Blake: 'Real Friends'
Chris Janson released new record ‘Real Friends’, the title track of which features Blake.
Another standout is the title song, which features Warner Music label-mate Blake Shelton. Janson has toured with the superstar, and as Opry members, they’ve enjoyed Opry hunting trips together. During the writing session, Janson says, he couldn’t help but imagine Shelton’s voice on the song, so he asked label intermediaries to reach out.
“It’s awkward sometimes to ask your friend to do something,” he explains, “because if they didn’t want to do it by chance, then it will be hard to say no.” But Shelton’s “yes” was immediate, and he recorded his part at his own home studio.
“Being a co-producer,” Janson says, “I got to go through all the files and hear all the stuff that he recorded on it and kind of pick what I wanted to use. He took a bunch of takes on it, which was remarkable. He totally cared.”