Eric Church on New JYPSI Whiskey Release, Upcoming Nashville Residency: 'It's been important for us to be creative'

CMA Entertainer of the Year winner, 10-time Grammy nominee and whiskey aficionado Eric Church has grown his diverse business empire to include co-owner of the Field & stream brand, launching his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio', opening the line of drinks JYPSI whiskey and the upcoming six-story Chief space in downtown Nashville. Infusing his personal brand into every part of these ventures was just as crucial as his music.

For some artists, putting out a whiskey can involve little more than slapping their name on a bottle – but Church was never most artists. His name does not appear on a bottle of JYPSI whiskey, yet he has been closely involved in creating its feel and taste.

“It's not a celebrity whiskey,” Church says of Whiskey JYPSI at Advertising sign via email. “I'm a connoisseur of whiskey and bourbon. It's what I enjoy. I have all my life and Whiskey JYPSI was made to produce a unique and high quality product. It's a true collaboration and I happen to be creative and that's how I contribute the most.”

In 2020, Church joined forces with Raj Alva to launch Outsiders Spirits, an incubator for whiskey creativity. On April 2nd, the new JYPSI Explorer Series Whiskey is released, with the first release in the series boasting a blend of two six-year-old bourbons: a low-rye distilled from Kentucky, as well as a high-rye from Indiana. The new offering follows the inaugural Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001, which was released in 2023.

“We created this – Raj, Ari and I – it was important for us to be creative. to be creative not only at the beginning, but throughout the process,” says Church. “We can search the world and find unique ingredients – like our original version of the Explorer is finished with wood from the Appalachian Forrest in North Carolina, where I'm from, and the Legacy 001 had Canadian Rye that was very unique to its location . By finding unique ingredients and making smaller batches, you can serve the product and get super creative with flavors. This is what makes Whiskey JYPSI different as a brand.”

Church's imprint is also on every inch of his soon-to-be leader. The 20,000-square-foot facility at 200 Broadway in downtown Nashville celebrates its grand opening on April 5 and features not only Rodney Scott's Whole Hog rooftop barbecue, but also a two-story live music venue with a capacity of about 350 people called The Neon Belfry.

Neon Steeple is set to feature upcoming performances not only from 'The Chief' himself, but Ray Wylie Hubbard, songwriter Casey Beathard, Jim Lauderdale, Sunny Sweeney, Suzy Bogguss and Radney Foster. Church was very hands-on in selecting the artists for the venue, with some artists in the initial batch of artists having ties to Church's own music. In 2019, Church's music video for “Desperate Man” featured the song's co-writer Wylie Hubbard. Beathard has co-written many of Church's hits, including “The Outsiders” and “Homeboy.”

“I have a vision for it – there's a troubadour element, there's a songwriter element, and that will evolve over time like anything else, but that was the fabric of how we want to act in the first year,” says Church . “I'm excited to perform and we'll have other artists that people will recognize. For many artists, it will be a backdrop and for others it will be a perfect place to play Nashville.”

Also beginning April 5, Church will embark on a 19-show “To Beat the Devil” run at Chief's — one that promises a wellspring of creativity and intimacy with his fervent fans.

“I very rarely walk out with a guitar in a lounge space,” says Church, who notes that attendees are likely to see some surprise guests pop up at various shows during the residency. “It's very rare to go out and have a conversation like this. It allows me to turn the show into a full piece of music and not just play songs. He had been arrested that way. I've sketched out most of it and I can't wait to do it.”

In August 2023, Church performed two nights as part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's artist-in-residence program, offering a two-hour, 19-song set that included both Church's radio hits and rarely heard live performances. traditions. The setting was somewhat of a precursor to the unique musical evenings he has planned for the Chief's residence.

“It's going to be very unique, new music that's going to be about different times in my career. things that I wrote and maybe didn't make an album or a story that nobody's ever heard,” says Church. “That's part of the reason we're going to limit cell phone use. Only then can people truly be in the moment and experience the moment. However, as a parent, I understand the challenges of people being away from their cell phone, so we will be using Yondr [a pouch system that allows concertgoers to lock away their phones], which allows you to access your phone on the go if you need it – which is important to me. But there will be no recording. What's going on there is for the people who fought so hard to get tickets and can talk about it,” says Church.

“It will be a completely unique show and one of the most challenging and special of my career.”