Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Big Machine Records. Photo credit Chapman Baehler.
Years from now when Rascal Flatts looks back on 2011, they’ll see it as a year of changes and big accomplishments. From recording songs with pop stars to becoming members of the Grand Ole Opry, the trio will have fond memories of the year.
“We started off the year with our own network special, which was thrilling, and there are very few acts that can say they’ve had their own television network special,” Jay DeMarcus said. “We had a video with Justin Bieber, a song, a duet with him. So a lot of things that were milestones in our career – members of the Grand Ole Opry and other things that affected us professionally, too.”
The year held a lot of highs, but also had some emotional lows. Overall though, the band isn’t complaining. “It’ll be one of my favorite years to look back and remember because so many of the goals that we had set for ourselves years ago had finally come true,” Jay said.
2012 is shaping up to be another year to remember. The band kicks off their Thaw Out 2012 Tour in January, plans to release a new album later this year, and will announce plans for a summer tour in the coming months.
This year was a big one for Brantley Gilbert as well. He spent more time on the road than a lot of artists, sometimes playing 4 or 5 shows a week. He knows pounding the pavement is a part of building his career and he’s seeing it pay off in the form of fan response. “Feedback’s always been pretty positive,” Brantley said.
The difference now is that it’s Brantley’s own music people are loving. “People responded real well to cover songs,” he said. “Now they’re responding well to originals, so that’s pretty awesome for us.” Brantley will join Eric Church on his The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour in January.
For Eli Young Band, 2011 has contained a lot of special moments, including getting their first No. 1 with “Crazy Girl.” The band also had some pretty big gigs that will help make 2011 a year they won’t forget.
“One of the coolest experiences for all of us onstage is doing the Houston Rodeo for sixty thousand people,” Jon Jones said. “It’s an incredibly tough figure to wrap your head around, how many people that really is, there to see you… and just the energy of that stage and the four of us. That was such a big milestone for us.”
For Mike Eli, playing the Grand Ole Opry for the first time goes down as a major milestone in 2011. “We played three songs and I think we started that first note then all of a sudden, it was over,” he said. “And that was an incredible feeling to play that stage for the first time.”
The band will release their latest single, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” to radio on January 23.
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