>> AND ONE OF THE MEMBERS IS JAY DeMARCUS SHARING VERY PERSONAL
STORIES IN HIS NEW MEMOIR
"SHOTGUN ANGELS."
"SHOTGUN ANGELS." >> WE WERE JUST SAYING TO WRITE,
IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE REALLY
VULNERABLE AND WRITE YOUR TRUTH
IT CAN BE HARD AND CHALLENGING.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
>> IT WAS TOUGH, YOU KNOW,
RELIVING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
HAPPENED IN MY LIFE TO GET ME TO
WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.
SORT OF BROUGHT A LOT OF THINGS
BACK UP TO THE SURFACE SO IT WAS
LIKE BEING IN THERAPY, LIKE MY
OWN COUCH AND BUS AND BEING IN
MY OWN LITTLE CUBICLE THERE
GOING THROUGH THERAPY, IT REALLY
WAS.
WAS. >> ONE MOMENT WHERE YOU SAID I
DON’T KNOW IF I WANT TO GO DOWN
THIS PATH BECAUSE IT’S SO HARD.
>> SOME OF THE THINGS DEALING
WITH MY FAMILY AND COMPLICATED
RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY FATHERS.
MY FOLKS GOT DIVORCED TWO TIMES
GROWING UP, AND A LOT THAT HAVE
IS IN THE BOOK AND DOING THE
BOOK IT’S RELIVING THOSE MOMENTS
AND IT’S DIFFICULT FOR SURE.
>> HOW IS EVERYBODY REACTING TO
IT?
IT? THE BAND AND RASCAL FLATS?
>> MY BROTHERS IN THE BAND ARE
COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE AND I
WOULDN’T BE HERE WITHOUT THEM.
I LOVE THEM.
THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT.
MY FAMILY HAS BEEN GREAT.
MY MOM HAS BEEN AWESOME, AND
IT’S REALLY A TRIBUTE IN A LOT
OF WAYS TO HER AND THE STRONG
WOMAN THAT SHE WAS RAISING US AS
A SINGLE MOTHER WORKING TWO
JOBS, SOMETIMES THREE JOBS, AND
I JUST HAD SUCH A REALLY
WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF A WOMAN, A
STRONG WOMAN TO LOOK UP TO IN
HER, AND WITH MOTHER’S DAY RIGHT
AROUND THE CORNER, IT’S REALLY,
REALLY NEAT THAT I WAS ABLE TO
DO THAT FOR HER AND TELL HER
STORY.
STORY. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> BECAUSE I ATTRIBUTE A LOT OF
WHO I AM TODAY TO THE FOUNDATION
THAT SHE LAID EARLY ON IN MY
LIFE BY DRAGGING US TO CHURCH,
LIKE THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK.
SOMETIMES I THOUGHT WE SHOULD
JUST HAVE A BED THERE AND SAVE
OUR MONEY ON THE GAS AND TIME
GOING BACK AND FORTH BUT
REALIZED LATER ON IN LIFE SHE
WAS PLANTING SEEDS OF FAITH AND
I REALLY LEANS ON IT IN TOUGH
TIMES IN NASHVILLE TRYING TO
MAKE IT THE IN MUSIC BUSINESS.
>> THE BOOK REALLY IS ABOUT HOPE
AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HOPE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I JUST FEEL LIKE -- I FIND MY
HOPE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH
CHRIST, AND BEING A BELIEVER IS
NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT BY ANY
MEANS.
MEANS. IT IS SIMPLY ADMITTING THAT WE
NEED HELP.
NEED HELP. WE’RE NOT MEANT TO GO THROUGH
THIS LIFE ALONE, YOU KNOW, AND
FOR ME I FOUND THE TOUGHEST TIME
IN MY LIFE TO BE BETTER BY
HAVING A STRONG RELATIONSHIP
WITH CHRIST AND THAT I COULD
LEAN UPON, AND I WANT TO KNOW,
IF YOU’RE WILLING TO TRY A
THERAPIST AND XANAX AND PILLS
AND EVERYTHING WHY NOT FIND
ANSWERS IN SOMEONE HIGHER THAN
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. >> IN FAITH.
IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE PEOPLE
WATCHING THINKING OH, RASCAL
FLATS, ALL THE STAR AND FAME AND
MONEY, HE DOESN’T NEED -- HE
DOESN’T NEED ANYTHING, AND HE
HASN’T SUFFERED, BUT YOU SAY
THAT THERE HAVE BEEN BUMPING
ROADS AND THAT MAKES THE
BEAUTIFUL ROAD THAT MUCH BETTER.
>> IT REALLY DOES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT A LOT OF
TIMES WHEN WE SEE ENTERTAINERS,
WE SEE PEOPLE IN THE
ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS, ACTORS,
MUSICIANS, WE SEE THE END RESULT
OF A LOT OF HARD WORK AND A LOT
OF TOUGH TIMES, AND -- AND
THAT’S WHY I WANTED TO TELL MY
STORY.
STORY. I WANTED TO SAY, LOOK, I’VE
SCREWED UP AND MADE A LOT OF
MISTAKES.
MISTAKES. THERE WERE TOUGH TIMES WHEN I
WANTED TO GIVE UP ON THE TOWN
AND MOVE AWAY FROM NASHVILLE AND
HAVE HAD A REAL
MY SON STILL ASKS ME WHEN I’M
GOING TO GET A REAL JOB.
>> WE HOPE NEVER.
>> THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY STORY
IN HOPES THAT IT WOULD ENCOURAGE
SOMEONE ELSE.
SOMEONE ELSE. PROBABLY A LOT LIKE ME, DOESN’T
KNOW WHERE TO GET STARTED,
LIVING IN THE MIDWEST SOMEWHERE,
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS AND A LOT OF TIMES
THAT I DOUBTED MYSELF, BUT I
FEEL LIKE WITH THAT FOUNDATION
MY MOM LAID EARLY ON IT HELPED
ME GET OVER THOSE HUMPS EVEN
MORE HAVING THAT RELATIONSHIP
THAT I DO IN MY FAITH.
>> THIS BOOK WILL INSPIRE A LOT
OF PEOPLE.
OF PEOPLE. THANKS.
THANKS. >> NEW MUSIC COME OUT.
>> TOURING THIS SUMMER?
>> STARTING MAY 16th IN
CINCINNATI.
CINCINNATI. >> WE BETTER GET THERE.