The Randy Roger Band, composed of Randy Rogers, Geoffrey Hill, Jon Richardson, Brady Black, and Les Lawless are no strangers to an album release- ‘Nothing Shines Like Neon’ being the band’s 10th release and as of last week achieving career milestone of 1 million records sold. One might wonder what they could possibly do to keep fans on their toes, New England Country Music got a chance to catch up with lead singer Randy Rogers, and he promised us that casual and diehard fans alike won’t be disappointed.
If you’re a true country music lover then there is no mistaking the true talent in supporting artists throughout the album. Jamey Johnson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Allison Kraus, and Dan Tyminski all make appearances, to which Randy seemed as excited as we were. Roger raves, “If you were to ask me 10 years ago if it were possible that Allison Kraus would sing on my record, I would have told you there was no way it would ever happen, I’ve just been a huge fan of hers for so long. Even further than that, Jerry Jeff, growing up in Texas and being a kid knowing about him and his songs, in the 6th grade I would’ve keeled over dead if you told me Jerry Jeff was going to duet with me, looking back at the little kid with a guitar that I was it’s unfathomable to believe. Jamey Johnson and I were on the same label for so long and I’ve been such a huge fan of his, just his music and his attitude. I’m definitely not as tough as he is but dang I wish I was.”
Not only were there some legendary musicians on the record, but also a legendary producer. Buddy Cannon has been an icon in the industry, most notably for producing albums for Kenny Chesney and winning ACM Producer of the Year in 2006, along with albums for Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and George Jones. “Buddy was just so funny.” described Rogers. “He’s always got a joke for every situation, he’ll make you feel right at home and right at ease, especially under the studio microscope. The end result was getting the exact sounds that we wanted, our band playing the country music that we grew up on.
With so many albums under their belt, the band wasn’t particularly concerned with radio play this time around, doing things on their terms, making music that they wanted to make, coming together in a very special end product. “We set out on a mission to make a particular record, not that we were driven before to put out songs that would get radio play, but I think that we set out to make a record that we wanted to sound like our childhood, something that our parents would listen to. Before, we set out to make great songs, and record great singles, this one we wanted to record a great country album as a whole.” With legendary producers, iconic musicians, and very special music being made, there were certainly many memorable moments to be had, and Randy had a hard time narrowing down some of his favorites. “Jerry Jeff in the studio with us acting absolutely insane, just on fire playing the guitar, and banging on the drums, I’ll have that image burned into my head for the rest of my life. Also, the song ‘Meet Me Tonight’ really came alive in the studio, there’s always one or two songs that take lives of their own, and I think those type of songs end up as my favorites tracks on a record.”
Fan reaction to new songs at a live performance can sometimes be tough to win over, but Randy says that the band didn’t have many problems this time around. “We’ve been playing the song ‘Neon Blues,’ people get up and dance at our shows, people two-stepping all over the place to that one. We’ve been playing ‘San Antone,’ If you’ve ever been to San Antonio, everybody has their own special moment, whether it be on the river walk, or falling in love with the food, or even somebody, everybody has their picture of what the city is like, and I think that song really resonates with the crowd. We’ve also been playing ‘Look Out Yonder,’ a song about my mentor that passed away the day we started making the album, and sometimes that one is hard to sing live, I’ve choked it out more than a few times.
One might look forward to bigger crowds, album sales, and touring after releasing a new record, but Randy said him and the boys were more excited for a much similar aspect. “Changing our set list,” joked Rogers when asked what they were most excited for when the album releases. “We tour 150 days a year, so being able to switch up your show. Our fans have remained loyal to us through the years because it’s not the same show, not choreographed, and not rehearsed, no dance moves, for us it’s just new stuff to play. I haven’t said in any interview we’ve done for this album so far that it’s the best thing we’ve ever done, but I feel very strongly for this record and its ability to play it live.”
Just a few days prior to the album release, the band achieved a huge career milestone, selling their 1,000,000th album to which Randy dedicates to their hard work and determination. “It’s a testament to the work that myself and the band have been through, the shows that we’ve played, the roller coaster ride that this crazy music business is. It speaks volumes for the work that the guys have made and our families have made. I would say that we earned that million sell mark by doing it the hard way. We didn’t have a hit single right out of the box, we haven’t had a ton of radio success, this is our 10th album, that’s a lot of work, and we have a lot to show for that work put in.”
The Texas country scene is an undiscovered territory to most, but bands like the Randy Rogers Band are gaining momentum and raising eyebrows, and with such prolific guests and over a million in sales, it’s safe to say that ‘Nothing Shines like Neon’ is set up to be a great success coast to coast. Be sure to see for yourself Friday, March 4th, at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, you won’t want to miss it, we know we sure won’t.