Chris Janson has a lot going on in his life and career these days. He and his wife Kelly just added son Jesse Bo to their family on March 19, and his career continues to grow by leaps and bounds with the release of the Columbia Nashville EP, “Take It To The Bank.” After a stint on Bigger Picture, the Missouri native says it’s a partnership that made sense for both parties. “They said ‘You’ve got some good music on the shelf, and you’re ready to go. The music is mastered, and sounds great. Let’s put it out.”
Related
The EP contains a first in Janson’s career — a cover. “It’s five songs, and I wrote all but one. I cut my first outside song on it – ‘Ain’t Living Long Like Like This,’ the old Rodney Crowell song that Waylon Jennings cut. It’s a good body of work.”
He’s starting to get some interest at radio with the intoxicating title cut. “Take It To The Bank’ is on SiriusXM’s The Highway, and is doing quite well. “The Lord has had his hand all over this project and my life,” he says. “We’re just moving forward. I’ve got so many tour dates on the books, and that came from the success we had with ‘Better I Don’t’ and ‘Cut Me Some Slack.’ There’s been so much going on.”
The singer estimates that he will have about 150-160 dates on the books by the end of 2014, and those numbers – combined with a positive outlook on life – keep him going. “I’m a Christian, and our family tries to put him first. The Lord has blessed us so much. To be able to wake up every day, have a job in the music business, and not have to dig a ditch is great – if you think about it on that level. That’s how I stay positive. I realize that there’s really nothing I can control. Once I realized that several years ago, it marked a new chapter in my life. A lot of positivity came from that.”
One place that Janson definitely feels a positive vibe is playing the stage of The Grand Ole Opry. “That has been such a huge factor in my recent career. They’ve been amazing,” he says. His April 17 performance there actually brought out a guest fiddle player in WSM nighttime broadcaster Eddie Stubbs, of which Janson says he was very honored to play with the former Johnson Mountain Boys member.
Some of his dates will be opening for other artists this year, but most will be just him – and he’s looking forward to bringing the music to the fans. “I’m on the road with me, myself, and I. Years of touring has built a following, and when the next tour comes, I will take it, but at this point, I am playing every major festival and fair. We’re always looking for the next best thing in this business, but things are only getting better for me. I’m happy to be alive, be a dad, have a great marriage, and have a great job. I’m very blessed, there’s no doubt.”