October 30, 2025 • 13 mins
From the creators of The "Takin ' A Walk"Podcast with Buzz Knight, join your host Sarah Harralson with the debut episode of Takin ' A Walk Nashville. Sarah is a Nashville based singer-songwriter and she talks with award winning Country Music Singer Songwriter Chris Young. Chris Young Music has just released his first album on Black River Entertainment called "I Didn't Come Here to Leave" and he takes us behind the scenes to the creative process behind the album and his slice of country music history from Chris Young Music.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Taking a Walk Nashville podcast with singer songwriter Sarah Harrelson.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
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.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
I don't care. I just want you to enjoy the music.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
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
(00:48):
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.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Taking a Walk Nashville.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Hi, Chris, thank you so much for being on Taking
a walk Nashville today. How are you.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I'm doing well. How are you?
Speaker 4 (01:21):
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?
(01:46):
What does it mean to be celebrating eight years with
the Obrey?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I mean, it's incredible.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
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.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Me to join Black River for this album.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I mean, all of those things coinciding I couldn't have
I don't think actively planned.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
It just sort of fell that way. So it was
really cool.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Yeah, And this year we're celebrating one hundred years of
the Opry? Do you have a favorite Grand Ole Opry moment?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
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.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
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,
(03:04):
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?
Speaker 5 (03:17):
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.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
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
(03:54):
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.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
In the in the front yard of their house.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So it was just a very much dig in make
the record we wanted to make, and we had the
time to do it.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
So it was a lot of fun, and it is.
You can't say it's.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
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.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
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?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Just keep living?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
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.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
So just keep living.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
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?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
That's one of them, for sure. Obviously the title track.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
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.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I made a song about my dad.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
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.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Which one's about your mom then.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Jesus Mama Country Radio, Oh of.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
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
(06:42):
up on your website if you're in their area for
a special holiday concert. What does Christmas mean to you?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
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.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
I guess this is what we're going to do this year.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
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.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
No I didn't.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
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.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
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.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Excited looking forward to those shows, and they're going to
be really cool.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
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?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I would say, for my money, it's probably the Christmas
song the Chestnut.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
It's real roasting on it.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
I mean that to me, that song is just encapsulating
of the spirit of the season.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah, is that one on your It Must Be Christmas album?
Speaker 3 (08:23):
It is.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
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
(08:46):
so wonderful. And by doing this, what is your hope
for music students that use the space.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
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,
(09:14):
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.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
And so I wanted a space that they could utilize
that was.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
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
(09:55):
up in Murphysboro, I always thought that was important.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
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
(10:22):
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.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Well, I don't really want anyone finding.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Me, but that's true.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
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.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
And you know who you are, Tigram.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
What kind of dog do you have?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
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.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
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?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
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
(11:52):
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,
(12:14):
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.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
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.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
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.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
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.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
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.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
And Taking a Walk.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
The Taking a Walk Nashville podcast with singer songwriter Sarah Harrelson.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
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.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
I don't care. I just want you to enjoy the music.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
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
(00:48):
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.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Taking a Walk Nashville.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Hi, Chris, thank you so much for being on Taking
a walk Nashville today. How are you.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I'm doing well. How are you?
Speaker 4 (01:21):
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?
(01:46):
What does it mean to be celebrating eight years with
the Obrey?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I mean, it's incredible.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
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.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Me to join Black River for this album.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I mean, all of those things coinciding I couldn't have
I don't think actively planned.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
It just sort of fell that way. So it was
really cool.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Yeah, And this year we're celebrating one hundred years of
the Opry? Do you have a favorite Grand Ole Opry moment?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
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.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
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,
(03:04):
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?
Speaker 5 (03:17):
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.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
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
(03:54):
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.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
In the in the front yard of their house.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So it was just a very much dig in make
the record we wanted to make, and we had the
time to do it.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
So it was a lot of fun, and it is.
You can't say it's.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
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.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
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?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Just keep living?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
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.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
So just keep living.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
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?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
That's one of them, for sure. Obviously the title track.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
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.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I made a song about my dad.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
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.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Which one's about your mom then.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Jesus Mama Country Radio, Oh of.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
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
(06:42):
up on your website if you're in their area for
a special holiday concert. What does Christmas mean to you?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
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.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
I guess this is what we're going to do this year.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
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.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
No I didn't.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
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.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
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.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Excited looking forward to those shows, and they're going to
be really cool.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
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?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I would say, for my money, it's probably the Christmas
song the Chestnut.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
It's real roasting on it.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
I mean that to me, that song is just encapsulating
of the spirit of the season.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah, is that one on your It Must Be Christmas album?
Speaker 3 (08:23):
It is.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
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
(08:46):
so wonderful. And by doing this, what is your hope
for music students that use the space.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
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,
(09:14):
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.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
And so I wanted a space that they could utilize
that was.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
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
(09:55):
up in Murphysboro, I always thought that was important.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
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
(10:22):
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.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Well, I don't really want anyone finding.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Me, but that's true.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
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.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
And you know who you are, Tigram.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
What kind of dog do you have?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
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.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
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?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
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
(11:52):
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,
(12:14):
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.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
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.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
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.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
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.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
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.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
And Taking a Walk.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!