The Old Dominion band members, Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen, open up about their latest EP, ‘Memory Lane’, in a recent conversation with PEOPLE.
In his acceptance speech for the group of the year award at the 2023 ACM Awards, Matthew Ramsey, frontman of Old Dominion, expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards his bandmates, aided by a cane, a reminder of his ATV accident that had resulted in a broken pelvis earlier this year.
Now almost fully recovered, Ramsey, aged 45, acknowledges the ongoing support from his fellow band members – Trevor Rosen (a multi-instrumentalist), guitarist Brad Tursi, bassist Geoff Sprung, and drummer Whit Sellers.
“Our friendship precedes our band formation. We once sat down and decided, our ultimate aim is to remain friends even after the music ends,” Ramsey shared with PEOPLE. “We follow a self-governance principle. If one of us becomes too full of himself, we bring him back down to earth. Similarly, if someone is feeling down, we do our best to uplift their spirits.”
At present, all the five country musicians are filled with excitement and anticipation for the release of their new eight-track EP, ‘Memory Lane’, scheduled for release on the coming Friday.
With an advanced flair, the EP retains the characteristic Old Dominion sound. Tracks such as “Freedom Like You” are given a rock edge with the electric guitar, while “Easier Said with Rum” contributes a sensual, laid-back R&B vibe.
Rosen, 48, shared his feelings of liberation after 16 years with Old Dominion. He revels in the opportunity to develop and explore their sound without the need to stick to a predefined format. “The freedom to take a song we love and not worry about whether it sounds like us is exhilarating,” he mentioned. “We absolutely love trying out different things.”
Ramsey adds, “Despite us constantly pushing our boundaries and evolving, people often remark, ‘[New music] sounds just like you guys!’ It’s quite thrilling to embrace that and understand that no matter how wild we get, we will always sound like us.”
Portions of the EP, including the title track and “Easier Said with Rum,” were recorded in Key West, Florida, with the tropical ambiance influencing the tracks. The band also found inspiration from touring with Kenny Chesney, which can be recognized in the rockier tunes.
The band’s journey to success has been long and hard-earned, achieving initial success as songwriters but not releasing their debut album until 2015. For Ramsey and Rosen, the path to their success has been rewarding and has made their many victories all the more cherished.
The band is also amidst their No Bad Vibes tour, their first headlining tour in arenas.
The band members continue to enjoy making new music and sharing it with their fans. They are even working diligently on an upcoming full-length album that Ramsey claims is “the best music that we’ve made.”
“For years, we’ve asserted, ‘We are Old Dominion, and that means everyone.’ It’s about the five of us, our crew, and our fans. Our main goal since day one has been to foster a community, not just a five-member band,” he says. “I believe we’re finally achieving that.”
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