Exclusive: Chris Young, His Album, Fitness, and Life

MJ: Let's start out by talking about the new album.  Tell us what we can expect to ear.

Young: I think just more of a scope of topics. Everybody that listens to this record is going to hear the love songs, the breakup songs, but they are also going to hear a song about my Dad and a song about my dog. The fact that I have a David Bowie cut I love. It’s pretty incredible.

MJ: You've been busy when speaking about the album.  There are 18 songs on it, right?

Young: It’s been a lot of work, but all in a good way. If I didn’t have the amount of time I’ve had to make this record, I don’t know if it would be eighteen songs, and I don’t know if it would be this good. I am incredibly grateful for that, and for finding songs like "Young Love and Saturday Nights", that is out now and climbing the charts. There’s a whole lot that’s happened with this project that I feel like is just serendipitous.

MJ: You also did a lot of writing on this particular album.

Young: Yeah, I’ll say that I did a lot of writing on this with a lot of people that I really trust as song writers. I’ve written hits together before with some of the writers. I’ll also say I’m very grateful to find the songs I didn’t write, because there’s three of them, I was not a co-writer on. If I didn’t have songs that good, I don’t know that it would have turned out the way that it did.

MJ: Do you enjoy writing love songs more than reality songs, or is there a particular type of song you enjoy writing more than others?

Young: I don’t’ think so. I think for me, it’s sort of a mix of both. The party songs, the love songs, the breakup songs, I think they are all components of an album, the things you need and the things you want.

MJ: So, let's move on to your recent personal health journey. Tell me about that.

Young: Not so much a journey as it was just a lot of changes. I sort of laughingly told someone today that I saw a picture of myself, and said, “Oh, I got too big.” (laughs). You know as a 6’4” guy you can sort of hide it, right? You can put coats on, you can skew the camera angles, and I was like, I don’t like this! 

I realized I had high cholesterol numbers and all kinds of stuff. So, there were a lot of reasons for me to change everything up, but I ended up just starting on a fitness journey. What’s really funny is it coincided with this album launch, so all of it sort of worked out the best way possible, I guess.

MJ: Why is it important to you to be healthy and in good shape when you are on tour?

Young: Well, obviously you are going to put on a better performance. You know everyone always brings up better breath control and being able to run around the stage. It’s not that.  It’s more about feeling better about yourself and having that level of confidence that comes with that. I’ve always had that confidence of walking up on stage and performing, but it was still boosted by being in a position where I’m like I feel good, I look good, and I can jump up on stage and not worry about anyone looking at me and going, 'eh.'

MJ: What kind of changes did you make?

Young: So, for probably the first three months, it was the gym regimen, and cooking. That’s actually been one of my biggest saviors. I can go home and make margarita lime chicken, broccolini and mushrooms, and I enjoy doing that. It’s something I have fun doing. I like cooking and I enjoy cooking my own food. 

Being able to do that on a regular basis, even if it’s just for one meal and altering what I’m eating. A lot of people are afraid of carbs and all that stuff, but I’m more of a calories in calories out, protein first type person. 

Especially for my size, I’m 6’4” 255 lbs. right now as I sit today. I fluctuate between 245 and 255. I think that is something for me that is highly important to have that protein intake and have that calorie mentally as opposed to just getting rid of carbs. 

Everybody has their own thing that works for them. As long as you figure out works for you and you’re happy, who cares. I think that was super important. 

 I also started working out with a trainer here in Nashville, who does Tight End University, trains people like George Kittle, Hockinson for the Vikings, and Fergueson for the Dallas Cowboys. He does so much stuff with NFL tight ends and a lot of other people, too. 

It’s just a different methodology of working out. It’s not as much cardio. There still is cardio, obviously you still need some, but it’s more heavy weight lighting and that’s something I’ve sort of adopted and have fallen in love with. I don’t know, there’s multiple things in my life that have changed, whether music or working out. Those things have fallen into place.

MJ: Obviously you are smashing some professional and personal goals, what goals have you set for the future?

Young: I still have so much stuff left to be done when it comes to professional goals. There’s you know, a lot of plaques in my office, but I’d like to put a whole lot more up there. I would like to have a lot more sales records for myself, and I just think that’s important. You know on the personal side, I think just sticking with the journey I’ve been on recently and being a happier, healthier person. I think that is huge. You know also not getting falsely arrested by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

MJ:  Of course, we would love to hear your side of that unfortunately series of events.

Young: It was funny because it went from the Monday after the event, a lot of people dog piling on me because they thought I just walked up and sucker punched a cop. To then the video coming out and everyone being like, 'Oh that’s not eat all what we heard.'

I had a lot of people stick up for me. Even in the police force, there was a guy that reached out through a friend, who’s a cop from Key West.  I don’t even know him that well, and said 'I’d like to write you a letter of recommendation in case you have to take this to court, because I’ve worked with you before and you’ve always been really supportive of the military and police.' 

Of course I said, I’ll take it and I appreciate that. Obviously now, I didn’t need that, but also one of the guys with The Charlie Daniel’s Foundation, The Journey Home Project, that I raise money for every year even posted on social media, and called out the Governor and said, “You need to fix this.” 

So, it was cool to see people in my corner. That was the one good thing to come from that.

MJ:  We were all glad to see that put behind you, as no doubt you were, too.  Is there anything else you would like your fans to know, either about your fitness journey or your new album?

Young: I just hope they love this album as much as I loved making it. I really do feel like it’s a special project for me. I’ve made a lot of albums, and the fact I think this one is special says a lot. 

As far as everybody else’s fitness journey, everybody’s gonna have their own process. You have to figure out what works for you. You shouldn’t be sad about going to the gym, or whatever your workout is, or what you’re eating. Honestly, or anything else. It’s gotta be something that you can be consistent with and that you love.  You need to love what you do and how you get there.