We live in the Bible Belt. I was born and raised in church. That's something that was really, really important to me, to build that foundation with our kids so they at least went to church.
— Jay DeMarcus
My faith and my beliefs sustain me through all of the craziness that this life brings.
I get along with everybody.
When you sit there, and you sing the chorus - and then you look at each other, and everybody has the hair standing up on their arms - then everybody knows you've stumbled onto something.
There's really an art form to putting together a set list that flows evenly and that takes you on a ride and doesn't feel disjointed.
I guess, somewhere along the line, when we first came out, somebody thought it was a crime to be young and not wear a cowboy hat and sing country music.
We make music for our fans, and that's what we'll continue to do.
We do pretty much the same set list every night, and the show's down to certain cues because we have video and all this production and lights and everything going on.
There's nothing worse than looking out and seeing some guy with his arms crossed while you're singing your heart out on a new song, and he's going, 'When are they going to do 'Me and My Gang?''
I love all kinds of music.
It would be nice sometimes to take a longer break in between projects, but unfortunately, the way that the business is, there's such a demand for new material on a consistent basis that it's nearly impossible to do that.
It's hard to get to the point where you feel motivated and energized to go back in and create new music when you feel like you've just drained yourself by pouring everything you have into the previous project. It would be nice sometimes to take a longer break in between projects.
We were derided as a boy band, with pop music and not really country.
After 15 years of singing the same 12 to 15 songs every night, it can become monotonous.
People are always surprised to find this out, but the songs that we write, such as 'Winner of a Losing Game' and things like that, tend to be more country than the other stuff that we cut from outside writers.
We've gotten to do so many great things throughout the years. We've gotten to meet presidents. We've been able to go to so many wonderful awards shows and meet so many great celebrities.
It's weird to think about being introduced as 'Hall of Fame members Rascal Flatts.'
My beliefs and my faith are part of who I am, and I'm so grateful that I had the foundation laid early on. My mom took me to church from my earliest memories, so I'm grateful to have had that foundation laid early, and it's just part of who I am.
I've been really, really fortunate to have a mother that has spent many, many long hours on her knees praying for me. And I guarantee you, I would almost bet everything I have that that has saved me more often than not. So it sustains me.
Living country is more about your values and beliefs than cowboy hats or living on a farm.
Chicago was a big influence on all three of us growing up. I admire their musical integrity. When the opportunity came up to produce them, I couldn't let it go by.
When you put a new show out, you always have a few kinks that you need to iron out, and you need to dial your show in. You figure out over a couple of weeks what songs work well together and what songs may not have the impact you thought they would at that spot in the show.
I love making records. That's my favorite part of the whole process. And I love playing live, but certainly getting the music on a disc that's going to live forever and be there forever, just every little detail drives me crazy.
You start to compete with yourself when your catalog gets bigger and bigger... I mean, everybody wants the next 'Bless the Broken Road,' but you don't write those every day, so it's difficult.
I'm surprised at the loyalty of the country music fan. People that started out with us at 'Prayin' for Daylight' still come to multiple shows a year.
You learn really quickly how not only to be an artist, but you also become all of a sudden the CEO and owners of a company that you have to make major decisions about that I don't think we were fully prepared for in the beginning.
When I hear other artists that are new and fresh and exciting, then I get excited.
I think, as long as people are doing their craft at a high level, I'm going to have respect for it and find something that appeals to me.
Typically, every 14 to 16 months, we're putting a new album out. To be honest, I wish it was slower.
The lines have definitely blurred between country and pop music.
I remember when 'I'm Moving On' came out, and we got the response we did, I thought, 'Man, this could be for real.' That was the first time it dawned on me what we had.
So many people have stood behind me for so long.
We've been very blessed in our career.
I've been on the road since I was 15, in one way or another - on a bus, in a 15-passenger van, pulling a U-haul - so I would be lying if I said sometimes the miles and the road didn't get long. But it's always rewarding, that hour and a half every night you get to stand up there and see it all pay off and feel the love from that crowd.
I'm not a perfect human being by any stretch of the imagination. But there is always this little voice inside of me that keeps me where I know I need to be.
Are there people's music that I don't like? Sure, there are.
I was raised in church, and we let our kids know who Jesus is.
When you first start out in the music business and hope that you have a couple hits, the ultimate payoff is to be standing in front of all those people who are singing it back to you at the top of their lungs. And you know by the way they're singing it back that it's affected their life in some way. That's the ultimate reward as an artist for me.
It's so much fun to have vocal groups out on the road because we get to see them do their thing, and at the end of the night, we come back, and we all do a big thing together for the encore with 'American Band.'
I'm not really concerned so much with the industry, except in country music, as long as our fans keep coming to the shows and keep buying the records and we keep having success on country radio.
We've always prided ourselves on putting together a great live show. That's something that means a lot to us because our bread and butter is the live tour.
We love touring. We love being in front of the fans.
We were kind of young and a little naive when we first started out in the business.
Constantly writing with new people is important. Also, listening to new music that's popular and that's making a splash - that's how I get motivated.
I draw inspiration from everywhere, whether it's country, R&B, gospel.
My mom was a singer, and my dad had been playing in bands with my mom's brother. My dad married my mom, and so I was sorta surrounded by music from the get-go. Born right into it.
When you get new people around you, the excitement is new because they have different take on your music. They play it in a different way, and that's always exciting to be around. It elevates everybody onstage.
We were just hoping 'Prayin' for Daylight' wasn't a complete flop. Selling a million records wasn't even in our wildest thoughts.
I think the simple message of that song is what attracted me to 'Every Day.' It's one of those simple yet profound lyrics.
We cut songs that touch us because if they don't touch us first, there's no way in the world we're going to be able to sell those songs to somebody else.
