Celebrates with co-writers at Number One party
It was party time for Chris Young and co-writers Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge on Monday, April 29, as they were feted at a Number One party for “Hangin’ On.” This was a party with a slight difference: it was a lunchtime event, instead of the usual afternoon or early evening get-togethers. The party was co-hosted by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
In answer to a question at the press briefing before the party, Young spoke about the unusual timing of the party. “It’s the only time when all of us can get together,” he said. “It’s not like it’s not a huge, huge deal and people don’t dream of getting up one day and writing a song that goes to number one. That’s why these [No. 1 parties] are so important, no matter what form they take. It’s something so special for all that stuff to come together at once and you’d have a number one. I had a [number] 37, a 52 and a 37 at the start of my career, so a number one feels really, really good and we should celebrate it.”
“Hangin’ On” is Young’s eleventh No. 1 as an artist and his ninth as a songwriter.
“The first place I wrote a song”
The celebration took place at BMI’s Nashville office, and Young noted that it seemed to be the perfect location as it marks a special place on his career trajectory. “This building we’re in right now [BMI Nashville]; this was the first place I wrote a song,” he revealed. He went on to explain how that first writing session came about.
“I met [songwriter] Jeff Pearson at the Bluebird Café, and I was, like, ‘I want to write songs,’ and he very graciously brought me over here. And we sat down and wrote. There is something that is so incredibly special about the fact that we get to sit down every day and create.
“There’s a lot of conversation going on in a lot of different places and a lot of different forms about how important it is for us to have songwriters. And for songwriters to have a voice and be seen and be respected because we don’t have Music Row without songwriters. We just don’t.”
Turning to co-writers Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge, Young noted, “I’m just really incredibly grateful that I get to sit with these two guys and make music.”
“It worked from the very first day”
Crowder and Hoge talked about the connection that they share with Young in writing sessions.
“I’ve always said, for me it’s always been cool,” said Hoge. “I kinda come from an R&B background. Corey, I think, is a little more rock and roll and Chris is obviously raised on country – no pun intended – but I’ve always thought that was a really cool mesh of things. It worked from the very first day. I don’t that we’ve ever written a song that I don’t like.”
“I think we’ve written enough songs at this point that we know what our strengths and weaknesses are,” added Crowder. “We can tell when some’s having an off day or an on day.”
“I didn’t know Corey until Josh introduced us,” said Young. “I’ve always said [Josh] could very easily be an A&R guy and not ever write another song because he always goes out of his way to find people that are in the creative space or just in the space of making great music. He kept saying, ‘You have got to meet Corey, you have got to meet Corey,’ and the first time we sat down and wrote a song all together, it felt like we’d been friends for about ten years.”
‘Raised on Country’ to be 12th No. 1?
“Raised On Country” is Young’s current single and is on course to be his twelfth No. 1 hit. It is also the title track from his next album which was produced by Crowder. Another track on the album is titled “Drowning,” also co-written with Hoge and Crowder. “It’s a song that I wrote with these two guys that is probably one of the most special songs I’ve ever written,” he said. They wrote the song after Young lost one of his close friends.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky as an artist, not only to be around for as long as I have been, but also to be connected with people like Josh Hoge and Corey Crowder,” said Young. “To be able to sit down in a room and just make magic. And that’s what I feel like we do.”
Tour starts May 16
Additionally, Chris Young’s ‘Raised on Country’ tour kicks off May 16 in Alpharetta, Georgia, and continues through the summer and fall. The US tour dates follow sold-out shows in Manchester, Glasgow and London in the UK. For tour dates, videos, music and more, visit Young’s website.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com