The Sit Down with Greylan James
Since moving from Knoxville to Music City eight years ago, the songwriting catalogue of Greylan James spans over nine hundred million streams, contains three number one hits and has earned cuts from some of country music’s most notable artists including Kenny Chesney, Morgan Wallen, Cole Swindell, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Bailey Zimmerman, BRELAND and Jordan Davis, with who he earned his first ACM Award for Song of the Year with as a co-writer on “Next Thing You Know.”
Whilst he has undoubtedly been incredibly successful penning hits for others in the writer’s room, he’s already beginning to make the transition as an artist in his own right particularly off the back off “Water At A Wedding” and building around the song with before and after releases to expand on the story. We met Greylan for the first time at C2C in 2024 so as this year draws to a close it was great to catch up with him earlier this week over Zoom.
It’s great to see you man, it’s been a while. It's been, well, nearly two years.
“Yeah, it's been a minute.”
Let's start with going back to C2C because we last spoke before you played it. How was that whole experience of playing the festival in London and how did you feel it compared to stuff you've seen back at home?
“Oh, it was an experience I still talk about. I really didn't know what to expect. I was still kind of new at being the artist singing the songs at that time rather than just writing for other people and then to see people that knew me the way they did out there, I was expecting there would be nobody at some of those shows but they were all packed and I was blown away. I was also just blown away by the attention that people have when they hear stories about songs. I mean, they genuinely care about country music and the behind the scenes that goes into recording songs, writing songs, performing them and just every part of how the songs is made, you guys care about. I didn't expect that, I'd heard about it though and ever since then I have been itching to get back.”
How have you found the transition from being a Nashville songwriter where you are predominantly writing songs for other people to song to now being front and centre and releasing music yourself.
“Yeah, man, I think that honestly, the scariest part has been the social media part. You know, when you're a songwriter, you think, okay, I wrote the best song that day, let's just see what happens. Then as an artist, you're like, I think we’ve got a great song, but now I’ve got to figure out how to post it on social media every single day and get it to go viral but if it doesn't go viral, whatever. It's a lot of work that is kind of new to artists post-COVID, so that was something I didn't expect, but it's been really fun to build and grow that then be creative that way as well. It's kind of took pressure off of the whole touring and live show thing, so it's been kind of a unique experience, I think, for all new artists right now, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it. It's also just fun when I write a song that I really care about, feels like it's me and it's my story, I can put it out. I don't have to wait for some other artists that are on the charts to hopefully love it too and put it out but I have to wait a year or two, whatever it takes to come out. I feel a lot more in the driver's seat but I still love getting a surprise that somebody recorded one of my songs.”
Staying in that lane with writing songs, there’s obviously one that Jordan (Davis) cut and has gone on to do really great things. When you guys wrote that and came out of the room that day, did you know straight away that it wasn’t just special but had something more to it?
Whilst he has undoubtedly been incredibly successful penning hits for others in the writer’s room, he’s already beginning to make the transition as an artist in his own right particularly off the back off “Water At A Wedding” and building around the song with before and after releases to expand on the story. We met Greylan for the first time at C2C in 2024 so as this year draws to a close it was great to catch up with him earlier this week over Zoom.
It’s great to see you man, it’s been a while. It's been, well, nearly two years.
“Yeah, it's been a minute.”
Let's start with going back to C2C because we last spoke before you played it. How was that whole experience of playing the festival in London and how did you feel it compared to stuff you've seen back at home?
“Oh, it was an experience I still talk about. I really didn't know what to expect. I was still kind of new at being the artist singing the songs at that time rather than just writing for other people and then to see people that knew me the way they did out there, I was expecting there would be nobody at some of those shows but they were all packed and I was blown away. I was also just blown away by the attention that people have when they hear stories about songs. I mean, they genuinely care about country music and the behind the scenes that goes into recording songs, writing songs, performing them and just every part of how the songs is made, you guys care about. I didn't expect that, I'd heard about it though and ever since then I have been itching to get back.”
How have you found the transition from being a Nashville songwriter where you are predominantly writing songs for other people to song to now being front and centre and releasing music yourself.
“Yeah, man, I think that honestly, the scariest part has been the social media part. You know, when you're a songwriter, you think, okay, I wrote the best song that day, let's just see what happens. Then as an artist, you're like, I think we’ve got a great song, but now I’ve got to figure out how to post it on social media every single day and get it to go viral but if it doesn't go viral, whatever. It's a lot of work that is kind of new to artists post-COVID, so that was something I didn't expect, but it's been really fun to build and grow that then be creative that way as well. It's kind of took pressure off of the whole touring and live show thing, so it's been kind of a unique experience, I think, for all new artists right now, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it. It's also just fun when I write a song that I really care about, feels like it's me and it's my story, I can put it out. I don't have to wait for some other artists that are on the charts to hopefully love it too and put it out but I have to wait a year or two, whatever it takes to come out. I feel a lot more in the driver's seat but I still love getting a surprise that somebody recorded one of my songs.”
