Don’t Expect to Hear Many New Thomas Rhett Songs During His Home Team Tour
When Thomas Rhett launched his 2017 Home Team Tour, he was months away from the release of his latest album, Life Changes. The 14-track record, released in September, is Rhett's proudest, and most personal, piece of work to date -- but don't expect to hear all of its new songs when he takes the stage.
"Our lives are so busy right now that, for us to go in and make the show I want to make, would take about a month, and we just don’t have a month," Rhett explained to The Boot and other reporters at a recent media event, adding that as his band finds time to rehearse, he will add in new tracks.
"[We want] to play at least some of the songs off the record that the fans have been like, ‘Hey, we love this song," he adds. "But other than that, I think we might give it a minute to kind of let the record simmer with the fans and really try to put together an amazing, amazing show around that record for next year."
Rhett has watched his fanbase change, both in size and age range, as he finds more and more success.
"I think a couple years ago, the youngest person I would have seen at my concert would have been 18. And [now] there’s, like, 4- and 5-year-olds everywhere that are coming to the shows, and that are coming through meet and greet, and they make these signs. It’s really nice to have somewhat of an all ages audience, because there’s 4-year-olds and there’s 70-year-olds that are all dancing to certain love songs of mine," Rhett notes. "But my fanbase is definitely, for the most part, females ... But my music is definitely one of those things -- it’s a little bit more romantic and more on the love side, and so maybe I need to record some songs for the male population."
The 27-year-old, who has previously opened for artists such as Lady Antebellum, Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean, took plenty of notes before launching his Home Team Tour. But even though he's now headlining his own trek, Rhett is still paying attention to what other artists, especially those playing bigger venues, are doing.
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"There’s always room to grow," says Rhett. "I’m always watching other artists and seeing what their production looks like ... I think there’s always a goal that you can reach.
"I didn’t think I was ready to go headline a tour, but then I got out there and got to soak in that freedom of being that headliner and kind of getting to design your own set, make your own schedule, make your own setlist, and get to dictate how the vibe is in the room," he continues, "and that’s been a huge accomplishment for me, and a really great time this year."
The second leg of Rhett's Home Team Tour includes a series of shows in Europe. Although his family, including toddler Willa Gray and baby Ada James, has spent time on the road with him in the U.S., Rhett says it's unlikely they will head overseas with him.
"I think traveling on a bus with 16 other people with a newborn would be pretty disastrous. So, unfortunately, they’re going to stay home," he shares. "But hopefully in the future, I would love to bring my kids overseas, whether it’s to Europe or Australia, to play shows and let them be immersed in that."
A list of all of Rhett's remaining dates on his Home Team Tour is available on his website.
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