Jamey Johnson’s Big Gassed Records Signs New Artist – To Release New Album
When country music traditionalist Jamey Johnson announced he was starting his own Big Gassed record label in late 2014, he promised he wouldn’t be the only one on the roster. Part of his motivation to go independent was to release music from other artists who inspired him, and now it appears that the first full-length release from Big Gassed won’t be from Jamey, but the label’s first signee (aside from Johnson), Chris Hennessee.
Big Gassed Records will release Greetings From Hennessee on June 9th, and have released a single ahead of the release called “The Gospel According to Lane” (listen below). Originally from Decatur, Tennessee, Hennessee will be familiar to many Jamey Johnson fans. The two songwriters used to hang out and play together on lower Broadway in Nashville in the early oughts, and in 2011, Hennessee went out with Johnson on tour as an opening act, joining his band the following year. Known as a songwriter in Nashville, Hennessee has penned multiple cuts for major label artists, and released a couple of albums of his own. Chris wrote eight of the eleven songs on the new record. T.W. Cargile produced the effort with Hennessee.
“I try to make my records reflect reality,” Chris says. “The person who is not a spiritual person might think, ‘Why do you have that in there?’ The person who is super spiritual would say, ‘Why do you have that in there? That isn’t Christian to talk about drugs.’ But it is reality. Very little fantasy happens in this … Jamey helped instill in me that you just do what you like. Write songs that you want to write, record them the way you want to record them and record them with who you want to record them with and put them out in the world.”
As for the first single “The Gospel According to Lane,” Hennessee says, “This is a real dude who lived next door to me. He was an ol’ drag-bike racer in the 1970s-90. He never actually went to prison. I embellished a few things in the song. He was, however, quite a rounder in his day, but is now a twice-a-week church-goer and a pretty smooth neo-philosopher with some wild stories.”
Chris Hennessee also recently released a new video for “Long Way Gone” where folks familiar with the Jamey Johnson camp with recognize a few faces.
No word as of yet of when fans can expect a new album from the head of Big Gassed Records.
May 29, 2015 @ 8:59 am
This should be good. I have seen Chris twice with Jamey and both times he put on a great show. Very talented singer and songwriter. I have his one CD that he was selling at the shows. I hope that this is mostly new material.
May 29, 2015 @ 9:14 am
Great News, but rather expected. Can’t wait to hear Chris’ new album. Hoping to see Jamey make some real news with some up and coming writers/performers. Would be awesome to see Mo Pitney, Erin Enderlin, or an Eric Strickland make their way over to Big Gassed!
May 29, 2015 @ 9:22 am
Mo Pitney is signed with Curb, and if recent behavior holds form, they wouldn’t let him go even if his contract was up. I hope for great things from that young man, and hopefully his label home doesn’t get in the way.
May 29, 2015 @ 10:13 am
Man, shouldn’t it be taught in schools by now, right along with don’t take candy from strangers, that you don’t sign with this douche bag? Why isn’t there a warning on the “Welcome to Nashville” sign? Can we take up a collection to get that added?
May 5, 2022 @ 11:44 am
Those who sign with him will do well. I’m sure of that.
May 29, 2015 @ 3:50 pm
Mo Pitney and a guy named William Michael Morgan are bright hopes for you and the traditional country crowd hoping against hope in Nashville. I love both of their stuff and this is coming from a Luke Bryan/Cole Swindell disciple.
June 19, 2015 @ 7:54 pm
Trigger, r u able to get in touch with JJ.
May 29, 2015 @ 9:16 am
I’m sure it will be great but dammit I’m dying over here waiting for the JJ record!
May 29, 2015 @ 9:29 am
Saw Chris last night @ the Jamey Johnson concert in Louisville. Chris is a super musician and a great singer as well. I got an autographed cd and talked to him. I told him he looks like my son in law, he replied, ” but I ain’t him!” Lol! I never get tired of seeing Jamey in concert!! He is a writing genius and a phenomenal singer! I â¤ï¸ The front row!!!
