Rascal Flatts is back and better than ever after coming very close to saying a forever farewell to country music.
After Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney announced a farewell tour in 2020, the band quickly had to cancel their shows due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, Rascal Flatts is ready to celebrate 25 years of hits with a new collaboration album and even more concerts.
“I think all of us had to go on our own journey and figure out what to do with not being together, and it was a really weird time,” DeMarcus, 54, exclusively shared with Us Weekly before the Friday, June 6, release of Life is a Highway: Refueled Duets. “COVID hit and canceled the Farewell Tour and looking back now, that was probably one of the biggest blessings because we don’t have to call this a farewell anymore.”
From LeVox’s perspective, Rascal Flatts was constantly touring around the country, releasing new music and repeating the process year after year. At a certain point, a minute — or two — to breathe was necessary.
“For two decades, all we did was work, work, work, work,” he shared with Us. “The next song had to be the best song and the next tour had to be bigger than the last tour, and you just get on the hamster wheel, and so you fall prey to it just turning into a job and not a craft.”
This year, however, things look and feel different. After announcing a new tour in October 2024, every date except two sold out within 48 hours of going on sale.
Rascal Flatts has been able to perform at the 2025 ACM Awards — and share the stage with the Backstreet Boys — and recently released a new single with the Jonas Brothers called “I Dare You.” The song received the largest first week streams ever in the history of Rascal Flatts’ career.
“We kind of got to the point where we’re like, ‘Well, we’ve certainly missed not playing together and playing music. It’s been weird being away from it this long. Let’s go out and see what it’s like and see if people still care,’” DeMarcus recalled. “And I mean, it was a resounding yes. [The fans] did still care and it was emotional the first couple of weekends being out there and feeling all of that energy from them again.”
With summer just getting started, Rascal Flatts still has a few shows on the calendar, including an appearance at CMA Fest on Saturday, June 7.
They are also excited for fans to hear their new album, which is filled with reimagined, beloved Rascal Flatts hits featuring a few familiar voices like Kelly Clarkson, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and Brandon Lake.
“We kind of made a wishlist of people that were friends of ours and had been on the road with us or people we long wanted to collaborate with, and thankfully, everybody came back and was really excited about it,” DeMarcus said about the making of the album. “Oddly enough, everybody picked a different song, which you wouldn’t think would be the case, but they did come back with their own unique song and it worked out the way it should have.”
When thinking about the future, another tour is certainly a possibility. If there was someone Rascal Flatts would want to travel with, it might just be the Backstreet Boys.
“I think Backstreet Boys would be an absolute blast to go on tour with and do some shows with those guys,” DeMarcus said. “I feel like their audience is pretty much the same audiences we share, and I feel like we’ve got a lot in common, and we could do some really fun creative things together. It’d be fun.”
Life is a Highway: Refueled Duets is available on Friday, June 6.
