This Week’s Backstage Country Host: Chris Young
Chris Young is taking over Backstage Country for a week alongside Elaina Smith. One of Billboard’s Country Artists of the Decade, Young will talk about the stories and inspirations behind…
Chris Young is taking over Backstage Country for a week alongside Elaina Smith. One of Billboard’s Country Artists of the Decade, Young will talk about the stories and inspirations behind his songs, and his latest album, I Didn’t Come Here to Leave.
Chris Young on Making His Latest Album
Smith noticed the new album that there were several sentimental moments and asked if Young had a shift in perspective on things. Young admitted that with I Didn’t Come Here to Leave, he felt he could do whatever he wanted to do. He clarified, “Not that I've not been in that place before as an artist, but specifically, I was just thinking a lot about life and a lot about my family and my friends. And so, there's some fun songs and then there's serious songs.”
Young added, “There's some love songs, and this one in particular is just really special. This is another one of the songs that I did not have a hand in writing. Doug Johnson, who actually works over at the label, but [who] I've known for a really long time. He wrote ‘Three Wooden Crosses.’ He's written so many amazing songs, and ‘What Would You Take?’ he played [it] for me last. He played me like four or five songs, and that was the last one he played. I was like, ‘Why in the hell was this one not first?’ It's just a very emotional song and a beautiful song, and I’m happy to be able to cut it.”
Transparency in the Studio
Smith asked Young if he was honest with the people he works with. Young replied, “Oh, yeah. I have writers that are signed to my publishing company. When they play me something I'll be like, ‘Not for me.’” He added, “I have to be blunt. That's the only way I know how to operate.”
Smith followed up by asking if he ever felt bad about being blunt. The Nashville Star winner said, “I can be wrong, but I'm just going to tell you what I think.” He clarified, “Yeah, I don't ever want to hurt anybody's feelings, but when you're listening to songs, and you're a songwriter, and you are a producer, and you're also singing those songs, I feel like it doesn't do you any favors to sort of be soft-handed with what you say. That's the hard part of it. This is business. We are just lucky, and I'm lucky to have been able to be in this business for a very long time.”
