Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts Talks About New CD: “We Needed To Change Things”

It's hard to believe that a band that had seven straight chart-topping albums would say they needed to shake things up for their next trip into the recording studio. But that's exactly what Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus says had to happen. By the way, it worked.

DeMarcus tells Verb Magazine that expanding their musical horizons was a goal as Flatts went in to record 'Rewind', which turned out to be their eighth #1 country album in a row. Jay says:

"We needed to change things. We needed to shake it up a little bit, use some different producers, try to cut some things we may not have cut a few years ago. Country music, over the past few years, has changed so much. We found ourselves in that critical place going, we need to either change with it and evolve and continue to grow — or we’re going to get left behind."

Maybe that has been the secret to the band's success all along, not wanting to be left behind in an industry that constantly evolves. That, coupled with having material that will stand the test of time, is what DeMarcus directly affected the final product for the new album. He says:

“We’ve been able to get our hands on songs that have absolutely been timeless and resonate with people. I say this all the time, but it’s been such a privilege to literally be part of the soundtrack of people’s lives. People have gotten married to ‘Broken Road.’ People have gotten through bitter divorces with ‘I’m Movin’ On.’ People have graduated to ‘My Wish.’ Families have taken roads trips while screaming ‘Life Is A Highway’ at the tops of their lungs. I think we found those songs, and cut those kinds of songs, that resonate with people and hit them right where they live.”

Whether 'Rewind' becomes "timeless" has yet to be seen, but DeMarcus feels that the new RF album definitely proves that his band is still relevant in country music. He stated:

“I think you get to a certain point in your career, and you’ve been around long enough, that people start to not purposefully but subconsciously write you off. But we feel like there’s another chapter left to be written. And we’re so excited to keep turning the pages, because we feel like some of the best moments musically and creatively and collectively are yet to come from us.”

Rascal Flatts still have droves of fans, and you can expect their 2014 'Rewind' tour will be among the most well-attended country tours of the year. And don't miss your chance to win a trip to see DeMarcus and his bandmates in Tampa! There's still time to sign up for a once-in-a-lifetime VIP getaway to check out the country stars.