Darius Rucker has been in the music business a long time, so it should be no surprise he has the best show-day ritual we’ve ever heard of.
LISTEN NOW: Darius Rucker joins Audacy's Katie Neal for the Superstar Power Hour
“I play golf, work out, and take a nap,” the 57-year-old told Audacy’s Katie Neal of his daytime activities on show days before clarifying a 2-hour nap is the sweet spot for him.
“We still do a shot together every night before we go on [too],” he added. “We’ve been doing that for decades. That’s still one of our traditions, I love it.”
Darius is currently keeping the traditions alive on the road with his, Starting Fires Tour. The name is a nod to his brand new single, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” which, according to him, has been a big hit with the live audiences.
“The reaction’s been great,” he said. “That song is such a Country song and people just love it when we play it. By the first chorus, everybody is already in so, that’s what you’re lookin for.”
The track is the lead single off Darius’ forthcoming album, Carolyn’s Boy, a tribute to his late mother arriving late Summer/early Fall 2023.
“We’re talking about doing some really cool stuff, especially in Charleston where I was born and raised,” Rucker said of plans to honor his mom with the album release. “Hopefully we’ll get something really cool and something that makes me happy, and makes my family happy too.”
“Fires Don’t Start Themselves” isn’t the only song Darius has brought on the road from the new project which he credits for having “a lot of great Country stuff.”
He also shared he plays the songs, “Have a Good Time,” “Never Been Over,” and “Still Would’ve Loved Her,” which are all included in the forthcoming project. All that in addition to his previously released collaboration with Chapel Hart, “Ol' Church Hymn.”
“Those girls are just absolutely amazing,” Darius said of working with the all-female trio that got their big-break on season 17 of America’s Got Talent.
“Anytime I see a text from one of those girls I know it’s going to be funny… I love hanging out with them when we get together. They make me laugh the whole time we’re together. I love them so much.”
It’s not all new stuff that’s fun for Darius to play on the road. The South Carolina native says he still has the best time performing his iconic cover of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” a song he brought new life to in 2013.
Darius’ experience with “Wagon Wheel” is much like Luke Combs’ current experience bringing Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” to the top of the Country Charts.
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“What a great cover. When I heard it, I was like, ‘This song's a smash.’” Darius said of Combs’ cover. That’s such a great song and he took it and made it his own and when you do it like that — that’s goin’ #1 fast.”
He continued, “He’s bringing it to a whole new audience. There’s a lot of people who didn’t know that song until he did it and that’s what great about those songs. You bring a great song to a bunch of new people.”
Hear more about Darius’ new album, current tour and thoughts on cover songs by checking out his entire conversation with Katie Neal above.
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