Not Old Enough

It's never too late for anything: In his late 60s, folk singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Wenner releases what many will call his masterpiece. Dropping on January 24, 2025, Not Old Enough channels the energy of Laurel Canyon and reflects a life blessed with rich experiences. For Wenner, this third album is the realization of a lifelong dream. And we’d do well to listen. 

Let’s step away, just for a moment, from the rules of the music industry — the obsession with follower counts, TikTok fame, youth, style, and trends. What if, for once, we focused on what truly matters: the music? 

It’s a crazy thought, I know. We’re not here to pit age against youth or stir up any such debates; others can do that. But sometimes it’s worth shifting our focus, because when you do, you see things more clearly. Here’s the truth: The best stories come from people who have lived through them. 

Songwriter, singer, and guitarist Chris Wenner has lived many stories. You can hear that in Not Old Enough, his third studio album. You can hear it in the lyrics, in the way he sings and plays. Wenner has something to say, but he doesn't shout. Instead, he delivers these warm, expansive tracks with the tenderness, emotion, and intensity of someone who no longer has anything to prove—either to himself or anyone else. 

At 68, Wenner might remind you of a German Sixto Rodriguez, but without the tragic backstory. Unlike Rodriguez, Wenner isn’t being rediscovered late in life—he’s being discovered now. He’s been writing songs since the early ’70s, and his unique voice pulls you in, offering warmth, comfort, and companionship. 

Music has been in Wenner's blood from the start. As a teenager, he saw amongst others Alexis Korner and Jethro Tull in concert and, in 1974 at just 18, attended the final European show by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (with Joni Mitchell and The Band) at Wembley Stadium in London. At the age of 15, Wenner borrowed a guitar from a neighbor, and he was hooked. Mostly self-taught, he did take a few lessons early on—from none other than Uli Jon Roth, the guitarist for the Scorpions, who was a fellow student at the time. 

Wenner's heart has always been with the folk music of Laurel Canyon and classic American styles—the kind we now call "singer-songwriter." Before even graduating high school, he formed a band with a friend of American-Mexican descent. They wrote songs and played shows, but life intervened. His friend returned to the U.S., and Wenner started studying law. 

“Music was the only thing that really mattered to me. When I graduated, I had no idea what to do next,” Wenner recalls. “But after my oral exam, my professor asked me if I wanted to work for him.” 

He spent three years working at the Faculty of Law at the University of Bonn while continuing to make music on the side. During that time, he also worked on productions with a producer from Cologne, though none of his music was ever officially released. "There was a kind of music mafia in Cologne back then," he recalls. "Everything had to go through this guy named Ferdy. If you wanted to book musicians for a recording, you had to go through him, or you’d run into problems." 

And so begins Wenner’s second story: He became a lawyer. “It wasn’t planned,” he admits. “I wanted to be a judge, but I got an offer from a law firm to work in the field of Conflict of Law, which was my preferred subject.” 

Wenner spent years as a commercial lawyer and eventually co-founded GÖRG Rechtsanwaelte, one of Germany’s largest law firms. He built a career, started a family, had three daughters, and is now a grandfather of two. But throughout it all, he never stopped writing songs. “It’s tied to how I’m feeling,” Wenner explains. “When I’m going through something, I write a song.” 

For decades, music remained a hobby, albeit a deeply important one. It wasn’t until the final years of his career that Wenner took his music more seriously, teaming up with producer Matthias Krauß to record an album. He retired at 64, and shortly after, released his debut A New Born Man on the label of former Herbert Grönemeyer drummer Detlef Kessler. The title couldn’t have been more fitting. Two years later, in 2022, Wenner released Maywind, an album that earned international attention. His music made its way onto numerous radio playlists, and his song “Sunchild” alone racked up nearly 3 million streams. 

Fast forward to today, and Wenner has yet another story to tell. While searching for recording gear for his home studio, he came across a preamp for sale on eBay. After messaging the seller, the man showed up at Wenner’s door in Bonn. That man was none other than producer Philipp Hoppen, aka Philsen, known for his work with Die Ärzte, Kraftklub, and Feine Sahne Fischfilet. Despite their seemingly different backgrounds, the two became fast friends and decided to work together on Wenner’s next album. 

Over the course of nearly three years, between Bonn and Berlin, Wenner’s latest work, Not Old Enough, came to life. The album is rich, nostalgic, and beautiful, evoking the sounds of late-career Paul McCartney, Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor, and Fleetwood Mac. With 14 tracks, the music blends soft rock, folk, and the spirit of Laurel Canyon. Philsen’s arrangements are transparent and brimming with analog warmth. 

The harmonies are perfectly placed, delicately surrounding Wenner’s vocals. His fingerpicking, reminiscent of the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” conveys a quiet serenity. In fact, there’s nothing cold or clinical about Wenner’s music— it radiates warmth and sincerity. 

Wenner wrote these songs on guitar or piano. Some are decades old, while others came to life during production, but they all fit together seamlessly. “I have fragments that have been sitting around for 30 years,” says Wenner. “Sometimes, out of the blue, the final piece falls into place, but I’m sure some never will.” 

Take “May You Always Shine,” for example. The sun-soaked, reflective piano piece started many years ago when Wenner saw a sign in San Juan Capistrano, California, that read: “Shine your light.” The phrase stayed with him, eventually becoming a song about the end of his marriage and the impact on his family. It’s both a love song and a farewell: “May you keep your smile, stay a long long while, may you always shine,” Wenner sings in a chorus full of warmth and understanding. 

In the title track, "Not Old Enough," Wenner evokes shades of early '70s Neil Young, reflecting to a steady beat: “All the things that we have had, all the things we have not said, are in a cloud above my head / I'm not old enough, I'm not old enough for love.” 

“Something Going On” is a sensitive portrayal of an elderly man losing touch with the world around him. “Sands of Time” channels Steely Dan with its smooth, assured sound. And “Too Many People,” written during a walk through a crowded city center, becomes a meditation on environmental destruction and overpopulation. The album both opens and closes with the song "Too Bad." The lead-off version feels like a strong call to honor one's own abilities and respect personal boundaries: “If the closer you get the more your heart bleeds / It´s something that nobody really needs / So sad, too bad”. By contrast, the album closes with a piano ballad version of the same song, this time radiating a quiet, poignant sadness: “You took my focus and stole my heart / .. Too bad, you´re bad for me”. 

One of the most moving tracks is “Skin on Skin,” a solemn, minor-key piano ballad that captures the intimate energy between two people in love. “We find our souls echoing, I can feel the way you're feeling,” Wenner sings, his voice tender and embracing, inviting you to get lost in its harmonies. 

The spirit of American folk-rock, especially from the West Coast, shines through on songs like “Mexicali,” which transports you to the sun-drenched landscapes of California. His “Mexicali bro from Northern Mexico” is none other than the American-Mexican friend who first got him into music more than 50 years ago. 

The circle has come full. The songs from back then still resonate today, and Wenner’s dream has finally come true. It’s never too late for anything—Chris Wenner is still Not Old Enough.