May 29, 2015 @ 9:44 am
For whatever reason, I much prefer “Long Way Gone” in comparison to “Gospel According to Lane”. Definitely interested in check out more of Hennesse’s music, though much like Megan, I’m far more interested in a new JJ record.
May 29, 2015 @ 10:00 am
Trigger, I’m glad you finally came around on Jamey Johnson. I used to hate it when everytime his name came up you bashed him.
May 29, 2015 @ 12:34 pm
He’s from Decatur Tennessee not Georgia.
May 29, 2015 @ 12:50 pm
What did I say?
Oh, I must have had Georgia on my mind….
May 29, 2015 @ 1:11 pm
Ha! I like, totally see what you did there. 😀
April 16, 2021 @ 1:57 pm
Jamey is a friend of mine. Screw you.
May 29, 2015 @ 1:04 pm
Long Way Gone reminds me of a more country leaning Black Crowes, and that is a good thing.
May 29, 2015 @ 2:20 pm
I can appreciate originality and being true to one’s self, as much as most people. And I can also acknowledge that this guy is a real artist, performing real music. But none of that is going to make this Country. This folky, rockish, bluesyish, countryish music is never going to quench my hunger for fiddle intros, steel guitar rides, and shuffle beats.
I want to hear a real artist, with real talent, do some real Country music. Why is that so hard to come by?
May 29, 2015 @ 3:49 pm
I would suggest Jamie Lin Wilson’s new album “Holidays and Wedding Rings”. Thoroughly country voice, lots of steel guitar, and lyrics that depict daily life using storytelling imagery and metaphor.
May 29, 2015 @ 11:17 pm
Here’s a question that I have never been able to answer to my own satisfaction: where would you draw the line between country and folk sonically? If country music is defined by steel guitar and fiddle on top of an acoustic guitar foundation, then isn’t folk just a stripped-down version of country (with just an acoustic guitar)?
It seems to me that the key differences between country and folk lie in the demographics and subject matter, not in the music itself.
May 30, 2015 @ 8:26 am
I don’t have time right now to try to explain my opinion on this, but I will say it’s easier to give examples of the differences, than to explain them.
May 29, 2015 @ 3:45 pm
Love Chris, Love Jamey, Love TW and I Love this Song
May 29, 2015 @ 7:11 pm
This is good news for Chris. I saw him last summer at the first (and so far only) Buckle Up Music Festival in Cincinnati. On the bill was Jamey Johnson, Sturgill Simpson, Amanda Shires, Old Dominion, among others. Pouring rain most of the evening, but the music was great. Cadillac Three was a last minute cancel. Luckily, Chris Hennessee, solo, filled in at the last minute. I bought his album, “Revival,” he signed it and had a few minutes to talk to him at Jamey’s merch tent. I’m looking forward to his next album.
May 29, 2015 @ 10:49 pm
Simply the best in every aspect, production, writers, musicians, individuals doing what they love for the love of music! Again and always, ridiculously awesome!!
May 30, 2015 @ 7:40 am
I’m going to go see the pair tonight in Evansville, IN. Hopefully, it’s a good show. The first time I saw Jamey it was great.
May 30, 2015 @ 6:50 pm
Hennesee just left the stage. The dude killed it. Went and bought both his CDs afterwards.
June 1, 2015 @ 3:07 pm
Glad to see Chris Hennessee still out there doing his thing. Congrats on the deal with Big Gassed!
June 14, 2015 @ 4:41 pm
When is No coming out with a album
June 14, 2015 @ 4:42 pm
mo pitney
June 14, 2015 @ 4:47 pm
Mo Pitney is on Curb Records. Have seen no info on his album.
May 30, 2017 @ 1:25 am
right on Hennessee. and HA!! that is a great title for the record. Congrats buddy.