Chris Janson performs live, answers numerous audience questions, speaks about his small-town roots, and gives advice to frustrated songwriters during this September 23, 2017, Songwriter Session at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

At the beginning of the program, Janson tells the audience, “I moved to Nashville to be an entertainer and a famous singer, and finally those dreams are coming to fruition a little bit. But I will say that I had to learn to be a songwriter. . . . Coming from a small town where I grew up, you don’t even realize that this town was built on songs and people writing them on Music Row, and in their basements, and in their bedrooms, and on their tour buses, and in the loneliest hours of the night.”

Accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica, Janson performs “Everybody,” “Who’s Your Farmer,” “Fix a Drink,” “Bein’ a Dad,” and “Redneck Life” from his 2017 album “Everybody.” He concludes the musical portion of the program by playing that album’s “Drunk Girl” on piano.

During a Q&A with the audience, Chris Janson discusses his work ethic—particularly his rigorous performing schedule at downtown Nashville honky-tonk Tootsies Orchid Lounge, where he held down multiple sets a day for years. He also acknowledges his ties to the working class, and responds to questions about the influence of Eric Church, whether he’d like to record a gospel album, and if he has a dream collaborator.

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