27, Live Dead & Riders, 8 p.m.

• Jan. 28, An Evening with Umphrey’s McGee, 8 p.m.

• Feb. 3, Go 90s with The Fresh Kids of Bel-Air, 8 p.m.

• Feb. 9, Voyage, #1 Journey Tribute Band featuring Hugo, 8 p.m.

• Feb. 16, Rodney Atkins, 8 p.m.

• Feb. 17, Sweetheart’s Dinner Dance with the Main Street Cruisers, 7 p.m.

• Feb. 24, Next Big Thing presents Bruce in the USA, 8 p.m.

• March 2, Lonestar, 8 p.m.

• March 3, Melvin Seals and JGB, 8 p.m.

• March 10, Rhythm in the Night — The Irish Dance Spectacular, 8 p.m.

• March 23, Jay & the Americans and The Brooklyn Bridge, 8 p.m.

• March 24, Lorrie Morgan, 8 p.m.

• March 25, Daughtry, 8 p.m.

• April 4, Robin Trower, 8 p.m.

• April 6, Lita Ford and Firehouse, 8 p.m.

Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar.

Penn’s Peak is located at 325 Maury Road, Jim Thorpe. For more information call 866-605-PEAK or visit www.pennspeak.com.