For Caleb Fischer, there’s only one way to travel on this journey he’s taking.

He’s not in any race, but as long as he keeps moving forward and getting closer to his dream, that’s good enough for him. For now.

“There’s really no Plan B,” he said. “This has to work.”

Fischer is trying to make a living as a country music singer. He has a band that carries his name. The band will be at the Oak Harbor Tavern July 20 at 9 p.m. as Fischer releases his new album titled Mile Marker One.

He believes the title is fitting.

“Most of the songs have to do with being on the road,” he said. “The last five years or so of my life I’ve traveled a lot. So it’s kind of symbolic. It’s my first album. It’s kind of the start of a whole new adventure here.”

It’s not the first time Fischer has performed in Oak Harbor.

He spent five years in the Navy, based at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. Although he already was a talented pianist, it was during his time in the Navy when he started playing guitar and began singing and strumming his guitar in local bars at the urging of friends.

“I’d written a couple of songs and played for friends,” he said. “They encouraged me to go to bars and try it out. When I turned 21, I was finally able to go to bars.”

He remembered how he trembled while singing the first couple of songs at his first performance.

“I found out real quick that goes away by the third or fourth song,” he said. “You start to get really comfortable when you see the audience start smiling and singing along. Then, it’s a lot of fun.

“You fall down a little bit and you get back up. I’ve definitely messed up a few times.”

Since leaving the Navy in October after five years of service, Fischer has put all of his focus on his music career.

He dove right into recording his first CD, working with a producer in Port Orchard, then forming a band.

He also got help from a Navy friend to create a video for the song, Lone Star Man, and the video was posted on YouTube. Fischer said the video was filmed in Oak Harbor and Coupeville with appearances from his Navy pals.

Fischer, 24, who lives in Snohomish, said he fell in love with country music while growing up in San Antonio, Texas. He understands the odds against making it big in country music, but is more interested in just making it.

“It’s a fun gig. It’s a fun job,” he said. “It wouldn’t be a job for me.”

For the past two years, he’s performed in several Puget Sound area bars. He’s hoping his album will stimulate interest in his music.

He will be selling CDs of his new album at the Oak Harbor Tavern. There is no cover charge for the performance.

“It’s a big risk obviously,” Fischer said. “As cliche as it sounds, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.”