The Sit Down with Restless Road
Following a first visit to Europe in January 2023, where they joined Kane Brown on his “Drunk or Dreaming Tour”, Restless Road have quickly fell in love with audiences on this side of the Atlantic and the love has been reciprocated by their rapidly growing European fanbase.
Later in 2023, the trio of Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack released their debut full-length album titled “Last Rodeo” through RCA Nashville before a return across the pond at the start of this year to perform at C2C: Country to Country which is Europe’s largest country music festival and their first ever headline show at Lafayette in London.
After selling out shows across the UK, Germany and also Amsterdam in the Netherlands on their third trip to Europe this December, the trio accompanied by Erin Kinsey concluded the “Last Rodeo Tour” in London at Electric Ballroom which not only proved a fitting end to a stellar run of nine shows but also presented us with the opportunity to catch up with Zach, Garrett and Colton just before they went on stage.
Later in 2023, the trio of Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack released their debut full-length album titled “Last Rodeo” through RCA Nashville before a return across the pond at the start of this year to perform at C2C: Country to Country which is Europe’s largest country music festival and their first ever headline show at Lafayette in London.
After selling out shows across the UK, Germany and also Amsterdam in the Netherlands on their third trip to Europe this December, the trio accompanied by Erin Kinsey concluded the “Last Rodeo Tour” in London at Electric Ballroom which not only proved a fitting end to a stellar run of nine shows but also presented us with the opportunity to catch up with Zach, Garrett and Colton just before they went on stage.
Welcome back! I think it is nearly two years since we last saw each other when we were at Shepherd’s Bush and you were opening for Kane (Brown) the first time that you came over which clearly went pretty well. Then you came back this year for C2C doing the European leg too in Berlin and Rotterdam where the experience in Germany is a little different to what we get in London but it’s a good different and why we love going out there for it. That trip with the German club shows and your FIRST EVER headline show at Lafayette in London in there too brought you some more fans and now you’re here again for the third time doing nine shows around Europe meaning that something is working for you guys and worth the effort over here.
“For sure, absolutely. I mean we've been talking about it for a long time, I feel like country music is growing exponentially and a crazy rate, not just in the US but globally and we’ve said that one thing that was really, really important to us was that we wanted to get over here as early as possible to grow those fans. To think that we were here two years ago for the very first time, just on acoustic to, now being on a sold out tour across Europe in the UK is pretty unbelievable. Amsterdam was the very first one and that sold out. It’s just wild, I don't think that we ever in a million years thought that our music would ever reach globally, much less we would be able to come around and tour having sold out shows, so it's been a really, really big blessing to us.” (C)
“We're looking for a rowdy crowd tonight. We're hoping that everybody's going really, really crazy and we want to hear that the screams of the energy, that's what we want.” (G)
You’re out on the road with Erin on this run, I spoke to her over Zoom when you were in Munich and you guys know far more than I do how amazing she is as you've recorded and toured with her before. What is it about her that you felt was a really good fit to be able to bring back over? In terms of going out on a road with someone, obviously when you're supporting someone, you want someone that's going to introduce you to a new audience, but just as people to be on the road with, what makes a good road buddy to be out with?
“Yeah, we met her a couple of years ago at a radio event called Live in the Vineyard and we were really big fans. We had seen her online and when we met her in person, she was just the sweetest, like nicest person you can meet, then we got to hear her sing live and we were blown away about how good she was and is just the sweetest person who has got the whole package. She's got great music, she's an amazing vocalist, she knows how to rip a guitar solo and I mean, you can’t find that very often. When we were looking for someone to bring out, we immediately thought of her and when we did our US leg of this “Last Rodeo” tour, she crushed it every single night. She never had a bad night and even our fans would come up and say that they discovered Erin from coming to this show and we were big fans. So, when we were coming back over here across the pond, we thought, who's the best person to bring? We’ve got to ring here Erin, because like I said, she's a great person as a friend, a great person to share the stage with and we've got nothing but positive reviews from people that love us and they love Erin now too.” (G)
“She brings it, having someone with a full band definitely helps. The thing about her music is that her new music especially is really rock, really up-tempo and really exciting so, it definitely helps keep the crowd energized before we go out there.” (Z)
“For sure, absolutely. I mean we've been talking about it for a long time, I feel like country music is growing exponentially and a crazy rate, not just in the US but globally and we’ve said that one thing that was really, really important to us was that we wanted to get over here as early as possible to grow those fans. To think that we were here two years ago for the very first time, just on acoustic to, now being on a sold out tour across Europe in the UK is pretty unbelievable. Amsterdam was the very first one and that sold out. It’s just wild, I don't think that we ever in a million years thought that our music would ever reach globally, much less we would be able to come around and tour having sold out shows, so it's been a really, really big blessing to us.” (C)
“We're looking for a rowdy crowd tonight. We're hoping that everybody's going really, really crazy and we want to hear that the screams of the energy, that's what we want.” (G)
You’re out on the road with Erin on this run, I spoke to her over Zoom when you were in Munich and you guys know far more than I do how amazing she is as you've recorded and toured with her before. What is it about her that you felt was a really good fit to be able to bring back over? In terms of going out on a road with someone, obviously when you're supporting someone, you want someone that's going to introduce you to a new audience, but just as people to be on the road with, what makes a good road buddy to be out with?
