Of late, praise has not been in short supply for Randy Rogers Band. Rolling Stone dubbed the live-show friendly fivesome one of its “Must-see tours of the summer.” The group’s latest album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and earned the honor of Country Album of the Year from Playboy. 
Of late, praise has not been in short supply for Randy Rogers Band. Rolling Stone dubbed the live-show friendly fivesome one of its “Must-see tours of the summer.” The group’s latest album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and earned the honor of Country Album of the Year from Playboy.
Fans in the Falls Church area will get to see what all the fuss is about when frontman Randy Rogers brings his mates to the State Theatre on Nov. 15. To get you in the mood, we thought we’d give you a little Q&A primer with the band’s founder.
Mike Hume: You played as a member of a backing band first. What lessons did you take from that?
Randy Rogers: Well, I learned how to treat people. I didn’t have much say in that band or what we played, it just wasn’t very much fun. It was kinda like a job and I didn’t think that music should be like a job. I thought that everybody should enjoy it, and of course they should be equal. So when I started my band up, I told them that we’d split everything up Even-Steven and even though the band will be called the Randy Rogers Band, you’ll have input. So it was a very good lesson.
MH: What was it like to see your music make the billboard charts for the first time?
RR: It’s just a dream come true kind of thing. I always grew up listening to country music and wanted to be on the radio. Every time a song of ours comes on it just tickles me to death. It makes me proud and makes me feel like all this work is going to pay off one day. That and to be a part of people’s lives, that all these people can come up to me and tell me that I’m doing that, it’s an enjoyable thing.
MH: Do you remember where you first were when you heard one of your songs on the radio?
RR: I was in San Marcos, Texas, driving in “Peaches” our ‘88 suburban. I pulled over and got out and jumped up and down.
MH: At that moment, is there a more prevalent sense of achievement or pressure to follow up that success?
RR: I haven’t ever felt pressure. I have felt pride and I think that I go back to listen to old records and I’ll think how young and inexperienced we were when we were making it, how we were just kind of faking it. Of course, we’re making a record right now, so I’m sure in 10 years I’ll look back on this record and be like, man, I didn’t know what I was doing. Funny how you feel like you’re always growing.
MH: One of the things I see most frequently is that fans and writers love your authenticity. Do you find that confining? Are you ever hesitant to take your music in a direction that goes against that?
RR: I don’t think it impacts my creative process or I find it limiting. I think what draws people to our music is that it is sincere and written for the average guy. Usually you can relate to at least one song on my record, if you’ve been around walking on the earth and going through the highs and lows and ups and downs we all go through. I had a friend ask me, do you think you’re doing so good because you’re just so damn nice to everybody, or because you’re actually good? I was like, I don’t know but I’m not going to start being an a**hole. I’m not going to press my luck.
