Black warmed up for this summer’s outing at the American Country Music Awards, where he performed May 26. The tour launches June 18 in Coarsegold, Calif.

In his most ambitious outing since 1998, Black plans to stay on the road through late October, with dates at amphitheatres, fairs and casinos across the country.

The New Jersey-born but Texas-raised singer rose to fame in the late ’80s as a pioneer of the wildly popular “new traditionalist” movement. After 10 years of major-label life and several years outside the studio, he opted to start the Equity label with some Nashville friends.

Spend My Time is the first release for the label, which aims to eschew the industry standard by focusing on fairness and artists’ rights. The company’s Web site states that it “was created with the intention of actualizing a new and unique concept in the relationship between artist and record label: a partnership.”