Will Turpin of Collective Soul is still processing his 30 years as a rock star.

“We weren’t necessarily looking down the road for 30 years, we were always looking at the next year,” he says looking back on writing hits like “Shine,” “December” and “The World I Know.”

During that time he raised a family and took over his father’s recording studio, Real 2 Reel Studios in Jonesboro, Ga., where he met his bandmates Ed and Dean Roland.

“What I love about being here so long is people allowing our music to become the soundtrack to their lives,” he says.

“At the live shows, we celebrate all these memories of the music and the times that you had while the music was in your background, and the cool thing is that we see multiple generations. It’s nothing for us to see a 60-year-old grandfather and a 40-year-old father and a teenager in the crowd,” he says.

“It’s really hard to accept that — that people have really embraced the music to make it part of their own life and that this is transcending generations.”

But it’s fitting, given the positive togetherness found in lyrics in songs like “The World I Know.”

To this day, Turpin maintains that Collective Soul refers to universal love and not any specific theology. Their song “Shine” prompted some to label them a Christian band, which they denied. They also denied any connection to “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand, where they got the name Collective Soul.

Instead they choose to define themselves as a spiritual band.

“The overall sentiment would be: We’re all one. We all bleed red. All of us humans on this earth are related and bound together,” Turpin concludes.

Now that he’s looking back at 30 years, he says he’s grateful for all of the things that he’s been able to do in promoting that togetherness through his music.

“Other than affording a lifestyle and making a living, my favorite thing about what I’ve done is create all these friendships, whether they’re peers in the music industry and musicians or just people [I’ve met]. I’ve got friends all over the world because of what I’ve been able to do.”

He says he’s excited to head out on the road with his buddies Hootie and the Blowfish and Edwin McCain for the Summer Camp With Trucks Tour rolling through Rogers May 31.

He’s also excited to be sharing some new Collective Soul tunes that were recorded at Elvis Presley’s Palm Beach estate. He says that a friend offered the space as a hideaway for the band to get together and write.

The experience of going into the house was like stepping back in time.

“It was in disrepair, he had left it just like Elvis had left it, as a little bit of a time capsule,” Turpin remembers.

The result was a double album, “From Here To Eternity,” which is a nod to both the movie and where they are now. While they were certainly soaking in the classic rock vibes a la Presle, audiences can still expect Collective Soul’s classics at the show.

“I’ve realized through the years that there’s a number of songs we’ll never stop playing. And now we’re looking at 30 years, and people are just as appreciative of our music as they ever have been.”

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FAQ

Collective Soul

WHEN — 7 p.m. May 31; gates open at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE — Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers

COST — $39.50 & up

INFO — amptickets.com

FYI — Reserved parking is $30, AMP Underground is $49 per person, Fast Track is $10 and lawn chair rentals are $10, collectible tickets are $15, and you can purchase AMP-branded blankets for $20.