10 Questions with ... Jay DeMarcus

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

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Country trio Rascal Flatts has been around for nearly two decades and consists of founding members Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. The group has been wildly successful since their formation in 1999, and together, they have released 11 studio albums; conquered numerous world tours; earned 15 #1 singles at Country radio; and accepted multiple CMT, CMA, and ACM Awards. DeMarcus, Flatts' bassist, chatted with All Access about the group's longtime career and the future of Rascal Flatts as the approach a milestone anniversary, as well as DeMarcus' individual production skills, and how the band has managed to stick together throughout the years.

1. Jay, thank you so much for speaking with All Access today! Rascal Flatts' 20th anniversary as a band is less than two years away - Two decades! Does that blow your mind just a little?

Yeah, it does. A lot of it seems like it's gone by in a blur. I feel like we were so naïve when we first got started, we didn't even know we'd be around for two years, given how tough it was when we were first starting out. It's shocking to me. When I think about - I'm grateful, first of all - and second of all, I'm proud that we were able to do something most bands aren't able to do, and that's rise above the pettiness and the egos and everything else that gets in there that convolutes something when somebody has something special. We've been able to rise above it, and I'm really proud of us for that reason.

2. Great segue to my next question! Can you talk about what it takes to keep a band together in its original form for two decades? Have there ever been times of conflict - beyond the normal stuff - that threatened Rascal Flatts continuing?

I don't think we've ever gotten that close to the breaking point. I mean, we're all human - we certainly had our disagreements and our different visions about how the band should or shouldn't go. Gary and I are related - which is an interesting dynamic, because we love each other like brothers, but we fight like brothers, too! So, in those rare occasions when we do have a disagreement, boy, they're big! We have to really be sure - and, it's a constant work-in-progress - that we're always trying to put the other guy first. That's a rule of thumb we've kinda lived by; when you want to be selfish, or you want to do something that's self-serving, remember that you have two other band members whose opinions and feelings very much matter, and as long as you're considerate of those, the rest of it sorts itself out. We've never come close to breaking up because of a disagreement at all; we've always been able to work through it. I think that's a testament to the respect and admiration we have for each other. The three of us also realize that we're part of something that's bigger than any of the three of us could ever do individually. The music has touched a lot of lives, which is a cool thing, too; that keeps us bonded.

3. Also, I wonder if - after so many years together and working through differences and hard times - are you at that point where you've come out the other side more mature, less uptight, and having seen just about everything in this biz?

I think there's a lot that we have not seen, if that makes any sense. We've seen mostly everything, that's the best way to say it. So, not a lot catches us off guard anymore. We've been through all of the cycles of album launches, single launches, photo and video shoots, and management changes, so there isn't a lot that catches us by surprise anymore. You kinda settle into this, "Okay, we can take a deep breath and enjoy where we are in life right now. We don't have to spend every day strapping, and fighting, and scrapping for a chart position or a sales position." It's kinda nice to live in the space that you're in, knowing you've done something special, and just kinda enjoy it for a change. You spent so much of your early years picking the right singles, and losing sleep over what the next single should be. It's kinda nice to just be free of that and sorta be ourselves to enjoy what we've built together.

4. The other factor, I suppose, is that this has worked pretty damn well and still is working. You guys have continued to be relevant and a top-tier act that keeps giving radio hit songs that go to #1. What is it about new projects that get you three excited and motivated?

I think the thing that keeps us motivated is challenging ourselves to see if we can be better than we've been before, and seeing if we can stumble upon a magic that wasn't there before - whether it's a song, a performance, or a track that lights us up the way the first few records did. I think that hunger to dig as deep as we can and find those things that light us up as a band is what keeps us going. It's no secret that my favorite part of the process is making records; if I'm not making them with Flatts, then I'm out producing them on other folks. The challenge for me is to be in the band and try to be a part of pushing us forward to see if we can continue to forge new ground and continue to do things that are fresh to Rascal Flatts, and make people go, "Wow! I've never heard that side of them before," or "Gosh, that's interesting. I wouldn't expect that from them." And, ultimately, have it be successful.

