Rascal Flatts: Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney have kicked off 2010 with a bang as they celebrate 10 years of making great music together, becoming one of the hottest touring acts and the top country group of the new millenium. The band now releases their 7th studio album, NOTHING LIKE THIS. The debut single from the album "Why Wait" is already Top 15 on the country charts and continues to gain significant audience each week.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
In just ten years, Rascal Flatts has become one of the most honored acts in country music history, reaching heights and achieving milestones reserved for the genre's elite.
They have set more venue attendance records than any country act en route to ticket sales of six million and counting. They have sold 20 million albums and earned 11 #1 singles. All six of their albums are platinum or multi-platinum and every one is among Billboard's Top 100 Albums of the Decade. They have won more than three dozen awards from the ACM, CMA, AMA and People's Choice, among others, and they have received that ultimate honor for those who have impacted the culture--a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
"We have had an unreal ten years," says lead singer Gary Levox with an appreciative smile. "We've done things we couldn't have been able to dream."
Their place in country music history may be assured, but Gary, Jay and Joe Don retain a newcomer's passion about capturing magic with each new project. Now, with the release of their latest, Nothing LIke This, they have done it once again, taking their career and their legacy another long step forward.
The album is a microcosm of all the things the band does well--Jay calls it "Rascal Flatts in a nutshell"--which is to say it touches on many of the best aspects of 21st-century country music. It is first and foremost uplifting, with songs like "Why Wait" and "Play" kicking off the proceedings with the call to enjoy life no matter what our circumstances. It features both the throwback groove of "They Try" and the fresh sparkle of "All Night To Get There." "Summer Young" is an uptempo celebration of the season of warmth and romance and "I Won't Let Go" is "You've Got A Friend" for the new millennium, a song steeped in the strength of love and friendship in times of trouble. The title cut finds a way to bring freshness to the subject of love and sees Gary bringing a disarming desperation to his vocal.
"One of the more special songs on this album for me is 'I Won't Let Go,'" says Joe Don. "Being a parent now and listening to that song really hits home and truly hits me in the heart."
"It's always been about the songs first," says Jay, "and boy did we get our hands on some gems!!
"We think we've got a good balance," says Joe Don, "between the really deep, sweet, meaningful ballads and the 'right at ya' uptempos that keep the party going."
"I think there's something for everybody on this project," adds Gary, "and it's a full-length example of what makes us who we are."
"Overall," says Jay, "this is an album about fun, growth and change."
"We knew right away we had something special," says Jay, "even if we were the only ones who ever got to hear it!"
Committed to giving back, they are known for their charitable work, which includes raising three million dollars for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
"That," says Jay, "is definitely the thing I'm most proud of."
"As a kid," says Gary, "you stand in front of your mirror and only dream about being able to sell out arenas and stadiums. And to be able to play a place like Wrigley Field and sell it out, you can't even dream that big. The feeling is awesome."
"Without a doubt we've been blessed to have received our fair share of awards and recognitions in this business," adds Joe Don. "But above all, getting to make music that matters, that affects people emotionally and spiritually, is the greatest thing we could ever accomplish."
Never content to rest on their laurels, they are eagerly looking forward.
"The goal," adds Gary," is to continue to make amazing music together for at least the next ten years, because we honestly feel like we're just getting started."
"And as long as we stay true to the music and each other," adds Jay, "everything else will fall into place."