O.A.R. returns home with "The Rockville LP"
At some point the guys from O.A.R. decided to do away with scheduling, at least for a little while.
Ever since getting their start in 1996, they've been on the go, pumping out album after album and touring year after year. But this time, O.A.R. decided to pause and return to where it all began.
"Every time we went home to Maryland, Rockville's where we're from...it was rushed, hurried," lead singer Marc Roberge told CBS News. "You wanted to make sure you saw your family but you had to go over here, you had to do this. At some point in time it affected the creative process because you were just scheduling it. We decided we didn't want schedule anything anymore. We didn't want to schedule making an album. We wanted to go home, pay attention to what was going on around us and to see if we can just connect."
Apparently they did. When Oberge, along with guitarist Richard On, bassist Benj Gershman and saxophonist Jerry DePizzo traveled back home the creative juices started flowing -- and it shows on the band's new album, "The Rockville LP," due out Tuesday. It marks O.A.R's eighth studio album and first since 2011's "King."
"I think when you're home and you're present and you're looking at life the way you do when you're a child, it's something really special," Roberge said. "And if you can get that onto a record, then you're really doing what you set out to do when you were a kid -- just play music for the fun of it and play songs from the heart."
Recorded in Nashville, Tenn., Brooklyn, N.Y., and Bethesda, Md., "The Rockville LP" features the single "Peace," a song about "putting that reset button on."
"It's about getting on that level playing field, getting your head above the water and enjoying that quiet," explained Roberge.
O.A.R. is now gearing up for a big summer tour with "American Idol" alum Phillip Phillips, set to kick off June 12 in St. Louis, Mo. And the guys say they're ready to put on a show.
"I really was inspired by the term master of ceremonies...You have to get a feel from the audience and go with what they want....So we move with the audience," said Roberge. "What I do -- is start out with 20 songs I think we should play. But then it changes. We have an intercom system where we can all talk to each other onstage...We're trying to entertain people. We're not there to present 20 songs that we've chosen to play for you. We're there -- they played $37.50 for a ticket, let's make it their show."
When asked if they ever get tired of playing the early fan favorite "Crazy Game of Poker," Roberge said, "Surprisingly we really don't get sick of it. Our drummer was asked what his favorite song to play live and he still says that song."
But a new tour means it's back to a schedule. The outing with Phillip Phillips winds down July 26 in Atlanta.
For more on O.A.R's new album and live shows, check out the video above.
