Kenny Chesney Is At Summer Songwriting Camp
Kenny Chesney has had a rare summer off from his tight touring schedule. So, he did what many school kids did this summer: he went to summer camp. For Kenny, it was songwriting camp.
Chesney is well-known for his love of the islands and got some people together who don’t always have time to catch up, take the pressure off, hang out, have some fun, and enjoy the moment. Oh, and bring the guitars, and write some songs.
Kenny told us of his recent adventure, “Usually song camps are a couple of days. They’re thrown in the middle of so many other things going on, and you never truly settle into a groove or the fun of just hanging out. I’ve loved songwriters since I first got to town after graduating from ETSU, so who better to hang out with for a few weeks than some of your favorite writers?”
RELATED: Kenny Chesney Spreads Beloved Dog's Ashes
He continued, “We had people coming in and leaving, some arriving partway through. But over these couple weeks, stories were told, laughter had, drinks consumed, bars overtaken – and yeah, I think a few great songs were written. We’re still here, having more fun and remembering the reasons we all started chasing songs, even before writing them, than most of us have had in a long time.”
Chesney’s songwriting group included Nashville hit makers Jessi Alexander, Nicolle Galyon, Casey Beathard, Tucker Beathard, Ernest, Summer Overstreet, Brett James, David Garcia, and Will Bundy.
Kenny said, “Getting people not just out of their familiar routine but creating a space where the rules fly out the window is always the best way to get songs that aren’t like anything else. I understand people who do what’s working for them, who find a lane that feels authentic.”
He added, “But to me, it’s that song that’s unlike anything else that I’m looking for or hoping to write. Whether it’s ‘American Kids’ with the way it moved, that double breakdown in the chorus, ‘Noise’ and that sense of being overwhelmed by it all, or ‘Knowing You,’ which was such a simple, classic country song, those are the hardest things to find.”
In one of his many Instagram posts about the event, Chesney wrote, “@kathigginsmusic wrote #KnowingYou. @monicaknaggs was in the video we shot in St. Croix. So, in a way, it was a Knowing You reunion yesterday on the boat. I love you guys. What a fun day at sea.”
20 Kenny Chesney Songs That Fill Stadiums
