No new name to the country scene, Rascal Flatts have released six studio albums where 10 of their singles have hit No. 1. Not to mention, their fan base spans worldwide. With a summer U.S. tour in the works and new album, Unstoppable, climbing the charts, the trio had much to say in the CMA press conference. Whether it was joking about Cascada's remake of their hit, "What Hurts the Most," or talking about their current tour, one thing is certain: Rascal Flatts is one class act that's not going anywhere.
It's a wonderful opportunity. This is the only thing this town does where you can get as many country music fans in one place at once. And it's really great for us too because we get to see a lot of the artists that we're friends with that we don't get to see all year long because we're all busy and we're all on the road. It's a chance to reconnect with some of our friends in the business as well.
The best part is being able to see so many fans at one time. It's just a wonderful event. I think we're probably the only genre that does this kind of event where artists are so accessible to the fans. We're very proud to be a part of that.
Jay DeMarcus: That's what I'm most proud about too: that we're the only genre that gets to do it. Even people in other genres, when you go to the Grammy's and AMA's and that kind of stuff, like Snoop, or someone will go, "I think that's the coolest thing, having all your fans there. Ya'll crazy, but man that's cool." We're really proud to do that.
Did you hear the dance version of "What Hurts the Most?"
Yeah, that's the thing that hurt us the most. [Laughs]. [In London] they thought that we were doing the remake. They're like, "You're doing Cascada's song." We're like, "No, no. That was our song first."
Jay DeMarcus: Every time we did an interview over there they were like, "Why did you remake Cascada's song?" And we were like, "Nah-uh. You got that backwards there, pal."
You just launched the American Living tour and have a few stadium dates including Wrigley Field.
Joe Don Rooney: Chicago is going to be fabulous. Brian O'Connell with Live Nation brought that to the table a few months back and asked us if we'd be interested in doing Wrigley Field. I think we said, "Are you crazy?" It's going to be awesome to go back and play. We've got Darius Rucker with us and Vince Gill is going to come out with us. I don't know how we talked him into it, but he's going to come out with us, which is great.
Gary LeVox: It's really cool to be able to do Wrigley because we're the third act ever to do Wrigley [besides] I think Elton John and U2 maybe.
Joe Don Rooney: I do think Jimmy Buffett was one of the two. It's going to be crazy with all this history with Wrigley Field, which never had to do with music, but we're taking music to Wrigley Field, which is really special. It's going to be a great night.
Your fans voted for you in two categories for the CMT Music Awards.
Gary LeVox:
Fan-voted award shows are our favorite. I wish all of them would be fan voted. When we go into the studio to make an album, to make music, to go tour, they're our employers. That's who we make the music for. It's great they have a voice in it and we're honored every time that we're up for a fan-voted, fan-nominated award show. They're the reason we make music.
From the start, your career has gotten bigger every year. How big can it be? What's the ultimate show for you to put on?
Jay DeMarcus:
I think we're going to get so big we're going to explode one of these days and have to go right back down to an acoustic. I don't know. It presents its challenges year after year to try and top what you've done and try to be bigger and better than what we were the year before. Actually, what we did this year, is we scaled back a bit. We made it more about the music.
The set's a little more simple and sleek. It's still a great show with a lot of interactive video and lights. But, we made this show and this tour in particular, more about the music and we've tried to cram as much music into 90 minutes as we possibly can. People are going to be very disappointed that I don't get to do a standup routine this year. We're really packing a lot of music in and I'm proud of that. We've taken a step back from the big, bombastic sets we've done in the past.
Does that feel more comfortable?
Jay DeMarcus:
It's a change. The last couple tours we've done have been huge and the sets have been gigantic. You get to rely on those things; those technologies and the things that make your show spectacular. Now, the entertainment value is squarely on our shoulders and we're proud of that. It's something that we look forward to. It's an interesting challenge to be responsible for all the entertainment.
You're known for putting together a well-constructed show for your fans. What's the difference playing a shorter show at a festival like this? Do you work on your set list a different way?
