Rascal Flatts‘ Jay DeMarcus has spent most of the last 20 years on the road, with a lot of time away from his family. So this unexpected time at home, instead of being on the trio’s farewell Life Is a Highway Tour, has been the most time he’s had with his wife, Allison, and children Madeline and Dylan — and he’s soaking up every minute.
“It’s been wonderful for me,” Jay told his record label. “I’ve loved being able to be home with my kids and really connect on a deeper level than I’ve been able to, to be honest. And so, to spend that much concentrated time with them has been really, really awesome for me. I loved being able to wake up and make them breakfast.”
The 49-year-old had to hone his cooking skills to keep his son and daughter fed while everyone was in the house together.
“I was a short-order cook, for sure,” Jay revealed. “Everybody would come into the kitchen and let me know what they wanted for lunch. I had my notepad there, I’d write it all down. It was really, really great, and it really forced me to take a look at everything and really know what’s important to me. There were so many things I realized that I used to worry about so much that just don’t really matter that much, that I just don’t care about anymore. So I’m grateful for that time.”
Rascal Flatts, which also includes Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney, are still unsure if they will headline their final tour next year or not.
“We don’t wanna leave people hanging and just go away,” Jay acknowledged. “We certainly want to go out and celebrate with them. As to when and how that’s gonna happen, we simply don’t know yet. But we’re really, really focused right now on what the next steps are gonna be as far as getting back on the road and getting in front of the fans and not only celebrating… [an] incredible 20 years with them, but also giving them a chance to see us for what may be one of the last times we’re around.”
Rascal Flatts’ will release their new EP, How They Remember You, on July 31. It is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.