Chris Janson’s ‘Fix a Drink’ Video Has a Heartwarming Cabin Story
The cabin and country land featured in Chris Janson's "Fix a Drink" music video isn't just a scouted location; the singer actually owns the property. However, Janson hadn't been to his old cabin in about 10 years.
After selling the middle Tennessee property about a decade ago — which the now-star did to free up some cash to start a family with his wife, Kelly — he hadn’t looked back from the new suburban Tennessee townhouse the two shared. But Janson admits to Taste of Country, "I always missed my cabin." To Janson, it wasn’t just a house, it was a sentimental property loaded with memories of his early adulthood. He even cites it as the place he and his wife first fell in love, while writing songs on his front porch swing. It wasn’t just a cabin. It was a chapter in his life.
So when he was driving home from a show in San Antonio in early 2017, he decided to drive by the old property to see if it was for sale. To Janson’s surprise, the owner was not only selling the property, but it had remained relatively untouched since he lived there.
“It was essentially a time capsule,” Janson explains. "The (owner) never moved into it and there was a renter who was in and out, but wasn’t there frequently. Everything was dust-covered. I had some shelves in there and cabinets that I put up and a coffee table my wife gave me while we were dating. The swing was still swinging on the front porch. It was literally a time capsule.”
Taken back by the situation, Janson and his wife told their story to a local realtor, who relayed the touching words back to the seller. Needless to say, Janson repurchased the cabin in spring 2017 for a price near what he had originally paid for it.
"It was the great energy of the situation," the singer says. "I think (the owner) liked the story. To say it was to the penny would be a lie, but it was certainly right around there. The point is, we were able to do it comfortably and feel good about doing it. Had it been double the price of what I sold it for, we probably would’ve thought twice about it, but it was so sentimental to us. I don’t even know the seller … All I know is the realtor, and they were so courteous and gracious. I think they appreciated the story as much as we did."
Janson has already been inspired by his new-old digs, as his forthcoming song "Out There,” featured on his new album in late summer/early fall, was sparked by a top-down Jeep ride with his family on the reacquired land.
The first half of Janson’s album, a five-song EP titled Fix a Drink, named after the Janson-Ashley Gorley penned single, will be released on June 9.
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