Already successful songwriters penning hits for others, Blackjack Billy (Rob Blackledge, Noll Billings, Jeff Coplan and Brad Cummings) independently released their song "Booze Cruise" in 2013 and set sail on a whirlwind year that found the single selling 300,000 downloads internationally and achieving Gold status in Canada. This November the band will be part of the Bands on The Run Tour with Doc Walker and The Road Hammers. Additionally they will release a full length record, Rebel Child, in the states December 2nd. Rob graciously took some time to talk about the record, the tour and more.

Fans embraced Blackjack Billy last year when you released “Booze Cruise” and the “Get Some” EP. Just the other day it was announced on Twitter that you would be making fans very happy by releasing a new record on December 2nd.

Yes! Jeff, our guitar player, producer and lead motivator in all things productive, said ‘alright we just released the album in Australia and Canada, how about a December 2nd release in the US.’ We figured we would just release it in time for cyber Monday because we’re 100% marketing focused (laughing). No, really, for us when it comes to putting out a record, the timing of it has to do with what’s ready and what’s good enough to be released. So pending any unforeseen changes, we’re going to have ten brand new unreleased songs out on December 2nd. We'll be doubling our musical content that day, so everybody can just eat it up!

Why did you release the record in Australia and Canada first?

One of the reasons we released in those countries first was because we have record deals in those two markets. In Australia we have a deal with Universal Australia and in Canada we are with Open Road. They basically told us to give them the songs when they were done, which we did, and the cd was released. It makes things very efficient when you have a good label behind you.
As an independent band in the US, we are doing everything. It takes a lot of leg work and prep ,which is why we are releasing it in December to iTunes. With a December release, we don’t have to worry about a hard press, which gives us more time to do the artwork. 
The US EP will be totally different from what was put out in Canada and Australia. Those cds have a variation of the Get Some EP and some new songs, but for the US release, we made the decision to put out a completely new record and we’re really excited about it.

Blackjack Billy is known for party songs, but you are also serious songwriters. Will there be some diversity on the new record?

We are, thank you for noticing that. That’s the really funny thing, “Booze Cruise” was really kind of a joke for us. As songwriters we just wanted to do something fun and stupid and figured that no one would pay attention or care…..oops! (laughing) But we’ve got far more songs that are not in the vein of “Booze Cruise.” “Sneaky Jesus,” which has become quite the fan favorite, is an acoustic driven song, in the vein of Wagon Wheel, and has an incredible vocal performance by me! (laughing) We also have a song called “Riley Creek” that is a straight up tearjerker with a soaring bridge and guitar solo.
One song that has been getting a bit of attention is “One Can Be a Lot.” I heard it at a writer’s round and loved it. I called Jeff to tell him about the song and all the guys agreed to do it. It is not a bar song or a festival song; it’s played more in a theater for a listening audience. It’s the quietest moment of the set with just an acoustic and electric guitar. It’s the most standout song from a production standpoint and one that I think people are going to be talking about. We hope it’s a song people say ‘wow, they can do that type of song too' and not ‘oh, I’m going to go get a beer now.’

The album is called “Rebel Child,” what’s the significance of the title?

I have no idea! (laughing) No, we really don’t spend a whole lot of time obsessing over album titles. Jeff said that we needed a title and someone referred to a song we used to play quite a bit, but has since eased out of rotation, “Buckwild Rebel Child.” We all looked at each other and said that makes sense. You know, we’re a young band who doesn’t try to fit in with everybody else, so that’s thinking behind it. But honestly, we kind of stumbled upon the title.

In November you will be joining the Bands on The Run Tour which will stretch across Canada. Will this be the first time you have toured there?

This is our first real big tour and we couldn’t be more excited! The format in the states is more weekend oriented, where you go out and play Thursday to Sunday, but for this tour we’ll be out for thirty days starting on the East coast and ending in Vancouver. It is going to be a good time to grow as a band, get a lot of writing done and of course, the most important thing, play a lot of great shows and spread the Blackjack Billy love across the great white north.
And of course we cannot forget NYC! We will be stopping in New York City on our way up there to play the Mercury Lounge November 18th. We’ve had incredible support for our shows in North Jersey, but this will be our first time to play the city proper. It’s going to be a Tuesday night, but in years of playing, NYC never disappoints. We’re all looking forward to it.

