Chris Stapleton has paid plenty of dues over his lengthy Nashville songwriting career, and now he's ready to compete with the artists he's been penning songs for. The 36-year-old Kentucky native is best known for his hit tunes "Drink a Beer" (Luke Bryan) and "Your Man" (Josh Turner). But he's turning his attention toward his debut solo record, Traveller, which is due May 5 on Mercury Records. He recently told Rolling Stone that he came up with the title track during a long drive he took after his father passed away in 2013.
"I needed some head-clearing space, and my wife had the presence of mine to purchase me... an old Jeep, a 1979 Jeep Cherokee out in Phoenix," he said. "Instead of having it shipped back, we flew out there and drove it to south Florida and then home. It's a long haul back to here, which is kind of a crazy thing to do in a vehicle you aren't sure is going to make it or not."
As far as the song goes: "It says a lot about life and how we're all passing through it. That's where that song came from and it works on a number of levels. It's going to mean something to different people."
Like other artists who have turned their attention from songwriting to performing, Stapleton decided his old lifestyle wasn't enough of a challenge.
"My goal is to be on the front end of something, instead of chasing something," he said. "There is more chance for artistry when you're pushing yourself, making yourself uncomfortable and doing something that someone else is not necessarily doing."
Check out his 2013 single "What Are You Listening To" below:
