Big Machine Label GroupThe sound of country radio has changed dramatically in the past few years, and Rascal Flatts paid close attention to those new sounds while making their new album, Rewind.
Band member Jay DeMarcus tells ABC News Radio, “I think it really shows that we’re evolving musically and pushing the envelope musically. Because you can’t be complacent. If you don’t change with the trends and the times, you’re gonna get left behind.”
In an effort to get out of their comfort zone, the Flatts relocated to Los Angeles for a while to work with rock producer Howard Benson, who has also worked with Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry among many others.
“The L.A. rock producer cat, it’s a little bit different than what we were used to,” says lead singer Gary LeVox. “He used some different tones on my vocals, which I thought were cool and different.”
To finish up the album, Rascal Flatts decided to produce themselves for the first time on a regular studio project. Before Rewind, they’d had someone else in the studio guiding them during the recording sessions.
Jay says, “This was a chance for us to experiment musically and kinda find ourselves. It was a little bit scary because when it’s just the three of us and there’s no outside opinion, there’s a lot at risk here. A lot at stake.”
It looks like that risk paid off since the hit title track from Rewind came from those self-produced sessions.
“It was really some of my most favorite musical memories in this band in recent years, was sitting around just the three of us working on tunes together,” Jay says.
The guys are playing a private show for Citi card holders Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Attendees will be treated to a glasses of wine paired with each song from Rewind. So, which wine do the guys think of when they hear “Rewind”?
Gary says, “That’d be Boone’s Farm.” Guitarist Joe Don Rooney chimes in, “Some kind of really good boxed wine.”
Rascal Flatts will promote Rewind with a profile on NBC Nightly News Tuesday as well as a performance on NBC’s The Voice Tuesday night at 8 ET. Look for them on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday. They’ll perform on NBC’s Today Summer Concert Series on May 30.
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