Finally, I always love to know, is there any recent release that you cannot stop listening to?

I’m very specific about what I listen to, I don’t jump around too much. I like First Aid Kit; Noll and I stumbled upon their music and I am loving their record. I just envy the way they write and their melodies and blending. The next one is a little predictable being a songwriter, but I just got into Tom Petty’s Mojo record. I don’t know how old it is, but it’s a really cool blues record and being from Mississippi, I really enjoyed that. One final record I can’t get enough of is Moon Taxi’s latest Mountains Beaches Cities, top to bottom.  
If I can’t find something to listen to, well, we’ll just dive into the well and write it.

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Doc Walker, the duo of Chris Thorsteinson and Dave Wasyliw, is one of Canada's most renowned country acts with over thirty hit singles and numerous awards including multiple CCMAs and a JUNO. They recently released their eighth studio album, aptly titled, The 8th, on October 21st. It features their Top 10 hit "Put It In Drive" as well as their current single "That's How I Like It," which is an ode to both of their wives. Dave graciously took the time to speak with us about the album, longevity in the music business and the Bands on The Run Tour.


Doc Walker's latest album, The 8th, was released on October 21st. Being that this is your eighth album, did you find yourselves doing anything differently on this record?

We split up the record. We did the first four songs in Nashville with a producer who we have previously worked with, Justin Niebank, and we did the rest of the album in Toronto with Gavin Brown. Gavin is someone we have been big fans of and always wanted to work with. He’s produced some really cool stuff like The Metrics, The Tragically Hip and Three Days Grace. When a little bit of a window opened up in our schedules, we snuck in there. We really hit it off and loved working with him, so we booked a second session right away and finished up the record.
The great thing about Gavin is he’s always wanted to do a country album. We initially thought he’d rock it right out into a Gavin Brown record, but he didn’t. He said that what he wanted most of all was to make the quintessential Doc Walker record, which was perfect.

Did you have a hand in writing for the record?

We wrote all but two songs. We are never biased towards anything because the right song is the right song no matter who wrote it. When both Chris and I agree that an outside song would be a great addition to the album, you know for sure that it is a strong song, the right song.

Has your writing changed over time?

Oh, it has changed quite a bit. Our first album came out in 1995, although the string of albums did not start until 2001. We were both in such different places then, from living in friends’ basements, or as in my case, my mom’s basement, to not having kids or wives. Things have completely changed from those days. We both have great wives, three kids, homes and responsibilities. We can go back and sing honestly about what happened growing up in Portage la Praire in a song like “Shake It Like It’s Saturday Night,” but ten years ago we could have never sung “That’s What I Call Love,” which is about standing with your partner through rough times. 
There are a lot of songs out there that Chris and I could never really write. We know bro is very popular but we couldn’t honestly sing it. We don’t feel the need to talk about river beds, tailgates and tight jeans. Sure, we had fun, but those times were not the most memorable in our lives. The greatest thing that Chris and I have done is try to be honest about what we write, and you can only be honest with what you lived.  

Your current single is “That’s How I Like It.” Talk about the story behind that song, which is actually an ode to your wives.

The response to “That’s How I Like It” has been pretty amazing; it is our fastest climbing single ever! The song is about those quirky little things your partner does that you love. For example, there’s a line in there-“you're always late but the world stands still”-that Chris and I both relate to so much. We could be super-duper late for something, but my wife still hasn’t put on her mascara (laughing). It’s an uphill battle, but it’s great. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Doc Walker has been making music for twenty years. What keeps you going?

I don’t know! (laughing) No, I do. Chris and I had talked in Nashville recently about how new it always feels. We never make the same record. We don’t go into the studio or writing sessions thinking 'let’s do that again' because it worked before. And honestly, I think our fans would expect a little bit more. Listen to Beatles, for example. They started off with “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” and grew into symphonies and magical stuff with their audience growing with them. That’s what we're going for, not to be the Beatles, but just to kind of challenge ourselves, grow, evolve and hope the fans do too….and maybe grab a few new fans along the way.

To have such longevity in the music business speaks to the loyalty of your fan base.

Yeah they’ve been so great and so loyal. When we are on the road we see fans who have become our friends, which is a little different than it used to be. When there was no social media, artists weren’t really friends with fans. My Space and Facebook made people really accessible. We can get to know the fans and what they’re about, which is important because you’re writing for them so you should kind of know a little bit about them. 
Social media has been a great tool to use, but also at the other end of the spectrum, it’s nice not having information too. When I was a kid I was a big AC/DC fan and there was that mystery where you guessed and made up your own little stories about how they are as people, which was pretty neat. But [with social media] that's in the past now I guess.

You will be seeing a lot of your fans on the Bands on The Run Tour which starts on November 21st. Tell me about what audiences can expect from the tour.

It is one of the most ambitious things we’ve ever been a part of. We are going to be three full bands with four tour buses and a bunch of semi-trucks going from one end of the country [Canada] to the other. When we initially had talks about touring like this, we were all very clear on the objective-which was to give fans a huge bang for their buck. For every dollar they give us we are going to be giving them three dollars back in entertainment. That’s hopefully what will happen for whole month we are out.


Are you looking forward to being on the road with your tour mates The Road Hammers and Blackjack Billy?

It's going to be great. Jason from the Road Hammers has been a part of our lives for quite some time now. He actually wrote the song "Rocket Girl," from our second record, which was our breakthrough. We couldn’t believe he wasn’t going to cut that song because at the time, he was already a big star. We thought he was silly for not cutting it and I think now he even thinks he’s silly for not doing it (laughing). We were lucky to have that song; it solidified our spot in Canadian country.

Finally, I always love to know, is there one record that was recently released that you cannot stop listening to?

I like buying all kinds of records, including rock and pop. The Kacey Musgraves record is very country; I love that one. I also recently bought a Willie Nelson record that’s pretty fantastic.

Watch the lyric video for "That's How I Like It" here

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The Road Hammers first hit the country music airwaves in 2004 and the response from fans was immediate. Their self titled debut soared to #1 and they garnered numerous nominations and awards. After a break, the trio regrouped to put forth their latest album, Wheels, which so far has produced three hit singles. Front man Jason McCoy took some time to chat about the album, the Bands on the Run Tour and what's ahead.

The Road Hammers have been together since 2004, but took a break before reuniting. Why was now the best time to reunite?

We have been together a long time, but it seems like the blink of an eye really. When we started out, our debut album was #1, our tours were sold out and we were nominated, and won, numerous awards. We got into Nashville and things changed; our label shut down and we got caught in the crossfire. It kind of took the wind out of our sails. We were brokenhearted, so we decided to take a break for a few years.
During those years, the industry and the face of the audience changed so much that we had some trepidation about reuniting. We didn’t want to jump back in and not deliver to the fan base we had and to an expectant fan base. We wanted to do something that we could be proud of. We wanted to deliver a great album and a great live show.
When we got together, it was like, ‘boom,’ the chemistry was still there. We're not kids anymore, but it felt like we were 18! It is a decision that we feel really good about.  

The album, Wheels, was released in June and received a very positive reception. It has an energetic country rockin’ sound as well as a road theme.

Yeah, so far it's been a pretty good ride! The single “Mud” went gold and we’ve been nominated for Group of the Year at the CCMAs. We are really busy with shows and next summer is already on fire; we're going to be playing a bunch of mud events in the states based on the strength of that single. 
Initially, being a solo artist, I just wanted to have some fun and do a concept album, a trucking album. Then we put the band together and carried on the theme, really just wanting to make the ultimate driving record.

Your current single is a "hammerized" version of “I’ve Been Everywhere,” for which you guys did a pretty humorous video.

That song, which is a Hank Snow classic, is one of my favorite songs because it speaks to us as musicians and gear heads. 
Our tagline is ‘mud...good clean fun’ and that’s kind of what we’re all about. We take the band, the shows and the record very seriously, but ourselves not so much. We like to be loud, stupid and have a good time. We come across a lot of weird things on the road and the video is just us grabbing the camera and spending the day being idiots (laughing).

In November you will head out on the Bands on the Run Tour which will take you across Canada. What can fans expect from the tour?

We are pretty pumped for the tour. We are taking out Doc Walker, who we have worked with for a number of years now, and Blackjack Billy. I wrote Doc Walker’s biggest hit “Rocket Girl,” so it will be nice to go out with them and sing that song every night. I’ve known Jeff from Blackjack Billy for a number of years. He’s a great musician and producer who is kind of a kindred spirit bringing a bit of southern rock and rock n' roll flair to the music. 
There’s a lot of synergy with the groups. We sort of put together a rolling circus you might say, where fans will be getting triple the value of their ticket price. It is going to be pretty intense, loud and crazy.

Your music definitely has a Southern Rock flavor. Is that what you listened to growing up and where you draw influence from?

No, I actually was traditional country all of my life. Now, I’m just getting into rock n' roll. Back when I started with the Hammers, I wanted to explore and produce something outside of what I normally do. I can’t deliver on the rock vocals, but Clay, he can. Chris is a funky bass player and has a terrific high vocal, which just rounds everything out. It’s a production dream.
 
What are your professional plans for the remainder of the year?

Well, the tour ends December 15th, so we will decompress for a few weeks after that. We have a bunch of new songs, which kind of just came up naturally, so we’ll start work on a new album in 2015. 
This year has been a real living breathing thing for us which has opened up a whole new pile of opportunities.We are doing a CMT web series about our life on the road, which will include a lot of behind the scenes stuff. And believe it or not, we will be animated in 2015. It’s wacky; we are doing an animated series about ourselves where we will provide the voices for our characters. It’s really weird having an eight inch character of yourself sitting on your counter, but it’s going to be awesome! (laughing)

Finally, I always like to know, is there one recent record that you just cannot stop listening to?

I like Ray LaMontagne; he’s the real deal and pretty disturbingly awesome. And, going back into my youth, I like to listen to Conway Twitty.

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When BC based recording artist Madeline Merlo signed with RGK Management and Open Road Recordings in 2012 it was the realization of an ambition she had since she was a child. In just two short years, she released her debut EP and was nominated for two BCCMAs. Madeline graciously took the time to talk about her journey, the EP and what's ahead.

It was from a very early age that you knew that you wanted to pursue music as a career.

Definitely. My father was a musician, so I grew up in a very musical household. I started singing when I was six years old. My first performance was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in my kindergarten talent show.

Growing up in a musical household, what types of music were you exposed to?

I was exposed to a really wide variety. My mother was all about country music. She played a lot of Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline and took me to my first concert ever when I was ten years old, Shania Twain. My dad listened to Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys. It was a cool combination to grow up listening to and really makes sense to what my music is today.

Having that combination, what made you gravitate to country as opposed to R and B?

Country just really made sense to me. I grew up in a small town an hour outside of Vancouver, and country music was part of our culture. So not only did I grow up listening to it, but when I entered talent shows and singing competitions, I always chose country music. I felt right at home performing country songs. There is so much depth and storytelling in country music - and I really love that aspect of it. I’m an emotional singer who just loves to dive into songs like that.

You started singing at a young age, when did you start writing?

I always wrote as a kid, poetry and stuff like that, but I had a fear that I wasn’t very good. When I met my producer when I was 16, he helped me develop my writing and now it is such a huge part of what I do. I learned that you really have to put your ideas on the table because you never know what you could inspire.

You were eighteen years old in 2012 when you signed with RGK Management and Open Road, now two years later you released your first EP. Do you think things have moved fast for you?

Honestly, in most cases, the industry can be so difficult to break into. I am really lucky it went the way it did. I met my Open Road team right after I turned eighteen. We worked really hard over the past few years during a development period so I could focus on writing and recording better songs because I am always striving to be my best.

A big moment for you was the release of your self-titled debut EP earlier this year. Did you have a hand in writing for it?

I’m a writer on a few of the songs, but for me, the best song wins no matter who wrote it. I think it's cool to have that combination of both songs that I have written and outside songs on the EP. For me, when I choose a song to record that I haven’t written it has to be one that really resonates with and moves me. For example, there is a song, “Meant to Last,” that when I first heard it I listened to it eighteen times in a row! It was really clear that that was a poignant song for me. It’s a gut feeling and sometimes you have to go with that.

You were recently nominated for two BCCMAs. Definitely not too shabby of a way to start off a career.

It was such validation! To be recognized when I am such a new artist was a really huge honor. Most of all, I felt very welcomed into the country music community. I felt like they were saying ‘you’re doing good, keep doing what you’re doing.’

Your most recent single is “Alive.” Talk about that song a little bit.

It was a song that I wrote with my producer. We were pretty much finished with the EP when we wrote this song and that changed everything; we had to have it on the EP. “Alive” is really a page out of the book of Madeline. The song is about the things that I need to be reminded of every day: just to take a moment and thank God I’m breathing. There is so much positivity in the song, we hope it hits people the way it hit us.

Is the country scene in Canada different from Nashville?

I do my recording in Nashville and am quite aware of the scene there. There is a bit of a different structure, but the quality of music in both places is the same, just dynamite! In both places though, it is male dominated. There is a big pocket for girls to break through and hopefully it will come full circle and girls will rule again like in the 90's.

What are your professional plans for the remainder of the year?

Well, I will be promoting the EP, then I will continue to work on a full length album for release sometime in the New Year. I have lots of holiday shows, so I have to get my Christmas song chops warmed up.

You said that you are always striving for things in your musical career. Is there one thing you would like to accomplish in 2015?

I try to shoot for really big goals in my life because you never know where life is going to take you. I would love to have a CCMA nomination, such as Rising Star. I would also love to do some big festivals like Boots and Hearts, where lots of people could hear my music.

Finally, I always like to know, is there is one album, any genre, that you cannot stop listening to?

The country people might hate me for saying this, but I am a huge fan of pop music and take inspiration from some of those artists. I am really excited for Taylor Swift’s new album; she is an incredible songwriter. I also really enjoy Sam Smith, who has this whole crazy soul thing going on. It’s like he is from another generation or something, he’s terrific.

Watch the video for "Alive" here

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Brad and Curtis Rempel, the duo that is High Valley, broke onto the country scene in 2007 and since that time have earned numerous awards in Canada. In addition to their Canadian fans, the duo have been gaining a following all over the world, including the US with their music being championed on Sirius XM's The Highway. Their third album, County Line, which was released October 14th, incorporates country, bluegrass and pop into a sound uniquely theirs. Brad recently took the time to chat about the album, their upcoming headlining tour and more.

How has the transition from a trio to a duo been?

It’s been good. You know, Bryan wanted to stay up north and we both moved to Nashville four and a half years ago and are forging ahead with the music. It’s great to be in Music City.

You released a terrific new album, Country Line, on October 14th. You co-wrote songs on the record with Fred Wilhelm, Ben Stennis and Deric Ruttan among others. How did you chose which songs would be included on the record?

We actually let the fans chose. We sent about fifty demos to the fans-I still cannot believe that we have a fan base-and let them pick what they thought were the best ten. It was a really cool way to have them involved with the record.

One of the songs, “Make You Mine,” features your musical hero, Ricky Skaggs. How did working with him come about?

We grew up listening to Ricky Skaggs, playing him over and over again. We never ever got sick of his music. He was with us when we made our Grand Ole Opry debut and when we asked him to be on the record, he agreed.

Since you have collaborated with your musical hero, is there anyone else you would want to work with?

Everyone keeps asking us that because Ricky Skaggs is our number one. I’d love to collaborate with Taylor Swift, I think that would be absolutely amazing.

Here in the states, The Highway has been very supportive of your music. They are currently playing “County Line” and it has been doing very well.

They have been and have been playing the heck out of County Line., which I think is near the Top 20 on their countdown. It has been pretty cool to see that response in the US. We are definitely thrilled with it.

In Canada, you have had multiple CCMA and JUNO nominations, is success in the states important?

Honestly, we don’t wake up and think about which country one of our songs gets played in.  We have been to India, Africa and Central America and we love making music all over world. With the pop influence on bluegrass and country, we are hoping to tour Europe and Australia too. We want our music to be heard in every country.
One thing recently that was really cool was a girl in Ireland tweeted us a photo of her autographed copy of the record. Ireland! Social media has been really important in spreading the word and having people find out about our music.

We know you have a bluegrass influence, who do you draw on from pop and country?

We are huge country fans, but we also like to listen to One Republic, Maroon 5, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. I think country follows pop and Seth Mosley [Billboard Producer of the Year], who produced our record, really brought it all out in our record.  For 26 year old guy, he just killed it with the pop grooves on the album. We had sort of a ying and yang where we pulled bluegrass and he pulled pop. It was a meaningful tug of war and the end result is what we like to call popgrass.

On October 31st, you will begin your first headlining tour, The County Line Tour. What can fans expect?

We have been in rehearsals and are getting ready to kick thing off. It is our first headlining tour and man are we pumped. Fans can expect all of the hits and the brand new songs form the record. We love mixing bluegrass with pop, so fans can expect some Top 40 bluegrass covers too.

In your downtime, what have you been listening to?

I really like “Rude” by Magic and “Cool Kids” by Echosmith. It’s funny because we flew to Africa recently and every time the plane landed, “Rude” was playing. It was kind of the theme of landing the airplane.

Watch the "County Line" Video here

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Meghan Linsey is forging her own musical path as a solo artist with the recent release of her self titled EP, which includes her terrific cover of "Counting Stars" as well as five other tracks. Her latest single from the project, "Try Harder Than That" mixes country and rap in a song that takes on the ever popular bro country trend while encouraging women not to settle in relationships. Meghan graciously took the time to talk about her new EP, her latest single and more!

Congratulations on the release of your EP. The project was Pledge funded and surpassed its goal. That really speaks a lot to your fan base.

That was an awesome way to make a record.  I have such a dedicated fan base that really supports my career. The way they stepped up, participated and pledged was totally overwhelming.
The project was a really great opportunity to connect with fans on a totally different level whether it was posting updates via video or fans pledging to spend a day in the studio with me, which they will get to do in November. It was terrific to have them as part of the recording process.

There are six songs on the record, including your cover of "Counting Stars." Did you have a hand in writing the other five?

I wrote or co-wrote them all with some really talented people including my producer Tyler Cain and Heather Morgan. I love writing; it’s a big part of who I am as an artist. After everything that has happened over the past few years, I was really inspired to write for the EP; I felt that I had a lot to say.

Talk about the story behind your current single “Try Harder Than That."

I wrote that song with James Otto and Corey Crowder. James had the idea to write a bro country song from a woman’s perspective and I said ‘that’s what I wanna write today!’ We wrote it in a couple of hours after which Corey brought up the idea of adding a rap. He said ‘Let’s call Bubba Sparxxx,’ who agreed and wrote the rap for it. We recorded the song and two days later we were at CMA Fest on the Bud Light Stage where Bubba joined me and we performed the song! That was pretty cool.

The single can currently be heard on The Highway where it continues to do well. Sirius has been a very big supporter of your music.

They have been amazing! I really value and appreciate their support. I know John from when he was a PD in California. When I shared my [solo] music with him, he immediately got behind it. The great thing about John is that he really supports independent and new artists which is something that is lacking on mainstream country radio where no one is really playing anything not on a major label.

The video for "Try Harder Than That," which is really fun and humorous, was recently released. Was the concept for the video your idea?

The video was definitely a collaborative effort between Ryan Hamblin, who directed the video, myself and my friends Julie and Steven. It was pretty easy to come up with the concept, to be honest with you; we just emailed ideas back and forth and it came together quickly.
Everything I do has a real grassroots feel to it, everyone rolls up their sleeves and works hard. I have a great team and supportive parents and when we work together it’s really special. You know, my dad built the throne in the video. I told my dad I needed a throne and he was like ‘I can do that,’ so we went to thrift store together, bought this old bed and he cut it up and made the chair. It’s just really cool that we can do that together.

Coming from a duo, how do you find performing as a solo artist?

It’s different. In Steel Magnolia I kind of laid back because when you are in a duo, you want to accommodate the other person, Now, I’m learning to play off of the band more and to be more adventurous on stage. I was so used to having someone to work with, someone else on stage with me and singing harmony, but I am learning to let go, have fun and really wail in my live show.

Now that the year is winding down, what are your professional plans for the remainder of 2014?

I have a few things in the works. I will be performing at quite a few events, then I will attend the CMAs and the American Country Countdown Awards. Also, The Highway is going to start playing another song from the EP.

Finally, I always love to know, is there one recent album that you just cannot stop listening to?

The new Ingrid Michaelson record! I have been listening to that like crazy! It’s so good.

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Watch the video for "Try Harder Than That" here

Purchase Meghan's EP here

Bobby McGrath and The Brothers are about to gain a whole lot of new fans on Friday night! The Albany, NY native and his band of "brothers" won NASH FM 94.7's Battle of the Country Bands contest and secured the opening slot on the Rascal Flatts tour stop at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. We had the pleasure of speaking with Bobby McGrath a few months ago, and he again graciously took the time to talk with us about this tremendous opportunity and what's ahead. 

We last spoke prior to your supporting Frankie Ballard and then Will Hoge at the Highline Ballroom in NYC. How were those experiences? 

Those were great! We had a blast! We were so thrilled to be able to play the Highline because it is the perfect size venue with incredible sound. We had such a terrific turnout too which made it great to look out into the crowd and see people singing along to our songs. It was also great to meet the other bands, hang out and talk with them about music.

On October 2nd, Bobby McGrath and The Brothers were announced the winners of NASH FM 94.7's Battle of The Bands contest, in which the winner gets to perform in the opening slot of the Rascal Flatts show on Friday, October 10th at the Prudential Center. 

How did you come to be involved with the contest?

We listen to NASH all the time and one of us, I cannot remember who, heard about the contest, so we put our name in the hat right away. Once we entered, people just started promoting it from there and here we are.

The contest was fan voted which speaks a great deal about your fan base. 

We couldn’t thank everyone enough for voting every day and helping us get in there. We are very, very excited and really looking forward to getting in there and playing for everyone. 

How did you learn that you won?

We received an email from NASH that we won prior to them announcing it. We were, and still are, just beyond pumped and extremely thankful that NASH provided this opportunity.  

Opening for Rascal Flatts in front of thousands of country music fans will provide quite a bit of exposure. Are you excited, nervous, a combination of both?

We aren't nervous yet, because I don’t think the actual playing part has sunk in, but we're going to put our best foot forward for sure! We try to make the most of every show because you never know who is going to hear you. It's really about playing for as many people as you can and what a better opportunity to do that than at the Prudential Center with Rascal Flatts! 
Our set will be acoustic and we will play maybe four or five songs, including possibly a new song, because it is always fun to expand the set with new, original music that we think the crowd will respond to. The other members of the band who will be joining me onstage will be Trevor Collins (lead guitar), Ryan Langlois (guitar/harmonica), Tommy McGrath (bass) and Billy Trimarchi (cajon).

What's ahead for you professionally? 

I am constantly writing new material and in January I am going to start splitting time between Nashville and New York. I will be in Nashville trying to work on the songwriting end of things and then playing shows in New York. I feel like we've been playing good shows and growing slowly and I don’t want to leave that behind. I am really excited to keep that going while exploring the possibilities.

Tickets for the Prudential Center Show are still available, visit here for more information
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