Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus on 20 years of 'Me And My Gang'

To kick off 2026, Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts is keeping Katie Neal company, here to talk about the group's upcoming 'Totally Private' show with Audacy, the 20th anniversary of their album, 'Me And My Gang,' and their plans to see fans on the road throughout 2026.

Rascal Flatts is back on the road this month, performing for fans across the country and continuing their 'Life Is A Highway' run. "The tour was so successful last year that we wanted to just keep it moving forward," admits DeMarcus with fresh dates through 2026.

This year also marks 20 years since the 'Me And My Gang' album, which features several of the group's signature songs like "My Wish," and "What Hurts The Most." The project was the top-selling album of the year after its release, and Jay still remembers taking it all in on music's biggest night.

"The whole 'Me And My Gang' record is kind of our 'Joshua Tree,'" shares Jay inside our Nashville studios. "I think all the stars aligned, came together."

"At the risk of sounding, you know, egotistical, that record that year sold more records than any other record in the world," DeMarcus reveals. "We were sitting at the GRAMMYs, and I never will forget during commercial break, Gary leaned over to me and he said, 'Hey, cuz, look at the people that we're sitting in the room with, there's Beyoncé, there's JAY-Z, there's Lady Gaga, Elton John. And I was like, 'yeah, I can't believe this, man. We're sitting in the same room.' And he goes, 'now think about this, we sold more records than anybody in here this year.' That's one of those memories that like chokes me up."

"When you dream about being an artist, you hope you make it to the GRAMMYs. You hope you have a hit song. But that's one of the memories that I'll always share with Gary that was uniquely our own. Just between the two of us," he adds. "Well, not anymore."

"But sitting during commercial break and having that little moment between the two of us, I'll never forget that as long as I live."

To hear more stories behind the songs of 'Me And My Gang' and more from Jay DeMarcus, check out the full interview above.