Chris Young Music: Behind the Scenes of His Latest Album and the Heartfelt Stories That Inspire Fans.
What does it feel like to celebrate your eighth anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry while releasing a new album? Join us on this enlightening episode of Takin' a Walk Nashville as host Sarah Harrelson engages with country music star Chris Young, who dives deep into his latest album, "I Didn't Come Here to Leave," released on October 17th. Chris Young music is not just a career for him; it's a journey filled with gratitude, passion, and unforgettable moments that have shaped his path in the music industry.
As we stroll through the Nashville music scene, Young shares his heartfelt reflections on his time with the Opry family and some of his most memorable experiences, including the time he had the honor of picking up the legendary Vince Gill. This episode offers a unique glimpse behind the scenes of music, revealing the production process of his new album, which showcases the collaborative efforts with co-producer Andy Sheridan and the cohesive band that helped craft its distinctive sound. Listeners will gain invaluable music industry insights as Young discusses the songwriting process behind some of the album's standout tracks.
Among the songs featured is the emotionally charged "Just Keep Living," inspired by his father, and the upbeat title track that perfectly captures the essence of joy and celebration. Chris Young music is about connection, and throughout our conversation, he emphasizes how these songs resonate with listeners on a personal level, creating a powerful emotional bond.
But that's not all! Young also shares exciting news about his first holiday tour, "It Must Be Christmas," promising to bring festive cheer to fans across the country. As an advocate for the next generation of musicians, he discusses his commitment to giving back to music students at Middle Tennessee State University through the Chris Young Cafe and scholarships, demonstrating his dedication to nurturing the indie music journey.
Join us for this captivating episode filled with singer-songwriter interviews, music storytelling, and music history lessons that will leave you inspired and connected to the heart of country music. Don't miss out on the chance to hear from an iconic musician who embodies the spirit of Nashville and the rich tapestry of the music industry. Tune in to Takin' a Walk Nashville and discover the magic behind Chris Young music!
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2025-10-30
13 min
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00:00:01 Speaker 1: The Taking a Walk Nashville podcast with singer songwriter Sarah Harrelson. 00:00:05 Speaker 2: I want people to listen to the whole thing and take what they want. You leave with what you need to take with you. It's not up to me now that it's done. Now, So you listen to the album and you hopefully fall in love with one of those songs or all of them. 00:00:21 Speaker 3: I don't care. I just want you to enjoy the music. 00:00:24 Speaker 4: Hi, this is Sarah Harrelson, your host of Taking a Walk Nashville. Join me today as they have a conversation with Chris Young. Chris is named one of Billboard's top twenty Country artists of the decade. With the love for the craft which never waivers and a booming baritone that won't quit, this multi platinum singer songwriter is forever looking forward with his newest and tenth studio album, I Didn't Come Here to Leave That released on October seventeenth. This album release date also coincides with another special milestone, this Grammy nominated vocalist eighth anniversary of his induction into the Grand Ole Opry. 00:01:13 Speaker 3: Taking a Walk Nashville. 00:01:14 Speaker 4: Hi, Chris, thank you so much for being on Taking a walk Nashville today. How are you. 00:01:19 Speaker 3: I'm doing well. How are you? 00:01:21 Speaker 4: I'm good? Thank you so much for being here. Let's talk about your latest and tenth studio album, I Didn't come here to leave. It was just released on October seventeenth, and this release date is pretty special because it coincides with another milestone of yours, which is celebrating your eighth anniversary of your induction into the grand Ole Opry. Congrats? What does it mean to be celebrating eight years with the Obrey? 00:01:50 Speaker 3: I mean, it's incredible. 00:01:53 Speaker 2: I can hardly believe that it's been that long that I've been a member of that family, And incredibly grateful that they asked me to join and asked. 00:02:04 Speaker 3: Me to join Black River for this album. 00:02:06 Speaker 2: I mean, all of those things coinciding I couldn't have I don't think actively planned. 00:02:11 Speaker 3: It just sort of fell that way. So it was really cool. 00:02:16 Speaker 4: Yeah, And this year we're celebrating one hundred years of the Opry? Do you have a favorite Grand Ole Opry moment? 