Chris Douglas - Ain't Getting Any Younger
PREMIERE | CHRIS DOUGLAS DEBUTS ‘AIN’T GETTING ANY YOUNGER’
Singer-songwriter Chris Douglas premieres “Ain’t Getting Any Younger” on Rawckus today.
Chris Douglas
The song’s genesis occurred on Douglas’ 25th birthday. He’d just completed his final performance with punk band A Criminal Risk, when he experienced a revelatory moment akin to an epiphany: “Where did all the years go and what am I doing with my life?” Douglas adds, “I literally told myself, ‘You need to get off your ass and do something.’”
He did. The encounter resulted in a song – “Ain’t Getting Any Younger,” announcing the onset of Douglas’ solo career, along with an infectious sound he labels as “country with an attitude.”
“Ain’t Getting Any Younger” is the first of four singles Douglas will be dropping over the course of the next year, all leading up to his debut EP, slated for release in early 2020.
All four songs were recorded in Nashville at Hilltop Studios and produced by John Nicholson, who, according to Douglas, “Called his A-list of session musicians in. These guys had never heard my songs before and nailed them in three takes, making this a life changing experience for my first time ever recording music on this level.”
Douglas touched a guitar when he was four or five-years-old. It was love at first touch, but the guitar went missing. Later, when he was 10-years-old, his parents bought him a guitar. After a series of lessons, he continued to practice incessantly. In high school, he fronted A Criminal Risk, which went on to garner regional acclaim. His love for performing eventually became tainted by the egocentric personalities in the band.
“I always loved country music and its authenticity and how it made me feel while listening to it."
When he decided to go solo, his sound took a new direction. Douglas explains, “I always loved country music and its authenticity and how it made me feel while listening to it. However, there wasn’t much country around here, so for a long time I just rode the wave, playing in the pop punk and punk rock style bands because it gave me the opportunity to play shows and tour. With the release of the first single and all the new music, I’m really looking forward to bringing my strengths as a performer to the stage as a solo artist for the first time. After all, I ain’t getting any younger!”
“Ain’t Getting Any Younger” opens on a rousing drum fill flowing into an infectious country melody flavored with hints of punk-lite aromas. Gleaming guitars top a driving potent rhythm, as a sparkling guitar tone infuses the tune with bright drawling accents.
Douglas’ voice, rich and inflected with cool country savors, imbues the lyrics with proximate exuberance. It’s a lushly textured voice, exuding smooth surface tones alive with cap-a-pie zest.
“I woke up this morning / Realized how much time had passed / I smelled something burning / And it’s those years I can’t get back / Well that’s another one for the books / And here’s to twenty-five / And here’s to turning that car around / And doing something with my life / Cause I ain’t getting any younger.”
With “Ain’t Getting Any Younger,” Chris Douglas parades his remarkable talents, not only as a songwriter but as a bedazzling vocalist. He most definitely has it going on and need not worry about wasting his life, as he’s obviously predestined for success.
