When you’ve been around as long as Rascal Flatts has – 17 years and counting – it’s inevitable that at some point the artists they invite to open for them on their tours, like Kelsea Ballerini, are fans of theirs who grew up listening to their music. Gary LeVox says, “It’s nice to be, or your music be relevant and viable for so long. Because she’s not the first person that’s been like, ‘you’re the first concerts I ever went to.’ And then Hunter Hayes is one of them, you know Hunter he came to one of our meet greets one time next thing you know he was opening for us, so, it’s just awesome.”
The guys joke that sometimes it can be a bit of an ego check when younger acts say they grew up listening to Rascal Flatts, or that they were nine or ten or 12 when they saw them in concert. But ultimately, Jay says, “It’s really flattering to hear that you’ve influenced somebody in some small way. Lord knows we had our heroes coming up and it’s so great to be able to meet them and be friends now and I’m sure that they feel a lot of the same way. It’s so cool to meet the people that you idolize and have their phone number and text them and be friends with them. I mean it really is.”
More than anything, Rascal Flatts is thrilled to still be making music that is viable and relevant and loved by the fans, like their latest single, “Yours If You Want It,” which will be on their new album, Back to Us, coming out on May 19th.
Rascal Flatts – fans opening for you :42
Gary – “It’s great it’s nice to be, or your music be relevant and viable for so long. Because she’s not the first person that’s been like, ‘you’re the first concerts I ever went to.’ And then Hunter Hayes is one of them, you know Hunter he came to one of our meet greets one time next thing you know he was opening for us, so, it’s just awesome.”
Joe Don – “He was nine, by the way. It was amazing.”
Jay – “Shay Mooney said he saw what he was like 14. And Gary went, pffft!”
Gary – “We’re not writing together anymore, but…”
Joe Don – “You guys broke up?”
Gary – “Yeah we broke up.”
Jay – “It’s really flattering to hear that you’ve influenced somebody in some small way. Lord knows we had our heroes coming up and it’s so great to be able to meet them and be friends now and I’m sure that they feel a lot of the same way. It’s so cool to meet the people that you idolize and have their phone number and text them and be friends with them. I mean it really is.”