Phil Vassar has been in the country music business for years – throughout his career he’s achieved 10 Number One singles, fifteen Top 10 songs, and twenty-five Top 40 hits, and as he still plays more than 135 shows a year, Vassar has no intentions of slowing down. “I think I have more fun playing shows now than I ever did,” he said when he called to catch up with NECM before his Lowell, MA show this week. Although being on the road can be “relentless” at times, for Phil, touring is definitely the most fun part of his job. With a band that’s been with him for years, Vassar has been able to ditch his setlists and play each show on the fly. “I think it keeps it exciting. It keeps it real and it keeps it live,” he said, assuring that fans can always expect a one-of-a-kind experience. Phil loves when fans tweet requests or call out songs during the show. “The crowd is so active in what we do. So I just go out and play whatever everybody wants to hear. There’s no pressure, it’s just fun and that’s what I love about it.”
Phil can’t wait to make a stop in New England this weekend as he knows that fans love to see him return to the Northeast. He expressed gratitude for always receiving such a warm welcome every time he heads up here. “It’s such a great country audience. It’s a great bunch of fans,” he said with excitement. He also mentioned that he’s got some really close friends up in Boston that he’s looking forward to catching up with. “Between seeing my buddies and hanging out and playing some music, it doesn’t get much better than that. I’m excited about it!” he said. “We’ve had so much fun touring, and these are the last shows of the year for us as far as our concerts,” he said. “It’s definitely been a nutty year!”
But the year isn’t over just yet – While many artists have started winding down for the holiday season, Vassar has been doing quite the opposite. He recently dropped a Christmas song with Kellie Pickler, ‘The Naughty List,’ and the two will be embarking on a holiday tour in just a few weeks. “We usually do a little bit of a Christmas tour but never to this extent. I think we’re doing 18 or 19 shows in 24 days. We’re leaving after dinner Thanksgiving and then we’re coming home on Christmas Eve. So there you go, it’s craziness!” For this tour, Kellie and Phil will each have a turn playing a small acoustic set and then both artists will perform the last half of the show together, Vassar explained. “We’re having a blast just getting the songs together and narrowing it down. I think folks are really going to love this thing, I think they’re going to love the show. You’re going to be in the holiday spirit when you leave there, that’s our goal,” he said, adding, “I’m in the Christmas spirit already!”
Like many retail stores, Phil has been in the Christmas spirit for a while now. Pickler and Vassar recorded the song back in the summer, “It was 100 degrees!” he laughed. The two also shot the music video a few weeks ago, and so far Vassar had nothing but great things to say about working with the songstress. “I love her so much. I mean, she is such a dear girl and she’s just a great talent,” he gushed. “She’s so real, there’s not one single phony piece of her. She’s the same on camera as she is off camera,” he described, as some may be familiar with her CMT show, I Love Kellie Pickler. “I just love it, I’m excited to be doing this tour with her!”
Another artist Vassar has a lot of respect for, and someone we’re a huge fan of too, is Matthew Ramsey of Old Dominion. Just a few nights ago Phil got to present Matt with the ASCAP Songwriter-Artist of the Year award – a moment that they both describe as “full circle.” Vassar recalled how the two have been close friends for a while now, “I remember the day he came to town, he came to my house, and I was in the middle of it – I was just getting my Songwriter of the Year awards and all of that. Matt jumped on the bus with me and hung out and we started writing… I always knew he was amazingly talented, a great singer, and he’s one of the greatest guys I know,” he raved. “He’s like my little brother, I literally had chills giving it to him. Being in that moment and knowing where he came from… We have a lot of the same stories – you have every door slammed in your face, that’s just part of being an artist. Some artists walk into town and get a record deal and they’re stars. I don’t have any idea, that was not my past, and it wasn’t his. But he was just persistent,” he continued. Throughout the years, Phil could see everything falling into place for his friend. “I really think I was more excited to see him get the award than I ever was when I got it myself,” he laughed.
For Vassar, the moral of the story is: be true to yourself. It was advice he passed on to Ramsey and what he would tell any other young artist these days. “You just have to be true to who you are and what you do. As long as you’re happy with what you’re doing, you’re okay.” And at this point, Vassar couldn’t be happier. Not one to ride out the success of the past, he’s continuing to try out different things and to grow as an artist and a singer-songwriter. “I just had a new record this year with 16 new songs. So that’s always fun, to play new music along with all the hits you’ve had,” he said. “I shot 24 songs from my cellar in the past two years with everybody from Peter Frampton and STYX’s Tommy Shaw and John Rich to some of the new acts like Hunter Hayes and Old Dominion and Brothers Osborne. Next year we’re looking at taking that on the road and going to Sonoma and Napa and all over the planet and shooting that show,” he said enthusiastically. “It all comes back to being able to play music every night. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do my whole life. I am really a lucky person, I’m a lucky guy I get to do what I love.”
You can get your copy of Phil Vassar and Kellie Pickler’s ‘The Naughty List’ on iTunes.
Need plans Friday? There’s still tickets left for Vassar’s Lowell, MA show. Don’t miss out!