Jay DeMarcus:
It's a different stage experience for us because we feel like we're just getting started by the time it's over. We definitely like to take our crowds on a journey and there is very little time to do that within 25 to 30 minutes. We try to pick some songs, obviously do some of the big ones that people want to hear and do our current singles, which we're so thankful for. It's difficult to do all the things that you like to do as an artist within a limited amount of time.
Joe Don Rooney: And we're outside. It's the biggest party in Nashville for country music so you don't want to get up there and do a whole bunch of ballads.
Jay DeMarcus: Which is tough for us because that's all we sing. [Laughs]
For more on Rascal Flatts, give their MySpace a listen and if you like what you hear, catch them currently on tour.
Annie Reuter is a freelance writer and music blogger who covers concerts and music festivals around the country. In constant pursuit of the next show to attend and band to interview, Annie keeps up her own music blog, You Sing, I Write, where you can read more on the latest up-and-coming bands.
ON THE RISE
Sienna-Rose Jerak has a voice well beyond her years, and is a name in the pop music industry you’ll want to watch out for.
The 14-year-old singer from Australia released a pair of singles called “You Got Me” and “To Fly,” which showcases her vast range and ability to fill the air with her powerful vocals.
“You Got Me” is a love song about liking someone so much, and not being sure if they like you back. She said it can be super confusing and drive you crazy with the hot and cold, and Jerak brings this out in the music.
“You feel like you’re wrapped up in their games and you don’t know how to get out,” Jerak said. “And you keep going back to them. It’s basically about not having that experience or insight to work out if you like them as much as they like you.”
In the song, “You Got Me,” Jerak said she feels lucky because the way the vocals were recorded gives a “very live feel.” She works with a song writing and production team that includes Grammy winners Jordan Omley and Michael Man, who have been mentors to her in the process.
“They’ve really inspired me to be my best self,” Jerak said. “They are really kind, so it’s great to work in that kind of environment.”
Jerak is a fan of music that came out even before she was born, saying that she listens to the likes of Brandy, Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson and Monica. This inspiration bleeds into “You Got Me,” as well.
“I love old ‘90s music,” she said. “It’s got a lot of soul to it compared to music now. I take from a lot of life experiences, as well, when I sing. I try to make my music relatable.”
While “You Got Me” shows off her skills as an Pop/R&B singer, “To Fly” is much more of a ballad. Releasing both ends of the spectrum was intentional, as listeners will be able to get some variety of where her talents lie.
“In a pop song, they can’t really hear too much of the runs,” she said. “For a ballad you can be free and express yourself.”
Jerak has been involved in acting, singing and dancing since she was six-years-old. She attended performing arts school three times a week, where she would work on musical theater, jazz singing and more.
From 2022 to 2024 she trained at Margie Haber Studio in Los Angeles, and has since been cast as a lead in TVCs for “Earth Choice” and “IGA Ritchie’s.” She has also played the role of Sophie in the Paul Hogan film, “The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee.”
Now Jerak mainly plays pop and R&B music, saying that this is something she truly loves. She has always wanted to perform, and when she is on stage she feels so free.
“I really want to continue to grow as an artist, and grow with my music as I get older,” she said.
Jerak’s focus with music is in the way it connects with people. She said she is just an ordinary girl from Melbourne who is trying to do something big with her life. It is all about creating art, which she called a beautiful process.
“I just want to inspire people to be who they want to be without the pressure to cover up their true selves,” she said.
Jerak is a huge fan of LA, saying that someday she wants to live there full time because it is so supportive of the arts. She’ll be back in the city this summer to record more songs, saying that she really enjoys being in the studio putting together a track.
“Just singing all day and working on a song is such a beautiful vibe,” she said. “It’s what I love to do.”
Jerak will be out promoting these two singles, but she plans to record plenty more music in the future. Her goal is to get signed onto a record label, so she can show the world what she’s got on a grand scale.
Be sure to check out Sienna-Rose Jerak’s music available all on all major platforms.
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