American Young

American Young landed in the UK earlier this year for Country 2 Country, where they wowed the crowd with their assorted sets, which showed their diversity as a duo and the eclectic nature of their sound. They return for Nashville Meets London, where they will be joined by an array of British and American country artists to once again leave the audience in awe. With the new single Be Here displaying a poppier side to their sound, the duo's debut album AY promises to be a revelation. We caught up with Kristy and Jon to find out what we can expect.

Hi Kristy and Jon - we hear you are UK bound again. Did you enjoy your last trip?

KO:We had such an incredible time. It's always life changing to be able to experience other cultures through music.
JS: Yes we enjoyed it very much we always love coming over to the UK

What most surprised your about the experience?

KO: Sometimes in my American arrogance I forget that our culture is so new that we are miss certain communicative nuances of politeness that come so naturally in the UK.
JS: How attentive everybody was. It seem like they were really excited about hearing new music

How has it altered your perception of the UK country scene?

KO: London's country vibe feels so much like East Nashville. We're all a bunch of beard loving yoga cowboy hipsters. Country Music is global.
JS: Well I didn't really have a perception of the UK country scene until I got there and I'm really excited to see the people really enjoy it

Has it changed your ambitions?

KO:Definitely has given me the travel bug bitten wanderlust syndrome. I want to get over to Africa and Russia and China and see Stonehenge!
JS: I would really love to come over there more and explore the scene and hopefully make a ton of new fans in the process.

We hear this trip will mark the arrival of new material. Are you excited to share the new record with us Brits?

KO:Over the moon. We've worked so many years on this record. It's very exciting to have it come out!!!
JS: Yes were very excited to leave sunk our heart and souls into this project over the last four years and excited to now go out and support it.

Which song are you most excited for people to hear?

KO: God Sends a Train. It's the story of my mom.
JS: Very difficult to just pick one song off of the record but I would say God sends a train is a great song slow ride is a great song better on you I think people would love :)

The album has been a couple of years in the making. How has your working relationship changed in that time?

KO: It's gotten a whole lot deeper. Both Jon and I have grown personally and musically to where we're starting to finish each other's sentences.
JS: Yes I think that we've learned how to work very effectively together

For those who haven't heard it yet, what can we expect?

KO: Hopefully a mirror into your own psyche. Maybe it will uncover an emotional depth that you have been scared of. May it grow love.
JS: Hopefully if we've done our job right there's a lot of great storytelling a lot of emotions and as soon as it's over you want to hear it again

What do you feel separates American Young from your contemporaries?

KO:The diversity of conversation that we can have between the two of us is specific to who we are as songwriters and human beings.
JS: We really spent a lot of time finding a sound and becoming uniquely identifiable in a see if great artists and hopefully we've done so

We know you worked with Lee Brice on the record, do you dream of working with any other artists?

KO: I'm obsessing over Jon Bellion at this moment. That would be a timeless co write.
JS: Lee Brice is a unique artist and our realm. He coproduced the record with us he's been one of my best friends for years and years and as much as I love other artists and if we get the opportunity to work with them I'm sure they won't turn it down but is not an immediate desire

You are both successful in your own right as songwriters. Would you do a Maren Morris and add a cut you had written for someone else in to your own album?

KO: Yes! This next record is going to have a song that was a single for Jerrod Niemann called “Only God Could Love You More”. One day I would love to do a version of Cheater Cheater as well. I still love that song.
JS: Of course. See here's the thing we just write songs we don't necessarily write them for somebody else somebody else just love them enough to record them so when we write songs we typically write them for ourselves

Lastly, what song do you wish you had penned?

KO: I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton
JS: Desperado