Rascal Flatts’ 2012 CD, Changed. Photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Rascal Flatts will release their seventh studio album, Changed, on April 3. Produced by Dann Huff, Changed follows the band’s first Big Machine Records album, Nothing Like This, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Rascal Flatts is one of only four country acts to debut six consecutive studio albums at No. 1.

Since Rascal Flatts made their debut in 2000, they have sold over 21 million albums, 25 million digital downloads and recorded 13 No. 1 singles. They are also the most awarded country group of the past decade, earning over 40 trophies from the CMAs, ACMs, ACAs and more.

Watch Rascal Flatts’ “Easy” video! >>

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Rascal Flatts and label president Scott Borchetta celebrate the Flatts' 13th No. 1, "I Won't Let Go," and their platinum-selling CD, Nothing Like This. Photo courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

Rascal Flatts celebrated their No. 1 single “I Won’t Let Go” in Nashville on Wednesday with a party hosted by Big Machine Records and ASCAP. While celebrating the song’s success with family and friends and the track’s writers, Jason Sellers and Steve Robson, the trio was surprised with the news that their first album for Big Machine Records, Nothing Like This, has sold more than one million copies.

“With God’s help we have been able to bring together a wonderful group of people to surround and reinvigorate our career,” Jay DeMarcus said. “We are living a dream come true.”

“Working with Gary, Joe Don and Jay over the last year has been an absolute blast and I look forward to making a lot more great Rascal Flatts music with them,” Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta said. “They are Continue Reading

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Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Big Machine Records. Photo credit Chapman Baehler.

A dismal, sluggish economy was central to every part of American life in 2010, and it certainly had an effect on Music Row. Nowhere was it more obvious than when Disney shut down the Lyric Street Records office in April, creating turmoil in the lives of several artists, including Rascal Flatts.

The Lyric Street closing and all that it represented is the No. 12 story among country music’s one dozen most important stories of the year.

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Jay DeMarcus holds his very own copy of Rascal Flatts' new CD, Nothing Like This. Photo courtesy of twitter.com/JayDeMarcus.

With the impending birth of a baby girl in January, bass player Jay DeMarcus will become the final member of Rascal Flatts to join the ranks of fatherhood.

Every member of the band is a bit of a clown — Jay jokes as much as any of the guys — but he’s quite serious about being a dad to Madeline Leigh DeMarcus. Jay and his wife, Allison, have been working on the nursery, and he’s been preparing to become the best father he can be.

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Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Big Machine Records. Photo credit Chapman Baehler.

The best selling country group of the decade, Rascal Flatts, continues their run as their first album on Big Machine Records, Nothing Like This, debuts at #1 today with nearly 165,000 units.  With this #1 album debut, Rascal Flatts has the distinction of being one of only 4 acts to have 6 consecutive studio albums debut in the top spot on the Country Albums chart this decade.  Nothing Like This also debuts at #6 on the Top 200 chart and has earned nearly 280,000 digital tracks sold to date.

The guys launched the record with numerous television, radio and online appearances including GAC’s latest edition of  Backstory: Rascal Flatts. Continue Reading

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Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Big Machine Records. Photo credit Chapman Baehler.

With 10 years in the country music business under their belts, Rascal Flatts is ready to kick off decade number two in a big way!   Their latest album, Nothing Like This hits stores today featuring 11 brand new tracks including their current hit single “Why Wait.” The album caps off a crazy year that saw the band making a move to Big Machine Records after their longtime label, Lyric Street Records, shut down. They didn’t miss a beat.  Gary, Jay and Joe Don hooked up with producer Dan Huff and headed out of town to record Nothing Like This in Santa Barbara, CA.  But you don’t want to hear me talk about their new music, much better to hear it straight from the band.  Watch the clip below as the guys give you a fun track by track tour through Nothing Like This then listen to all the songs for yourself.

TRACK 1: “Why Wait” -  written by Tom Shapiro, Neil Thrasher and Jimmy Yeary

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TRACK 2: “Easy” (f/ Natasha Bedingfiled) - written by Katrina Elam, Mike Mobley 

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Rascal Flatts at a press conference on July 29, 2010, announcing their signing to Big Machine Records.

It’s a monumental day for Rascal Flatts as the band releases a new album, its first after a 10-year history with Disney’s Lyric Street Records fell by the wayside.

The trio — Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney — debuted with “Prayin’ For Daylight” in 2000 and quickly became one of country music’s biggest acts, winning the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year honor six times in succession. Lyric Street folded this spring, and Rascal Flatts found itself recording an album without knowing who would put it out for them.

The guys had started the album in Santa Barbara, of all places, and it originally appeared that the project would get shifted to another Disney-owned label. Instead, Flatts was scooped up by Big Machine Records, an aggressive Nashville label that already had Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire and The Band Perry in its fold — and just last week announced the signing of Martina McBride.

The album Flatts was working on, Nothing Like This, is finally out today.

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Rascal Flatts photo courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney are, to put it simply, one of the biggest groups in country music history.

The trio won six straight Vocal Group of the Year awards from the Country Music Association despite barbs from critics, and GAC goes behind the scenes with the band in Backstory: Rascal Flatts.

Lots of people arrive in Nashville every day hoping to become country stars, but few actually make it through the system. Jay and Gary were playing regularly at a club in Printer’s Alley, and when they needed a guitar player one night, Joe Don filled in temporarily. But their three-part harmony was so great, temporary became permanent.

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Rascal Flatts took a trip to Las Vegas in their new video for "Why Wait."

Rascal Flatts has just released their brand new video for “Why Wait,” the first single from their upcoming album Nothing Like This, set for release on Nov. 16.  This hilarious new video is clearly inspired by the film “The Hangover” and features some great cameo appearances by a collection of Las Vegas entertainment icons.  Keep your eye out and see if you can spot Penn & Teller, Wayne Newton, Ron White, and Carrot Top in the clip.   Rascal Flatts also enlisted the help of movie actor David Arquette to play the lead roll in the video.

To see Gary, Jay and Joe Don on their wild Las Vegas adventure, click here and watch “Why Wait” now »

Leave me a comment and let me know if I missed any other cameos in the clip and I’d love to hear what you think about video…

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Little Big Town photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

To purposely misquote a Paul McCartney classic, bands are on the run in country music — straight to the top of the charts.

Little Big Town’s new album The Reason Why, bolts out of the chute to No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Country Albums chart, and it’s followed by the Randy Rogers Band’s Burning The Day, checking in at No. 2. In fact, groups occupy four of the Top 5 slots on the chart. Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now checks in at No. 4, and the the Zac Brown Band hanging in at No. 5 with the double-platinum project The Foundation. The only thing blocking bands from a Top 5 sweep is the Trace Adkins album Cowboy’s Back In Town.

Most fans probably don’t think much about it, but being in a band is completely different from working as a solo artist. There are more expenses, more opinions and more egos involved, so decisions require more communication and more time. As a reward for all that extra work, there’s less potential income — the band members have to split up the proceeds in the end.

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