CMIL Exclusive: Chris Young Talks ‘Lonely Eyes,’ Touring with Lee Brice

Chris checked in with CountryMusicIsLove to chat about his new tour, tune and video.

CMIL: How did the co-headlining tour with Lee come to fruition?

CY: Me and Lee have known each other for a long time. We were on tour together about a year and half ago with Brad Paisley and have wanted to work together ever since. We came up in the business about the same time and all that. This is the perfect timing for us to join up and go out. It’s not just one or two shows we’re actually doing quite a few. It is a true co-headline, so one night I’ll close, one night he’ll close.

CMIL: “Lonely Eyes” is doing pretty well for you at radio. What was your reaction the first time you heard it?

CY: The first time I heard the song my buddy Johnny Bulford was playing it. I was going to meet him for a co-write and he was half humming it and half singing it and I could hear him. I was like ‘what the hell was that?’ He was like I wrote this yesterday with Jason Matthews and Laura Veltz. I said, ‘One, you suck and, two, what is it?’ It just knocked me out. I really love that song. I think I was the only person to ever hear it before I cut it.

CMIL: How did you come up with the premise for the video?

CY: We just wanted to do something that wasn’t straight up the lyrics of the song. I don’t know why, I just decided to do something different than guy sees girl, girl sees guy, they look at each. It would be so cliché to do that. The video so cool and it tells such a cool story. We did a lot of close-up shots on purpose. It was kind of funny. For as little is going on in the video, we were like, this is going to be a four-hour shoot. Nope, it was all day. You gotta get it right.

CMIL: When it comes to social media, you are a pro at responding to people who are trying to rile you up.

CY: You can’t let people that saying stuff on the internet get to you. It would ruin people’s lives if they actually let it get to you. You have to brush it off. I think most of the people that follow me are great, awesome fans. I think it’s funny when I see something like that.

CMIL: Word is that your band came together and gave you a pretty awesome gift recently. Want to share what that was?

CY: I’ll keep it to myself. I was just really surprised that my guys all got together and got me something for Christmas. It was just really cool. We were all throwing a Christmas party for my band and crew and I didn’t expect it. It was a cool gesture.

Check out the “Lonely Eyes” music video below.