Chris Knight is a man of few words, but when he does speak, you get a feeling that you should be listening. The respected Americana singer has just released “Little Victories,” his first album in four years, and he’s glad to get it out to his fan base.
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“Well, I had the songs and everything fell into place,” he tells Billboard. “I wanted to work with Ray Kennedy (who produced the album). It took a while to get it all together, and everybody in the studio. But it was time to get it done, and get another album out.”
Though not a household name by any means, Knight has had his share of successes. “It Ain’t Easy Being Me” has been recorded by a wide range of artists, most notably Blake Shelton. Knight actually recorded the song first, on his 1996 debut album for Decca Records. People still talk to him about the record’s impact on them. “I’m proud of that record,” he says. “When I listen to it, I think I sound like I’m twelve years old. I can hear my uncomfortableness of being in the studio, but I’m glad they liked it.”
A lot of Knight’s inspiration stems from his home area of Slaughters, KY. “It’s just a slow moving place,” he says. “It’s got a post office, a little store, and a bunch of churches. The grade school just closed down. I live about five miles from there. I never lived in town, but I have a lot of friends there and relatives. To a certain extent, it’s home.”
Knight’s one-time labelmate, Lee Ann Womack, collaborated with him on “You Lie When You Call My Name.” We got together, and went into Carnival Music, and wrote a song together. I thought it turned out to be a pretty good song, so I decided to put it on the album. I’ve known her since I was with Decca.”
Knight admits sometimes the lyrics can be a little bit autobiographical at times, such as on “Low Down Ramblin’ Blues,” which is one of the gems of the album. “I thought the song might have been a little harsh, but at the same time, everything I write is directed back at myself. There’s a character in the song that very well could have been me.”
Look for a tour this fall, as Knight is looking forward to exposing the new music to his audience. “I’m glad to have some new songs, and to get out there on the road. We just had to get the album where we wanted to be. We were wanting to get it out in the spring, but we’re just glad to have it out now.”