5. You, in particular, have branched out beyond Rascal Flatts, putting in a lot of time behind the console as a producer, as you just mentioned. Did being an artist in a high-profile band make you a better producer? Or, has working with other artists in some way made you and the guys stronger as artists?

I think it's a combination of both. A lot of people still don't realize that, before Rascal Flatts, I was in a Christian band for four or five years, and I had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest Pop musicians and producers in LA. I learned a lot from Peter Wolf; he was one of my heroes growing up in the 80s. He was a producer of a lot legendary Pop music. I've gotten to work with David Foster, who's probably my biggest influence as far as the 80s go. Then, all the years spent with Dann Huff - I've known and been around Dann since his early White Heart days - he's always been a musical inspiration to me. I took bits and pieces from all the people that I've worked with and tried to find my own groove when it comes to being behind the console and trying to guide a ship. And, I'm inspired by the artists that I work with; they always have great input and great ideas. You take somebody like Ronnie Dunn, who is so freaking musical, and he gets in there and starts going, "What if we tried this?" or "What if we do that?" The flow of being able to work in tandem with the artist that you're working with is one of the biggest things that give a record its personality, to allow it to breathe its own life into that particular project that you're working on. I came to town to be a songwriter and a producer - I never tried to pursue being an artist, and by some weird, dumb luck, I've had two artist deals now, which is not really what I started out to do. It's really nutty when I think about how my path has led me to this point, because I was really trying to get Gary signed so that I could produce him. Given the fact that Gary doesn't really play any instruments, I would play piano or guitar for him, and it kinda organically happened like that. I wouldn't trade it for the world; it was a wonderful surprise that I never saw coming. I love to produce - it's been my life's blood from day one. Although a little bit - it's always like, "Well, if Jay produces the record, it's gonna sound like Rascal Flatts." And, I'm always like, "No, no! There's so many other things that we can do!"

6. When you're in the studio in the producer role, what are you looking for from the artist you're working with? And, are you the kind that will challenge someone by perhaps making them leave their comfort zone?

I feel like it's my job to push them to the point where they come out on the other end of it saying, "That's the best vocal I've ever cut in my life," or "That's the best I've ever heard myself in my career." I'm not saying that happens every time, but that's certainly my goal at the outset.

7. Let's talk about your perspective on where Country music is in 2017. I ask, because Rascal Flatts brought a different, more progressive take on Country music when you came out of the gate in 2000 with "Prayin' For Daylight." There was a conversation, at the time, about the band being "too Pop," which history has proven not to be too much of an issue. Right now, the fence seems to keep moving further away from a core Country foundation. As an artist and as a producer in this genre, do you think it's heading in the right direction, or - as some have worried - are we losing sight of what and who we are?

I don't think we're losing who we are - I really, really don't. You can push the envelope, and you can count on Country radio to say, "Gosh, that's really, really Pop." Then, you can stay on the same channel and hear somebody like Midland and somebody like Chris Stapleton, who hold the anchor down for what we consider to be traditional Country music. I think there's room for all of it. Sometimes, people overthink what's "too Pop." The question I ask myself is, "Is it good? Does it hold up against everything else that's out there?" Once you start saying, "Oh, it's too Pop," or "Oh, it's too traditional," let's remember, there were a lot of people who said that Chris Stapleton would never make it, because he's "too traditional." I mean, look what this guy's done for the industry! I think we're always going to be in a place where we have room for everybody to come over here and create. I think we're in a dangerous spot if we don't continue to push ourselves into growing. You gotta think about when Merle Haggard first came out, and he was using horns on his tracks - that was radical to folks. They were really freaked out about that! He wasn't allowed to play at the Grand Ole Opry, because he had a horn section. We always go through these phases in our format where artists come along and push us, sometimes to the point of being a little uncomfortable. I think it'll just continue to happen. I feel like it's always good to have somebody come in and shake it up. I also believe that the Pop music I grew up on when I was a kid has all but disappeared from the radio; the Top 40 music that I loved as a kid has vanished. It's turned into Urban and Hip-Hop. So, I believe that - in some kind of ways - Country music has taken the place of the Pop music that I loved as a kid, and we fill the huge void that's there.

