Eli Young Band.Photo: Corey Ray
“My dad is 75 now,” Young, 42, tells PEOPLE from a tour bus parked just a handful of miles outside of downtown Chicago. “It was just too much to maintain.”
Granted, the five-acre piece of land not only played a role in the life of Young, but also played a role in the journey to stardom for the Eli Young Band. Long before Young joined Chris Thompson, Jon Jones, and lead singer Mike Eli to become the multi-platinum hitmaking band that would give the world hits such as “Crazy Girl,” “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and “Love Ain’t,” these four were just a bunch of college kids that would hang out at the Young family farm.
“Then, when we became a band, we made that place our little hub,” explains 40-year-old Eli. “We would come home every Sunday, and everybody would pile off the bus and we would go in the house and get breakfast. But if you ran into James' dad, he would probably put you to work.”
The talented occupants of the tour bus briefly erupt in a somewhat somber laughter, as if the private memories that the Grammy-nominated band hold for this special farmland should be tucked away from the rest of the world.
“In a way, this time that we find ourselves in feels like a time of reflection,” says Jones, 42, with a bit of a shrug. “We’ve passed the 20-year mark as a band. And there’s something about that which makes you reflect on everything that we’ve already done. And now, it feels like we are entering a new chapter. This new music feels full of energy and full of life.”
Granted, just a few years back, the men of Eli Young Band felt in a similar place. However, it wasthatnew chapter that led them down a road in which they now admit was far different than what they wanted.
“As artists, you get bored,” admits Eli. “You want to expand and try new things. And I think that there were moments where maybe we dipped our foot into some waters that we didn’t necessarily want to stay in.”
So, it was time to make some changes.
Granted, the band say they quickly realized that they didn’t want to revert too far from the recipe that has thus far resulted in widespread success for the band of brothers. Rather, little tweaks here and there were made in an effort to keep the band fresh, while still somewhat familiar.
“There’s a lot of old Eli Young Band in these new tunes,” says Jones, pointing directly to the country band’s current single “Love Talking,” a song Eli wrote alongside Jeffrey East and Eric Arjes that offers a fresh take on the early stages of a relationship and a song that seems to fit perfectly within the band’s overall live show, which also experienced a bit of a revamp.
“Love Talking” Cover Art.Courtesy of The Valory Music Co
“Everything from our lighting to the setlist to even some of the old songs that we are now playing differently,” explains Eli, who recently joined his bandmates in embarking on theLove Talking Tour, which will have them out on the road right through the summer. “Getting back on the road, I think we were a little nervous, hoping that we would get it right.”
These days, the men of Eli Young Band not only want to get it right for their fans, but also the families back at home.
“We don’t all get all of our kids together as much as we should,” Thompson, 41, says rather quietly. “Between the four of us, we have 10 kiddos, and they all have these crazy schedules. I keep on pushing our booking agent to do a show in Anaheim.”
Yes, the home of Disneyland.
“It would be a blast to take all the kids there, hopefully this summer,” adds Young. “Time just moves so darn fast.”
source: people.com
