Our Managing Editor and resident Texan Chris Gearing got a chance to talk to the front man for the Randy Rogers Band the other day. The band is playing at Rites this Saturday and shared how they rose to country music stardom. Randy shared the scoop on their next album, working with Willie Nelson and how he knows that Rites this year is going to be badass.

Versus Magazine: How'd the band come together?
Randy Rogers: We've been together ... in October, it'll be the eighth anniversary of touring as the Randy Rogers Band. The original members that started the band with me, they all split after a year and a half. They all graduated from college and decided to grow up or do other things. It was about that time that things were a little bit rocky for me, and the four other guys that are in the band now all joined up right about that same time. One right after the other. In this form, we've been together about six years.

VM: Who are your influences?
RR: As a band, every type of genre of music from rock to country, y'know. Beatles, the Stones, Zeppelin, and Pearl Jam ... we had just as much rock influence on us as did Big Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Don Williams. We all grew up on our parents' record collections.

VM: I know you guys are from Texas; I'm actually from Dallas. Would you say that growing up and playing in Texas affects your sound?
RR: I was in a rock band in high school, a garage rock band, y'know. Up in Texas, though, it's kind of hard to be rock 'n' roll, you grow up feeding the cows or whatever. You can play country music in Texas and make a living. That had a lot to do with it.

VM: How's it feel to be playing in Nashville? Any good stories?
RR: Yeah, we've done a bunch of shows in Nashville. We just played a really cool show with Cross Canadian Ragweed down at City Hall, and that was a pretty cool night. We play the Exit/In a bunch.

VM: What was it like getting nominated for a CMT Music Award for y'all's video "One More Goodbye?"
RR: It's the second video we've ever shot, so it was nice that we got a mention at CMT. Hopefully, they'll like the next video we make too, y'know? [laughs] It was an honor, y'know. The Eagles were in the same category, so that was pretty cool.

VM: What was it like performing with the grandpappy of country, Willie Nelson?
RR: We've done several shows with Willie over the years. We've done a couple Fourth of July and did a couple of shows with him right at the end of last year. Got to get out on stage and sing with Willie Nelson in front of about 16,000 people out at the Starplex or Smirnoff, whatever it's called now. You know it, you're from Dallas. It was badass.

VM: What's the new album called and what does it sound like?
RR: It's Randy Rogers Band, it's our sixth album. It's our second album for Mercury, our record label there in Nashville. It's very much a band record, it's very much about who we are, the country music that we believe in. It's more of what we've done in the past. Randy Foster produced it for us. There aren't any bells and whistles or smoke and lights or anything like that - it's pretty straightforward country-rock.

VM: What's next for the Randy Rogers Band?
RR: We're gonna put a single out sometime in the next few months, shoot another video and get ready to release this record, man. It's the best work that we've ever done, and we're just excited about that. Laying all the foundation and groundwork to put the record out. I'm real proud that it's our sixth record, too. It doesn't seem like much, but it's really neat to be able to put out that many records and keep on plugging away. We tour 200-plus days a year, and we've been doing that consistently for years. We're just really thankful, y'know. And we'll just keep making records.

VM: Well, thanks man, looking forward to seeing ya on Saturday.
RR: Hey man, what a great line up. It's gonna be awesome.