00:02:25 Speaker 2: Me realizing that I'd picked up vince Gil because he asked me to join as a member of the grand Ole Opry, and I had him like up in the air, and I'm like, I should probably put him down. He's a Hall of Famer. I probably shouldn't be just like grabbing people and picking him up. 00:02:41 Speaker 4: Well, I'm sure it's a special and emotional moment for you, So I understand that, and congrats again, Chris. I want to talk more about your new album. There's a lot of fun anthem songs on it like Pour Some Whiskey on it and more heartfelt songs like I Hope It's Okay, and your debut release on your new label, Black River Entertainment, Till the Last One Dies is out and you co produced this song with Andy Sheridan. What was it like going through the production process of this song? What was your vision for it? 00:03:17 Speaker 5: Yeah, I would see you would have to ask him and me at the same time, since I did co produce this, like, I took all my gear down for any of the studio nerds out there, my Box two fifty one, my ten seventy three Vintage, and my COO and B and recorded. 00:03:33 Speaker 2: In his home studio all the vocals for this. We used the same band the entire time. I was so grateful for those guys for doing all of the sessions and actually being able to have like one cohesive band, because I haven't done that in a long time. Normally it's sort of like piecemeal as you're going through the process and making a record. It was really really cool making this record with Andy. He's such a good dude. Like at one point when we were doing the vocals, I walked out of his house and his wife was filming his kids and they were making an action movie. 00:04:13 Speaker 3: In the in the front yard of their house. 00:04:15 Speaker 2: So it was just a very much dig in make the record we wanted to make, and we had the time to do it. 00:04:25 Speaker 3: So it was a lot of fun, and it is. You can't say it's. 00:04:30 Speaker 2: Oh, this is the best record I've ever made, It's my favorite writer that I've ever made. That gets said a lot, but I would say it is one of my favorite things that I've ever done. 00:04:42 Speaker 4: I'm sure each album that you record is a different kind of process and each one is special in its own way. And just listening through this album, there's other deeply heartfelt songs on this like what would you take? And just Keep Living? Can you tell us what this so just keep living means to you? 00:05:03 Speaker 3: Just keep living? 00:05:04 Speaker 2: Obviously it's about my dad, very very personal and very meaningful to me. But I do think it's encapsulating of Hey, even when things are bad, you know, you still got to push through and see the beautiful things in life and realize that we're all blessed. 00:05:28 Speaker 3: So just keep living. 00:05:30 Speaker 4: This song was definitely one of my favorites to listen to you on the album and pulled up my heart strings. Is there a particular song on the album you're most excited for people to hear? 00:05:42 Speaker 3: That's one of them, for sure. Obviously the title track. 00:05:46 Speaker 2: I didn't come here to leave to pivot into something that's more up tempo and fun and happy. You know, it's just a big party song and a lot of fun. And then I guess, since that song is about my dad overcoming cancer, just keep living. 00:06:03 Speaker 3: I made a song about my dad. 00:06:05 Speaker 2: I had to make a song about my mom because if I don't mention my dad and my mom, one of them is going to be mad. 00:06:12 Speaker 4: Which one's about your mom then. 00:06:14 Speaker 3: Jesus Mama Country Radio, Oh of. 00:06:16 Speaker 4: Course it has to be. I love it. So you've been doing a lot of touring this summer, but I think your fan should be excited because this winter you are launching your first ever holiday tour. It must be Christmas and Acoustic Evening with Chris Young with fifteen headlining shows running November through December. So fans should definitely look up on your website if you're in their area for a special holiday concert. What does Christmas mean to you? 00:06:51 Speaker 2: Christmas is one of my favorite times a year, hands down, and I've never done a Christmas tour before. I've never done that, and a lot of people have asked for it, so I was like, Okay, here we go. 00:07:05 Speaker 3: I guess this is what we're going to do this year. 00:07:07 Speaker 2: And it's funny because I was supposed to be off most of this year and then this new record label, Black River Entertainment, stepped up. I took a bunch of meetings with a bunch of people. 00:07:23 Speaker 3: No I didn't. 00:07:24 Speaker 2: I canceled all of them after I had the first meeting with Black River. They are an incredible record label. Just really felt comfortable with them and decided that's where I wanted to be. I hit the ground running making the album, and then I was like, let's do a Christmas tour. 00:07:43 Speaker 3: Let's do it. That'll be fun, It'll be some be like a bowl on the end of my first year with that label, so very. 00:07:52 Speaker 2: Excited looking forward to those shows, and they're going to be really cool. 00:07:56 Speaker 4: We're excited that you're going to get everyone into the holiday spirit. Do you have a favorite holiday song you like to perform? 