Multi-platinum artist Chris Lane and Bachelor alum Lauren Bushnell welcomed their first child, son Dutton Walker Lane into the world on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. As their lives changed right before their very eyes, Lane knew he had some “Big, Big Plans” in-store.
Throughout the last few years, country music fans have witnessed the award-winning artist-run the honky-tonk town as a single man, fall in love, tie the knot, and even become a devoted father. During those life-altering milestones, Lane’s community instantly received a glimpse of his growth as a vocalist and songwriter – as he was pulling inspiration from real-life experiences and turning his current emotions into moving melodies.
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“Lauren and I first started dating, it gave me a whole new inspiration to write about a whole new set of feelings,” he recently shared in a press conference. “Then we got married, and the same kind of thing happened. I think it transitions your mindset a little bit and even more when you have a child. So, it definitely plays into the kind of songs I write now…maybe it softened my heart a little bit more than it was before having a baby and being married,” he added while smiling ear to ear.
The long list of releases that hit streaming platforms in 2021 proves that parenthood left him feeling motivated and inspired to make some magic in the studio. In a short amount of time, Lane dropped “Summer Job Money,” “That’s What Mamas Are For,” Tequila On A Boat” with Dustin Lynch, “Small Town On It” featuring Scotty McCreery, “Fill Them Boots,” and most recently his love-centric ballad, “Stop Coming Over.”
Whether he fiddles with his guitar to come up with an original toe-tapping track or records an outside cut, Lane religiously runs his new music by Lauren before announcing it to the world. “I test out every single song with Lauren. She always gives me her honest opinion, even if she doesn’t like it,” he exclusively told Celeb Secrets Country. “When I go into a write, I usually come home with a demo that day, and I play it. She’s either like, ‘Wow, I really love it or ‘not my favorite, but not a bad song.’ That is usually when I know it’s probably not going to be a song that I put out. She can still get it wrong, but I feel like it’s a pretty good gauge.”
He continued to reveal that Lauren had a positive remark when he tested out “Stop Coming Over,” penned by Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, and Brett Tyler. “The first time I played that song for her – the reaction was, ‘OH MY GOD, that I so cute.’ She said the word ‘cute’ and I thought ‘well maybe other females will have the same reaction.'”
Although the loving wife gave her superstar husband the green light to release, he wasn’t convinced until he presented the infectious track to his biggest cheerleader, Dutton. The special moment of Lane showing his son his potential chart-topping banger was caught on camera and created quite the stir on Instagram.
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“Dutton loves daddy’s new song @iamchrislane,” Bushnell posted on social media. After Dutton listened to half of the dance-worthy chorus, he stood up on his feet and bounced to the rhythm. “As a dad, you’re so proud, and it makes you so happy. I was smiling so big on the inside, because he doesn’t do that a lot. So, the fact that he kind of jumped up and danced around…maybe this song’s a hit!”
While laughing and reminiscing on the memorable moment, he told CSC reporter Tiffany Goldstein that he is willing to let Dutton pick his tracklists moving forward. “I am going to start letting Dutton pick my songs, and if he doesn’t react to them…then it’s trash.”
Although Lane did not pen the cleaver, yet relatable single that talks about the exciting stages of a relationship – he did write his country radio smash hit, “Fill Them Boots.” The love story anthem that proves that a nice guy does have the power to win over a pretty girl’s heart – came to him late at night after a rowdy concert.
“We wrote that song super late at like two or three in the morning,” he told CSC. “We had a few drinks, and we were just freestyling out ideas. I think I had that title in my phone for quite some time, and we just rolled with it. We were just rocking on it and didn’t know at that moment that we had something that felt really great.”
He exclusively said that he was not surprised that “Fill Them Boots” flowed right out of him, as he tends to be most creative in the wee hours of the night. “Honestly, for me, I think I feel most creative at night. I learned that out on tour, because I found myself always wanting to write after shows. You are always amped up from a great crowd, a great a great night, and it’s always hard to sleep,” he revealed. “I tend to be more creative because your like,’ what other kind of songs can I create that would get that same energy out of people?’ So, I tend to just go for it out on the road.”
Lane did not hesitate to mention that most songwriters in Nashville prefer to write early in the morning, but he feels like his guard is often up. “I feel like after a few drinks at night, you don’t really care what you say or what you do. There is no such thing as a bad idea when it comes to writing. In the morning, you may hold back a little bit more…when you’re out there after a few drinks, you are willing to try anything and won’t feel embarrassed,” he concluded about his secret songwriting recipe for success.
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Fans could potentially expect new music in the near future, as Lane is currently out on his headline Fill Them Boots Tour with support from Tyler Rich, ERNEST, and Nashville newcomer Lily Rose. Ernest and Lane have a rich songwriting history, and the “Flower Shops” singer has joined the critically-acclaimed artist out on the road before.
“Ernest and I are great buddies here in Nashville,” shared Lane. “I had him out ion my Big, Big, Plans Tour, and it just went so well. We love writing songs together, and he’s transitioned into more of an artist. So I thought, ‘why not have him back out on this tour?’ We get along so great even outside of the tour, and our families hang out with each other. I mean, our babies even play together! T’s just nice having somebody you’re comfortable without on the road.”
As country music fanatics eagerly wait for Dutton and Lauren to approve more hits, they can see the award-winning artist live and in person. Tickets are currently available for purchase, here.
Watch our full interview with Chris Lane below and let us know what you think by leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet @celebsecrets.
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