Chart-topping Country singer-songwriter Chris Lane enjoyed a breakthrough with his 2015 single ‘Fix’. His first of three number ones, the song helped Lane establish himself as one of the most exciting new artists emerging in the Country music scene.
With two major label albums under his belt – 2016’s ‘Girl Problems’ and 2018’s ‘Laps Around the Sun” – Lane has gone into partnership with Red Street Records for his new EP “From Where I’m Sippin'”. The EP, released on Friday 20th October 2023, contains five songs that showcase Lane’s growth as an artist with a focus on his songwriting.
With the EP landing this week, and new single ‘Find Another Bar‘ picking up traction, I spoke to Chris to discuss his new music, find out more about his partnership with Red Street Records and talk about his progression as an artist since his last full-length album…
We’ve spoken so many times over the years and I think the last time was backstage at The O2 when you supported Brad Paisley…
It sure was!
And you’ve not come back to the UK since…
Well, the daggone world shut down there for a while (laughs). I am honestly looking forward to coming back. I don’t know when it’s going to be but hopefully at some point this upcoming year.
The pandemic is a good reason! I remember seeing you perform that night and you got such a fantastic reception. It felt like it was the start of things for you over here, then the world shut down. That must have been frustrating?
You know what, there was a silver lining in all of it for me specifically. It allowed me to write as many songs as possible. For all these years, I spent the majority of the year touring, which kind of hurt the songwriting process for me. I think one of the best ways you can keep your career going and keep it at a high level is writing great songs and recording great songs. I feel like I was able to write a lot of great songs throughout all that downtime that we all had. Finally all these years later I’m getting to share them with the world.
You became a Dad too during the pandemic, which is a pretty huge life change…
Yes, I currently have two kids under two so I’m in full on Dad mode. Over the last two years, I’ve actually taken a little more time off than than usual from touring just so I can be at home and and be a Dad. It’s been a game changer for me and a big change, because I was so used to just showing tour 150-200 shows a year. Now I’m on a different grind (laughs). I’m on team no sleep right now.
Has becoming a father impacted or informed the way that you’re writing songs now?
Yeah, no doubt about it. I definitely feel like I have a slightly different outlook on life; a sweeter outlook. Not every song is inspired by my kids or by the family but some songs definitely can be. Over the course of that I wrote the song called “Ain’t Even Met You Yet” where where I was about to become a Dad for the first time. That’s a little memory that I’ll always have with my firstborn son. I feel like the second born is one day going to be asking Daddy, why he didn’t write a song about him right before he was being born (laughs) so I need to get on that one too!
You could always just use the excuse that you didn’t want to repeat yourself…
(laughs) That’s right.
‘Big, Big Plans’ was your third number one and it showed that when you dig deep, you really connect with your fans. Are you going to continue being a little more personal in your songs moving forward?
Yeah. Not every song will be super personal just because that would feel a little redundant, but at the same time, that was a very successful song for me that I didn’t see coming. I didn’t write it specifically to throw it out into the world but after the reaction from it, it felt like I had to. I think that was a good lesson learned for me that sometimes people can relate to very personal songs and they can be super duper thankful for that song in that moment. There’s no doubt about that.
The new EP “From Where I’m Sippin'” is a collection of five very different songs. As someone who has followed your career since way back, I feel it’s more mature than what we’ve heard before and there’s more variety. You worked with Derek Wells on the EP; what was that experience like?
Man, it was great. I’ve known Derek for quite some time. He’s played guitar on, I would say a majority of my songs throughout my career and he’s a super talented guy. It just felt like it would be a great fit. One of the things I didn’t want to do is depart from the things that have given me success. I felt like Derek gave me the best chance to do that. From a songwriting aspect of things, a song like ‘Mistake’ is very me and what you would expect to hear from me; I just feel like it’s a stronger song or a stronger written song than some of the songs that I’ve had in the past. I’m very excited for that one. ‘Betcha’ is kind of right down the centre of what you would expect from me. ‘Find Another Bar’ is a little different, a little more guitar-driven, which I loved, and that was one of the things Derek and I talked about; when I first moved to town, before I got a record deal, I was out touring on my own and my sound was very guitar driven so I wanted to get back to that on some of the songs. We’ll hear even more of that as I release a full record.
One of the things that was important to me on this EP was (not to) depart from anything that has given me success but also give people a little bit more of a variety. I’ve always wanted to fiddle on a song (and I did that on “From Where I’m Sippin'”. It feels nostalgic for me. I loved all those old Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney songs, and I feel like this song gives me the feel of one of those older songs that I loved. I think we’ll add some more fiddle in on a lot of the songs moving forward, which I’m super excited about. I love that sound.
I did pick that the title track is leaning more towards 90s and more traditional Country. That sound suits you and I really want to hear more of it…
Thank you, man. “From Where I’m Sippin'” was actually the second song I wrote that day. Ever since I wrote that song, I couldn’t stop listening to it. I felt like even the demo to the song was pretty cool and felt right. It was one of those songs I just fell in love with and I’m thankful that I was able to be a writer on it.
This is your first release via Red Street Records, your new label home. How has that affected this project and your music?
I’d reached this beautiful part in my career, where I’d had six or seven incredible years with Big Loud, and we’ve had a lot of success together, and would have continued to have that. I can probably speak for most artists here, (they want) more ownership and more creative control over what you’re doing. I reached that point where, with the level of success that I had, I could start my own record label. I found a great partner for that in Red Street. I’m very excited for that partnership and excited to get all these new releases out. I think it’s gonna give me the opportunity to release the most music I’ve ever released in my entire career, in a timely manner, and no one’s more excited for that than I am (laughs).
Have you had to get more in tune with the business side now?
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Some things I knew about, a lot of things I don’t. That’s why I’m glad to have a great partnership. I’ll let them worry about the things that I don’t (know about) and I’ll stick to the songwriting and the recording and the touring.
It’s been five years since you last released a full studio album – ‘Laps Around the Sun’. How do you feel you’ve changed as an artist during that time?
It’s been five or six years, you’re right, since my last full-length record. I think like anybody I’ve probably matured a lot. (I’ve) obviously had a lot of life changes like we discussed earlier. (I’ve just) really (been) sitting down and concentrating on that songwriting aspect of things. I recorded a lot of outside songs early in my career because I was so tour heavy. I don’t want to say I neglected the songwriting side of things, but I just didn’t have as much time for that. I feel like I’ve got a lot to say and I’ve re-fell in love with the songwriting side of things so I’m excited. A majority of all the songs that I will record, not every single one of them, but most of them, for the first time in my career I (am) a writer on. I feel like, these are some of the better songs that I’ve had in my career and I’m just proud that I got to be a part of them.
You must be feeling confident given the reaction fans are having to ‘Find Another Bar’ already. That time you’ve taken seems to be paying off so that must feel good?
Oh yeah, for sure. I’m ready to go out and tour the songs. When I sit down to write music, I think ‘will this song feel right live? Will it hit in the way that I want it to?’ For the first time, I feel like I have five songs that are going to feel incredible live and I hope that they connect in a big way.
With the EP out this week and Christmas right around the corner, how are the next few months looking for you?
I’m still not touring that heavily. I probably have 10-15 shows left for the year and then I’ll spend Christmas and Thanksgiving with the fam. Next year, probably around March or April, I’ll start hitting it hard again, like I have in the past. Our goal is to get out a full-length record in the early part of next year, fingers crossed. I think that’ll happen and then I’ll get back out there and start touring.
Chris Lane’s new EP “From Where I’m Sippin'” is released on Friday 20th October 2023 via Red Street Records. Listen to ‘Find Another Bar’ below:
