Chris Stapleton Shares Thoughts On His Diverse Writing Style
"If you don’t like what I’m doing, do something else. I’m fine with that. That doesn’t bother me," says Stapleton.
There are two different sides to Chris Stapleton. Of course, there is the critically-acclaimed singer who has won nearly every major award in the country music industry as of late, who is a favorite of Americana and bluegrass audiences, thanks to his solo work–and his prior stint with The Steeldrivers.
In fact, many more traditional-leaning fans see the singer as a bastion for what they feel Nashville needs more of rather than what is getting played on mainstream country radio.
Alas, there’s a slight problem with that. Many of the top songs on the charts the past decade–“Drink A Beer,” “Crash & Burn,” and “Never Wanted Nothing More,” among them–list Stapleton’s name as a songwriter. He takes a great deal of pride in the success he has earned as a tunesmith, and he feels that both sides of what he does is very important. What does he say when someone says they love his music, but not what’s on the radio these days–unaware that he’s responsible for much of that, as well?
“If they say that to me, I say, ‘You can’t like me, and not like the other. I can’t be the devil and the angel, if you want to draw those lines, because I’m both. I have as much to do with the things that those fans don’t like as they do with myself, in varying degrees. But, I do like different kinds of music. I do tell people this: if you don’t like something, that doesn’t mean it’s bad…it’s just not for you. And that’s okay,” he told Sounds Like Nashville and other media recently.
“I think that balance is important,” he added. “Variety is important for people to find something that they like. If you don’t like something you hear, tune to another radio station. If you don’t like what I’m doing, do something else. I’m fine with that. That doesn’t bother me. I don’t like sushi, but I don’t go around telling people they shouldn’t like sushi. My wife loves it, so I’ll take her out to a sushi joint. It’s not the end of the world.”
With an outlook like that, Stapleton finds it much easier to create lasting art, much like he did on his most recent release, From A Room: Volume 1.
