Juliet Schroder
Kenny Chesney, the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar, has finished Here and Now. His first project for Warner Music Nashville will arrive on May 1. Writing and recording over the last 18 months, Chesney spent much of the time thinking about the world around him, the way everyone has their own journey and yet, people ultimately are so much more similar than different.
If the concept sounds heavy, listen to “Here and Now,” country radio’s most added track its first week, to hear Chesney’s desire to make music that sweeps people up, even as it enriches their life. For the man who holds the record for the most career No. 1s on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart, finding a song that inspires people to recognize the good things around them – even in times like these – drives him.
“When you’re this far into a career,” Chesney explains, “I think artists need to keep pushing themselves and the music without losing sight of who they are, or forgetting the people you make music for. No Shoes Nation is a very passionate place without borders; I get inspired every time I see and hear them.
“These are passionate people who work really hard. They make a difference in their community in all kinds of ways, giving back not so people think they’re good, but because that’s who they are and what they do. When they listen to music, they’re all in – and when they hear something they like, you can feel it in how they respond.”
Chesney has built a full-on studio project that works to elevate. It paints pictures, captures specific people, celebrates road life, considers the truth of romance gone wrong and looks at how sweet life can be if we let it. Again co-produced with longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon (Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Merle Haggard), with additional production assistance from Ross Copperman, it balances sparse tracks featuring acoustic instruments with 808s and phased vocals.