8. My previous question sort of circles around to your current album, "Back To Us." It seems so aptly titled; I thought "Yours If You Want It" was Rascal Flatts dancing with what brought 'em, and so is "Back To Us," which - as a single, and an album, for that matter - balances well with what is driving listeners now and stays true to this band. Would you say that's a true assessment?

I believe so; that was very intentional on our part. We felt like with the "Rewind" record - not that we ever regret anything we've done, and there are things about each album that we love - but, there were outside influences saying, "The format has passed you by. You have to change and come to where it is." The best way to put it is that we were sort of confused and struggled with what Rascal Flatts - as a 16-year-old band, at the time - would say that we haven't said before that compels people to go buy another Rascal Flatts record or play another Rascal Flatts record. So, we tried something that I believe all three of us would collectively say that, left to our own devices, we may not have done on our own. So, this time, with a clean slate, we went into the studio and said, "You know what? We're gonna do it like we did in the old days, and we're gonna cut the things that speak to us first. We're not gonna let people go, 'You should try this, because Sam Hunt is doing something like this,' or 'Thomas Rhett just cut this really bangin' thing, and you should do something like this.'" With all due respect to those artists - they're phenomenal and doing great - but, Rascal Flatts is who we are. I think I said earlier in my comments, we're comfortable being in our space, and you hear more of that on this record, I believe, than you have the last few albums from us. So, I think we were in a place where we said, "You know what? Win or lose, this record, this time, we're gonna cut the music we love and what speaks to us." Hopefully, people will hear that and hear something that they fell in love with Rascal Flatts in the first place. We're proud of it.

9. You guys have always toured. You've been a huge draw and made a ton of money on the road, ushering new artists with you. If you had to assemble your "Dream Team" of supporting acts right now, what artists are on that list today?

For me, there are so many, so it's hard to say! I'm a big fan of Midland; I think they'd be awesome to have on the road. Lauren Alaina is incredible. Maren Morris is another great one. There are all kinds of people that I love right now. I love Old Dominion, too. Man, they are making some great, great music. I would love to have those guys out on the road - it'd be a great show with them. Dan + Shay, obviously; if Shay ever got sick, Gary could step in!

10. Since you brought Dan + Shay up ... As an artist, when you get to the point of influencing other artists, that has to be a great place to be - knowing you've impacted an artist's sound. Would you agree?

It really, really is. There's nothing more humbling. Just spending a few minutes with Shay [Mooney] when I first met him, and how kind and gracious he was. Those guys make no bones about the fact that they were Rascal Flatts fans growing up, and Shay has obviously written some tunes for us; we had a hit with a tune he wrote, "I Like The Sound Of That." That's very flattering, and I don't even know what else to say about it, besides it's so cool to know that you've motivated and influenced somebody to do what they love to do. I'm proud of those guys. People always ask, "Did it ever freak you out when you heard Shay sing?" But, I think it's one of the greatest things in the world to have somebody loving what you do and it finds its way into their music. We certainly been influenced by people, and their influences have found their way into our music. That's how it works.

Finally, we hear whispers about this possibly being the last Flatts album. If so, does that mean a farewell tour is in the works at some point? What's happening, moving forward?

I think we're trying to figure that out right now; it was the last record with Big Machine via our deal. I'm not saying we would never do another Rascal Flatts album - I think it's become harder for bands that are around a while to sell a ton of records. We may do something where we cut some songs and continue to put singles out without putting an entire album out - we don't know yet. We're trying to figure it out and look at it. [Big Machel Label Group President] Scott [Borchetta] has been a huge fan from day one, and he's been a wonderful partner, and I know we're gonna continue working together, which is so awesome to have someone on our corner. We're gonna figure it out - nobody's retiring any time soon! We do wanna continue to make music. I told somebody this a little while ago; when I think about not being able to look to my right and see Gary in the middle and Joe Don on the other end, it makes me really, really sad. Maybe we'll know when that time is, but right now I would miss it incredibly bad. I think the other guys would feel the same way, so we're gonna keep doing what we're doing and see how long the fans want us around.