Nobody would argue that the guys in Rascal Flatts are incredibly talented, but Jay DeMarcus admits that sometimes he feels like they don’t get credit for their musicianship and musicality because they are in a group.  For instance, when it comes to listing some of the most talented guitar players in Nashville, Jay says, “I sit beside one of, what I consider to be, the best guitar players in town (Joe Don Rooney),and I don’t think he gets enough credit for that. I think because we’re in a band it gets overlooked sometimes.”

Before they were a group, Jay, Joe Don and Gary worked hard on their individual craft.  Jay says, “I spent hundreds of hours locked away in my room to play bass and keyboards and all these other things. And so it’s something we care very, very much about. Gary’s vocal is always going to be front and center but I don’t think people realize how involved over the years in the music that we’ve actually been.”

Jay admits that with all the modern bells and whistles and tracks and beats that are available in the studio, Rascal Flatts has chased some of those trends a few times, but he says, “I think that we can rest now in being what we are. Rascal Flatts is always gonna be a vocal band. You’re always going to know that it’s Gary’s voice when it comes on the radio and that’s what people expect to hear from us,” and he hopes people will recognize how passionate and how dedicated they are to delivering the best, not only with their songs, but also with their playing and their singing.

You can definitely hear the classic harmonies and musicianship of Rascal Flatts in their latest song, “Back to Life,” which is currently climbing the charts.

Rascal Flatts – singing and musicianship  :58

Jay DeMarcus – “I’ve been frustrated over the years that the musicality of what we do, and the musicianship of what we’re about, has been overlooked sometimes. I sit beside one of, what I consider to be, the best guitar players in town and I don’t think he gets enough credit for that. I think because we’re in a band it gets overlooked sometimes and we started out as players first when we were kids. I spent hundreds of hours locked away in my room to play bass and keyboards and all these other things. And so it’s something we care very, very much about. Gary’s vocal is always going to be front and center but I don’t think people realize how involved over the years in the music that we’ve actually been. I feel like maybe a couple of times in the past we’ve tried to go after something that was hot at the moment and try to be cool in the moment, but I think that we can rest now in being what we are. Rascal Flatts is always gonna be a vocal band. You’re always going to know that it’s Gary’s voice when it comes on the radio and that’s what people expect to hear from us.”

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