I met up with
Nashville based duo American Young to talk London and Nashville as sister
cities, motorcycle crashes, and living with Eric Church and Chris Stapleton.
Read on to find out more!
Ciara’s Country
(CC): I’m here
with Kristy and Jon from American Young after their set at the Nashville Meets
London festival in Canary Wharf. First of all, thank you so much for joining me
tonight!
Jon Stone (JS): Thank you for having us!
CC: How are things going for the two
of you this year?
Kristy Osmunson
(KO): Well this
is definitely one of my favourite shows that I’ve ever played. Jon, can I speak
for you on that too?
JS: Yeah, it’s been really great. You
know, over here there’s a lot of great listeners and people like great songs so
it’s great to be a part of it.
CC: So the name American Young – how
did that come about?
KO: I’d written a song called Young in America and we were listening
to it and Jon turned it off and said ‘man, American Young, that would be a
great name for a band’, and it was this crazy moment because I was like ‘well
there’s no way we could get that name’, and I googled the dot com and it was
available. I was like ‘this might be divine intervention – we’ve got to take
it, that’s a great name for a band!’ and I feel like it’s so representative of
where country music is going, so we’re very lucky to be a part of this whole
industry, it’s very humbling.
CC: Especially, having a name like
that that’s so easy to remember I reckon people tonight are bound to go away
and Google you now!
KO: I hope people buy at least five or
six records!
CC: I’m sure they will! So this is
the Nashville Meets London festival and you guys are based in Nashville - how
do you think playing in London compared to playing over there?
KO: Well they drink just as much over
here!
JS: We don’t really play all that much
in Nashville, Nashville’s sort of an outsourcing town, that’s where the
business of country really lives. We’re actually from the North West – she’s
from Idaho and I’m from Oregon, but if you want to be in country music you’ve
got to move to Nashville.
CC: And what do you think of London?
JS: London’s wonderful!
KO: I feel like London and Nashville
are sister cities. I really feel like there’s so much similarity between the
heritage music – like when we were at C2C and at this festival, there are all
these UK bands that are absolutely as country that you could possibly get, and
they’re telling the stories that are true to the people – they’re representing
the plight of the working man, they’re telling stories of love and loss and all
the greatness that makes up what we consider the heritage of country music. I
really think that there’s an amazing combination and culmination of what is
about to happen with the UK country music scene. I think it’s about to go
global.
CC: In terms of your storytelling
aspects of songs, how have you drawn on your background to help you with that?
KO: So the first gig that we ever
played as the two of us was at The Bluebird Café, and Jon had just fallen off
his motorcycle and so he was covered in bandages, and we walked in the room and
we told that story, and we started telling stories of the songs that we’d
written and it just became like a natural dialogue – it’s kind of what we do,
you know? We just write true to life experiences, and try to capture them in
three minutes on tape.
CC: As well as being songwriters,
you’re also very accomplished musicians – we saw you playing the guitar and
fiddle on stage for example. Which came first for you, the singing or the
instruments?
KO: For me it was singing when I was
little, but I started playing when I was about four.
JS: I was a guitar player first for years
and years. Singing became a part of my writing because I needed somebody to
sing my words.
CC: And you’ve written a lot for other
artists too – how does that compare from writing for yourselves?
JS: There’s no difference at all.
Great songs are great songs, no matter where they come from.
CC: So in terms of the country music
genre as a whole, is there one artist out there who you think is really
underrepresented and deserves more recognition?
KO: Yola Carter, I think she’s great.
JS: There’s a lot of great artists out
there, and it’s just a matter of staying true to who you are as an artist and
then your day will come. We’ve seen that with Maren Morris, and Kelsea
Ballerini, and Cam and Chris Stapleton and artists like that.
KO: Jon and Chris were roommates for
four years.
CC: Really?
KO: Yeah, and also Eric Church. Jon
gave Eric Church his first job in Nashville, so they’ve been friends for a long
time and they’re so supportive. We have a really incredible community of
family, musicians and writers.
CC: I’ll bet there’s some amazing
stories to tell there!
KO: When we were at C2C we went
backstage and met Chris Stapleton, and he was like ‘yeah, when I met Jon Stone,
he used to keep alligator in the freezer.’ (laughs)
CC: Wow, that’s certainly something
different! And my final question for you tonight is what’s one question you
wish you were asked in interviews but never are?
KO: Now that is a great question, and
that I’ve never been asked! Wow, that’s going to make me think here for a
second.
JS: How about ‘what can I buy you for
dinner?’ ‘What do you drink?’
KO: You know, wow, that’s a really
good question. I would say what is our purpose as a songwriter, and I’d say
when you know the purpose of why an artist is doing what they’re doing, it’s
really enlightening and it’s very important.
CC: And what’s that purpose for
American Young?
KO: You know, I think it’s just to
spread a little love and intellect. There’s lots of ways to look at things,
there’s lots of ways to approach and interpret things.
JS: I’d say to be on the evolving side
of evolution (laughs)
KO: There you go!
CC: Well thank you for taking the time
to chat with me tonight, and thank you for a great show!
KO & JS: Thank you!
Thanks to Kristy and
Jon for your time – if you’d like to keep up with more things Ciara’s Country
and American Young, check us out on Twitter at @CiarasCountry and
@American_Young
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