Staying in that lane with writing songs, there’s obviously one that Jordan (Davis) cut and has gone on to do really great things. When you guys wrote that and came out of the room that day, did you know straight away that it wasn’t just special but had something more to it?
“Oh, absolutely not, if anything, it was the exact opposite. I remember calling Jordan's brother, in the truck on the way home, I think we wrote the song on a Thursday and Jordan was going in to record on Monday. I think it was going to be the last song he was going to record and I was like, bro, I just don't think we got it today. You know, in country music, they kind of set these boundaries for you and all of those boundaries just come down to make sure the song kind of fits into the blueprint that makes a country song. You know it’s verse, chorus, verse, chorus, a bridge and you always repeat the chorus because that’s what people are going to sing at concerts and they’re going to get stuck in their head. That song doesn't repeat anything, besides just the phrase “Next Thing You Know”. I don't know why we did that, we kind of just did it in a rush because Jordan had an hour to write and that's what we came out with. Jordan didn't say he liked it, none of us knew if we liked it or not, then before we knew it, like it was two weeks later and credit to Jordan's wife, I think she was the one that was Jordan, that song is incredible. Jordan texted us that, then I sent it to my mom and dad, where they were like, oh, my God, it's the best song you've ever written. I was like, really? Then Jordan's label heard it, they said the same thing and everybody else told us it was great. It was just a unique experience and I'm forever grateful for that song and that process.”
In terms of co-writing in Nashville, in a situation like that where an artist is looking for songs towards an album and you end up writing something that may not be a fit for them and may just sit on a shelf. If you are really hot on one, is there like unwritten etiquette or a gentleman’s agreement type thing where you let it sit or, are you able to think I really like that, so I’m going to see what I can do with it?
“Oh, absolutely. I mean, speaking of Jordan, last week, I wrote a song with him and Hardy, which is one of those songs that, when we got done, I was like, all right, if Jordan doesn't cut it, he gets first rights, because I think Jordan is putting out a project the soonest. Then if Hardy doesn't do it because he's obviously way bigger than me and we all want to make money but if he doesn't do it, then I'll do it. So, it's kind of that pecking order but writing with Hardy and he actually signed me to a publishing deal last year, so that's been really cool, but the reason I wanted to work with him so bad was because of this exact scenario, I wanted to learn how to go about the business of songwriting and artistry. He's been so great at putting out his own albums, his own projects and creating his own kind of world of Hardy but he's also still maintaining his relationships as a songwriter. He's still got amazing songs on the Morgan albums, on Kenny Chesney's albums, on everybody's records in Nashville. He's still doing that thing, so I wanted to learn how to do that, how to maintain that while being on the road and kind of figuring out how to go about the entire process. So, I'm really just kind of leaning on Hardy and kind of navigating that whole thing.”
In terms of co-writing in Nashville, in a situation like that where an artist is looking for songs towards an album and you end up writing something that may not be a fit for them and may just sit on a shelf. If you are really hot on one, is there like unwritten etiquette or a gentleman’s agreement type thing where you let it sit or, are you able to think I really like that, so I’m going to see what I can do with it?
“Oh, absolutely. I mean, speaking of Jordan, last week, I wrote a song with him and Hardy, which is one of those songs that, when we got done, I was like, all right, if Jordan doesn't cut it, he gets first rights, because I think Jordan is putting out a project the soonest. Then if Hardy doesn't do it because he's obviously way bigger than me and we all want to make money but if he doesn't do it, then I'll do it. So, it's kind of that pecking order but writing with Hardy and he actually signed me to a publishing deal last year, so that's been really cool, but the reason I wanted to work with him so bad was because of this exact scenario, I wanted to learn how to go about the business of songwriting and artistry. He's been so great at putting out his own albums, his own projects and creating his own kind of world of Hardy but he's also still maintaining his relationships as a songwriter. He's still got amazing songs on the Morgan albums, on Kenny Chesney's albums, on everybody's records in Nashville. He's still doing that thing, so I wanted to learn how to do that, how to maintain that while being on the road and kind of figuring out how to go about the entire process. So, I'm really just kind of leaning on Hardy and kind of navigating that whole thing.”
With the songs you have put out yourself, I'll kind of collectively talk about them as a trilogy. “Water At A Wedding” was the one that started things off, then you did a before and an after. With the way that they are so interlinked, do you expect going forward that they're just going to live together as a trio separately rather than trying to build an album around them where people might go man, he’s written twelve songs about this girl and her wedding.