00:08:04 Speaker 3: I don't know. 00:08:05 Speaker 2: I would say, for my money, it's probably the Christmas song the Chestnut. 00:08:12 Speaker 3: It's real roasting on it. 00:08:14 Speaker 2: I mean that to me, that song is just encapsulating of the spirit of the season. 00:08:19 Speaker 4: Yeah, is that one on your It Must Be Christmas album? 00:08:23 Speaker 3: It is. 00:08:25 Speaker 4: Let's talk about how you have been giving back to the community since we are on taking a walk Nashville. So you are a Middle Tennessee State University alum and a few years ago you gave back to your alma mater by funding and opening the Chris Young Cafe and on campus teaching and performance venue for students, which is so wonderful. And by doing this, what is your hope for music students that use the space. 00:08:53 Speaker 2: One of the things that a lot of people overlook was when I was coming up and when a lot of people were coming up in music, they're always constantly trying to find a place where they can hone their craft and sometimes that's not a classroom. It's especially for music, for people that want to be in management, for people that want to be in photography, videography, whatever that is. They want a place where they can engage and sort of learn trial by fire style a little bit, and they want to be able to do it on their own terms. 00:09:31 Speaker 3: And so I wanted a space that they could utilize that was. 00:09:34 Speaker 2: On campus, especially with the incredible programs that Empty Issue does have with the Recording Industry program, with a lot of their other programs that they do there, and so we transformed that space for them to use. And then also, you know, I'd do several scholarships for MTISSUE. Just growing up in Murphysboro, I always thought that was important. 00:09:58 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think that's one ful. I'm a Belmont alum, and I think there's always a lot of funding available for the Belmont programs, but sometimes not as much for the MTSU Music Business program. So I am so happy that this is how you give back to your alma mater. I think it's wonderful. And since we are on taking a walk Nashville, and you're kind of a unicorn being a Murphrey's Borough native, so do you have a favorite place in Nashville or Murphrey's Borough that you like to take a walk. 00:10:35 Speaker 3: Well, I don't really want anyone finding. 00:10:37 Speaker 4: Me, but that's true. 00:10:40 Speaker 2: I do every now and then meet and my friends will go for a hike with our dogs, because I think everybody in my friend group has a dog at this point. There's one guy that has a cat. 00:10:55 Speaker 3: And you know who you are, Tigram. 00:10:59 Speaker 4: What kind of dog do you have? 00:11:01 Speaker 2: I have a very very large German shepherd who hates anyone that rings the doorbell, So just I always like people to tell me they're coming over first. 00:11:16 Speaker 4: Right, Well, there's definitely so many great places in Nashville to take a walk and to take a hike. What do you hope for people to take from your new album when they hear it? 00:11:30 Speaker 2: You know, that's interesting because I do have a song called what would you Take? That very for people to hear, very very special song. But I would say, you know, everybody gets so wrapped up sometimes in their music and they're like, I gotta have this talking point. I gotta have this one, and I got to do this and I got to push this thing. I want people to listen to the whole thing and take what they want. You leave with what you need to take with you. It's not up to me now that it's done. All so you listen to the album and you hopefully fall in love with one of those songs or all of them. I don't care. I just want you to enjoy the music. So I think people leave with what they're going to, no matter if it's you know, you can spend a million dollars promoting the record, and you know you see it with the only thing I know to compare it to the movies. 00:12:26 Speaker 3: You can spend a whole bunch of money making a movie. You can spend a little bit of money making a movie. Sometimes that little bit of money that you made the movie with is going to be. 00:12:35 Speaker 2: The thing that people gravitate towards, and a little bit of that is out of your control as a creator, as an artist, as a person, as a team like the people that work with me. But I think I made something really special with this album, so hopefully people take a whole bunch away with them. 00:12:53 Speaker 4: Absolutely, I definitely think you provoke a lot of different emotions in this album. Very excited for everyone to hear it. Chris, thank you so much for being on Taking a Walk Nashville today. Thank you for being. 00:13:07 Speaker 1: Here, absolutely, thank you for the time, Thanks for listening to Taking a Walk Nashville with Sarah Harrelson, and do check out our other podcast from Buzznight Media Productions, Music Save Me, Comedy, Save Me. 00:13:21 Speaker 3: And Taking a Walk. 00:13:22 Speaker 1: Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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