Chris Young‘s creative talent extends far beyond music. The Grand Ole Opry member, who wrote 15 of the 18 songs on his latest Young Love & Saturday Nights project, hints that he is writing something else, far outside of the realm of country music.
“There’s a project people don’t know about that we haven’t announced,” Young hints on Country Countdown USA. “I don’t wanna say it yet. But I may or may not be writing a book that has nothing to do with the music business. It is a fiction novel. Something that I’ve not attempted before, but always had it in the back of my mind.”
Young is certainly busy enough with his own soaring career, but he would also consider another business endeavor, namely his own bar in downtown Nashville. But one thing is certain: it would not be named after him.
“There are a lot of them right now,” Young acknowledges. “I will also say I have looked into it before, but I haven’t found the right time or location. I would say it would probably be named ‘Famous Friends.’ Who knows? It’s something that I’ve looked at.”
Young has a hit single at radio with the title track of his latest album, which is one of the three that he did not write. Still, Young felt a connection to the uptempo song the first time he heard it.
“[It] talks about that whole process of what reminds me of my start playing in bars, and just playing new music for the first time,” the 39-year-old explains. “Maybe your truck doesn’t always run right, maybe you’re just getting your start. And just that whole idea of, I think everybody’s probably sat in a truck before and made out with somebody. And I think just that imagery and that that whole idea of young love and falling in love maybe for the first time is a really, really cool thing to put into the energy of a song like this.”
The 39-year-old credits David Bowie as a writer on “Young Love and Saturday Nights,” which was penned by Ashley Gorley, Jesse Frasure and Josh Thompson.
“‘Young Love and Saturday Nights,’ obviously that lick is ‘Rebel Rebel,'” Young explains. “So, they decided to create something new, using that lick, and not picking up a sample, but using that to create a brand-new song. [Bowie] is a songwriter on this song. He is credited as a writer, because they used the lick from ‘Rebel Rebel.’ That was something that was not completely intentional.
“The other writers on it — I’m not a writer on this song, I just produced the track with a couple of friends, and obviously sing it,” he continues. “But I’m really honored that they trusted me with it. You guys are blowing it up right now.”
Find all of Young’s music and tour dates at ChrisYoungCountry.com.