“I never really planned on those songs ever coming out and seeing the light of day, because, I mean, obviously it's kind of a touchy subject. When I initially wrote it, I sent it to friends, to family, at my label and they all collectively said, don't put that out. At that time, I was just kind of writing about it and it was my therapy. Those songs came from that period in my life, so I wanted them to come out as a period in my life and that's kind of what they've been. I think I'll always write about my personal experiences, what I've been through and I feel a lot more brave in that sense to see this reaction for people. I think we, as artists owe it to fans to be as honest with them as possible, let them in and say no matter how messy or crazy your experiences are, chances are, it's not an original experience, somebody else has gone through the same thing. I took the chance, put out screenshots and promoted these songs kind of differently than I think other artists do with just lip syncing in front of a camera. I really dug into the personal side of it and just let people know that it's okay to get those breakup texts, like, it sucks. So, going forward with my music, I think I'll always look back on this experience with these three songs and just remember that people deserve to have my heart, my soul and my music so I'll always carry a piece of that with me into future projects.”
Two of the three have co-writers on there so you didn't write them all in one hit, but was it kind of partly given the success of “Water At A Wedding” and how people reacting to that, wanted to know more of the story, along with being therapeutic for you, that you were able to expand or was it just three ideas that came out in that order?
“Yeah, I mean, I think originally, when I wrote “Give Me A Second” and “Hold It Down”, they were a lot more messy and a little more specific, then I went back and definitely tweaked “Give Me A Second” where I made it a little more user friendly. Then the same thing with “Hold It Down” where I called my buddy Blake Pendergrass. I was on the road and I knew I wanted to put that song out, kind of as the final chapter for now and I was playing a show Pittsburgh so I was like, hey, look, I've got to get this song turned into the label tomorrow, but I just want these things. I just sent him a text probably a mile long about what I wanted to say and how I felt about it, then he made just like these small tweaks that went a long way. I'm thankful to have friends and that I can call on and know where I come from and what I've been through, that can help me do it but also take a little bit of the heat off of it.”
“I never really planned on those songs ever coming out and seeing the light of day, because, I mean, obviously it's kind of a touchy subject. When I initially wrote it, I sent it to friends, to family, at my label and they all collectively said, don't put that out. At that time, I was just kind of writing about it and it was my therapy. Those songs came from that period in my life, so I wanted them to come out as a period in my life and that's kind of what they've been. I think I'll always write about my personal experiences, what I've been through and I feel a lot more brave in that sense to see this reaction for people. I think we, as artists owe it to fans to be as honest with them as possible, let them in and say no matter how messy or crazy your experiences are, chances are, it's not an original experience, somebody else has gone through the same thing. I took the chance, put out screenshots and promoted these songs kind of differently than I think other artists do with just lip syncing in front of a camera. I really dug into the personal side of it and just let people know that it's okay to get those breakup texts, like, it sucks. So, going forward with my music, I think I'll always look back on this experience with these three songs and just remember that people deserve to have my heart, my soul and my music so I'll always carry a piece of that with me into future projects.”
Two of the three have co-writers on there so you didn't write them all in one hit, but was it kind of partly given the success of “Water At A Wedding” and how people reacting to that, wanted to know more of the story, along with being therapeutic for you, that you were able to expand or was it just three ideas that came out in that order?
“Yeah, I mean, I think originally, when I wrote “Give Me A Second” and “Hold It Down”, they were a lot more messy and a little more specific, then I went back and definitely tweaked “Give Me A Second” where I made it a little more user friendly. Then the same thing with “Hold It Down” where I called my buddy Blake Pendergrass. I was on the road and I knew I wanted to put that song out, kind of as the final chapter for now and I was playing a show Pittsburgh so I was like, hey, look, I've got to get this song turned into the label tomorrow, but I just want these things. I just sent him a text probably a mile long about what I wanted to say and how I felt about it, then he made just like these small tweaks that went a long way. I'm thankful to have friends and that I can call on and know where I come from and what I've been through, that can help me do it but also take a little bit of the heat off of it.”
Lastly, looking ahead, what's 2026 looking like for you? Are we looking to be bringing out more new music, expanding on touring or possibly getting on a plane and coming back to see us?
“Oh, dude, all of the above. I’ve got a song coming in January that I think we're working on, then we’ll be in the studio writing and recording in February to hopefully have some sort of a record coming out in June or July, so that's at least what the goal is right now. Then just a lot of touring and hopefully in the back half of the year, I can get over there and see you guys.”
‘Hold It Down (the after demo)’ from Greylan James is out now via Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment and is available HERE. You can learn more about Greylan and find details of any upcoming tour dates on his WEBSITE whilst you can follow him socially to keep up to date with all that he is up to on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK X & FACEBOOK.
“Oh, dude, all of the above. I’ve got a song coming in January that I think we're working on, then we’ll be in the studio writing and recording in February to hopefully have some sort of a record coming out in June or July, so that's at least what the goal is right now. Then just a lot of touring and hopefully in the back half of the year, I can get over there and see you guys.”
‘Hold It Down (the after demo)’ from Greylan James is out now via Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment and is available HERE. You can learn more about Greylan and find details of any upcoming tour dates on his WEBSITE whilst you can follow him socially to keep up to date with all that he is up to on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK X & FACEBOOK.