“Yeah, we met her a couple of years ago at a radio event called Live in the Vineyard and we were really big fans. We had seen her online and when we met her in person, she was just the sweetest, like nicest person you can meet, then we got to hear her sing live and we were blown away about how good she was and is just the sweetest person who has got the whole package. She's got great music, she's an amazing vocalist, she knows how to rip a guitar solo and I mean, you can’t find that very often. When we were looking for someone to bring out, we immediately thought of her and when we did our US leg of this “Last Rodeo” tour, she crushed it every single night. She never had a bad night and even our fans would come up and say that they discovered Erin from coming to this show and we were big fans. So, when we were coming back over here across the pond, we thought, who's the best person to bring? We’ve got to ring here Erin, because like I said, she's a great person as a friend, a great person to share the stage with and we've got nothing but positive reviews from people that love us and they love Erin now too.” (G)
“She brings it, having someone with a full band definitely helps. The thing about her music is that her new music especially is really rock, really up-tempo and really exciting so, it definitely helps keep the crowd energized before we go out there.” (Z)
Like we said, the first time we saw you, you opened for Kane and that was a great introduction to people over here but I know that you have been out on the road with BY back at home this fall. I haven’t met Brett but I know quite a few of his team because my buddy Matt Ferranti, who now tours with Jelly Roll, used to play keys for him so I know the guys through Matt. I would share some wild stories about Keaton Simons if I could remember them ha-ha. They are a great crew and you can tell that Brett Young is someone that cares for the people around him and has this touring malarky sussed out. Is that something that you guys are growing into more and picking up things about how you want things to work from being on the road with people like him and Kane?
“I feel like we've been really, really fortunate to have grown this thing pretty fast in the past couple of years and as we do get bigger, you start to realize that the people around you are extremely, extremely important to what you do. I feel like the crew that we have now, we feel really, really good about, we clicked really well with each other and you know, they're just as much in this as what you are so, you want to grow with your crew and have a good core of people and just continue to grow.” (C)
Just to touch on new music, we had a new track called “Done It By Now” which came out last month and has been the first thing since the album dropped, so can you fill us in about this one?
“We put our debut album “Last Rodeo” in October of 2023 and we spent a lot of this year touring and we were itching to put out some new music. “Done It By Now” is a song that we actually didn’t write, but when we heard it, we fell in love with it immediately. We felt like that was a really great introductory song to this next chapter of music, so that's out in the world now which fans have been loving and singing along to already on this tour. This tour is the first that people have got to hear that song live and we're actually launching another song very shortly at the top of the year that we've just now started teasing on social media. It's called “Work On Me”, so it is unreleased and we've started introducing the crowds out here to that song as well and that one is a song that we did write and means a lot to us. It's all about working on yourself, taking an inside look and also finding that person out there who brings out the best in you.” (Z)
“I feel like we've been really, really fortunate to have grown this thing pretty fast in the past couple of years and as we do get bigger, you start to realize that the people around you are extremely, extremely important to what you do. I feel like the crew that we have now, we feel really, really good about, we clicked really well with each other and you know, they're just as much in this as what you are so, you want to grow with your crew and have a good core of people and just continue to grow.” (C)
Just to touch on new music, we had a new track called “Done It By Now” which came out last month and has been the first thing since the album dropped, so can you fill us in about this one?
