Chase Bryant believes in second chances and a little divine intervention. The country singer stared down a world without him in it and the loaded end of a .357 revolver. Bryant almost lost his battle with depression that day at a gas station parking lot in May 2018. With his new album, Upbringing, Bryant reflects back on those dark days and the joys of being alive. The artist bears his soul, offering an honest expression of a man who is a little battered but faced his demons. “I feel like this was kind of my autobiography. What was growing up? Who is Chase Bryant? What got him here?” Bryant tells Outsider in an exclusive interview. Songs like “Upbringing” and “Think About That” take listeners back to Bryant’s roots. A little like John Mellencamp, they take a look at small-town living, loving, and heartbreak. But part of that process is confronting that moment in the parking lot. “High, Drunk, and Heartbroke” is both an ode to greats like Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard and a reflection of himself. Chase Bryant had been one of country music’s rising stars. At 21, he had two Top 10 singles, “Take It On Back” and “Little Bit of You,” in 2015. He also toured with artists like Brad Paisley and Tim McGraw. But he increasingly felt like an impostor playing pretend at being a country singer.