Brett Young Prefers to Keep His Music ‘PG’
With his very first single, Brett Young is already going against the crowd. The up-and-coming artist's "Sleep Without You," which is about not needing to jump right into bed with someone, is a perfect example of how Young hopes to make his mark in country music.
"I hope that when people hear it, it’s something that they haven’t quite heard before. But also, I hope that the people understand that I’m really conscious of the message in every song being 'PG,' for lack of a better word," Young tells The Boot. "I don’t really see why some of those topical lines have to be crossed to get a point across. I want a mother and daughter, a teenage girl and her mom, to be able to come to the show and both enjoy it on the same level."
"Sleep Without You" was inspired by one of Young's former relationships -- one that gave him fresh insight into true love.
"My last relationship was six years," Young shares. "We never lived together, but we always did the goodnight phone call or text. When that becomes a habit, you find yourself restless, trying to go to sleep without the goodnight phone call or text."
Young got his start performing in church, but he believes that his music was meant for a broader audience.
"Sometimes you can set an example differently. While I don’t feel like I’m an evangelist, country music is about to give me a platform," Young explains, "and so keeping it topically acceptable for everybody, I hope that sets some sort of example."
Watch Brett Young's "Sleep Without You" Music Video
The "Sleep Without You" video has its share of romance, though. Young shot the clip (which readers can watch below) with the reigning Miss USA, Olivia Jordan, whose presence made him a bundle of nerves leading up to the big day.
"I’ve shot a handful of videos in the past, but this was the first big budget. I’m just not an actor, so for me, it was like a fish out of water," Young confesses, "but she made it easy, because she’s a total pro and did a great job. She’s a babe. I was nervous the whole time ..."
Young definitely enjoyed his onscreen time with the beauty queen, but he insists that sparks most definitely didn't fly during their video shoot.
"People always ask what it’s like. They don’t realize there’s 10 people there telling you what to do," he notes. "There’s no time to think about it; there’s nothing other than [to] obey instructions."
As Young divides his time between the road and the recording studio, he has little time to visit with his family on the West Coast -- but they couldn't be more proud of all he is doing.
"They’re so supportive. They've always been, with everything," he boasts. "When it was baseball, they were all for baseball. Now that it’s music, they’re all for music.
"They have a limited knowledge of how this industry works, and I kind of like that," Young adds. "Every once in a while, I’ll give them tidbits, but they’re not jaded yet. Everything that is exciting is just exciting. They don’t see the other side of it.
"I don’t want them to know that radio tour is grueling and it’s five weeks of no sleep; they don’t need to know that," he concludes. "They just need to know that their son’s song is on the radio. I try to keep them from that side of it."
A list of all of Young's upcoming shows is available on his website. "Sleep Without You" is from Young's self-titled EP, which is available for purchase on iTunes.
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