“We put our debut album “Last Rodeo” in October of 2023 and we spent a lot of this year touring and we were itching to put out some new music. “Done It By Now” is a song that we actually didn’t write, but when we heard it, we fell in love with it immediately. We felt like that was a really great introductory song to this next chapter of music, so that's out in the world now which fans have been loving and singing along to already on this tour. This tour is the first that people have got to hear that song live and we're actually launching another song very shortly at the top of the year that we've just now started teasing on social media. It's called “Work On Me”, so it is unreleased and we've started introducing the crowds out here to that song as well and that one is a song that we did write and means a lot to us. It's all about working on yourself, taking an inside look and also finding that person out there who brings out the best in you.” (Z)
Then in terms of this next chapter, “Last Rodeo” came out in October 2023, which is just over a year ago so, have we got something extended planned on the way? I know you might not be able to tell us too much right now, but is there something in the pipeline?
“We have multiple songs already ready to be released and plans are for cutting new music at the top of the year and we'll see what the rest of the year brings, we'll just say that.” (C)
One last one from me as you’ve got a show to get ready for but do you find you get a different reaction to certain songs over here compared to back at home? This isn’t just my way as an Auburn fan to go down the road of rubbing in the fact that Alabama didn’t make the college playoffs this year but have you found the fans get a song like “Roll Tide Roll” over here?
“Well, we actually haven’t sung it over her. I will say thought that especially over here in Europe and in the UK like I would say that people love our album cuts and like the deeper cuts. In the US you have your big hitters like “Growing Old With You”, “Last Rodeo” or “Go Get Her” so most of the time people will come up and say that is my favourite song, but we've noticed over here a lot that it's typically not those songs. I mean, obviously a lot of people do like those, but some people will come up and say, oh, I love, you know, like this song, this song or that song and we're like, wow, really? They know a lot more of the deeper stuff so, I would say that's a big difference for sure.” (G)
Thanks for the catchup and hopefully this isn't the last rodeo over here.
“Absolutely not, no chance! Thanks for having us.” (All)
SETLIST: ELECTRIC BALLROOM, CAMDEN, LONDON, DECEMBER 12th, 2024
Bar Friends, Sundown Somewhere, Leave Them Boots On, Done It By Now, Could’ve Been A Love Song, Take Me Home, Go Get Her, 10 Things, Seven Bridges Road/Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)/She’s Country/Beer Never Broke My Heart/Boondocks, Easy for You to Say, Tell Me Not To, On My Way, Most Nights [with Erin Kinsey], Work On Me, Head Over Heels, Headlights, Growing Old With You, Somebody Like You, No Can Do, Last Rodeo.
The new single “Done It By Now” from Restless Road is out now and available HERE. There are sure to be future dates on the way in 2025, which you will be able to see full listings on their WEBSITE and you can keep up to date will all that Zach, Colton and Garrett are up to on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK or FACEBOOK.
“We have multiple songs already ready to be released and plans are for cutting new music at the top of the year and we'll see what the rest of the year brings, we'll just say that.” (C)
One last one from me as you’ve got a show to get ready for but do you find you get a different reaction to certain songs over here compared to back at home? This isn’t just my way as an Auburn fan to go down the road of rubbing in the fact that Alabama didn’t make the college playoffs this year but have you found the fans get a song like “Roll Tide Roll” over here?
“Well, we actually haven’t sung it over her. I will say thought that especially over here in Europe and in the UK like I would say that people love our album cuts and like the deeper cuts. In the US you have your big hitters like “Growing Old With You”, “Last Rodeo” or “Go Get Her” so most of the time people will come up and say that is my favourite song, but we've noticed over here a lot that it's typically not those songs. I mean, obviously a lot of people do like those, but some people will come up and say, oh, I love, you know, like this song, this song or that song and we're like, wow, really? They know a lot more of the deeper stuff so, I would say that's a big difference for sure.” (G)
Thanks for the catchup and hopefully this isn't the last rodeo over here.
“Absolutely not, no chance! Thanks for having us.” (All)
SETLIST: ELECTRIC BALLROOM, CAMDEN, LONDON, DECEMBER 12th, 2024
Bar Friends, Sundown Somewhere, Leave Them Boots On, Done It By Now, Could’ve Been A Love Song, Take Me Home, Go Get Her, 10 Things, Seven Bridges Road/Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)/She’s Country/Beer Never Broke My Heart/Boondocks, Easy for You to Say, Tell Me Not To, On My Way, Most Nights [with Erin Kinsey], Work On Me, Head Over Heels, Headlights, Growing Old With You, Somebody Like You, No Can Do, Last Rodeo.
The new single “Done It By Now” from Restless Road is out now and available HERE. There are sure to be future dates on the way in 2025, which you will be able to see full listings on their WEBSITE and you can keep up to date will all that Zach, Colton and Garrett are up to on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK or FACEBOOK.