Eli Young Band Talk Baby Names, Bus Smells and 'Selfish Songs'

Posted Jul 27th 2012 3:30PM by Stephen L. Betts
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Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

With their latest hit, "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," reaching the top of the country charts, the Eli Young Band has now earned two No. 1 singles. Now in the midst of the Rascal Flatts Changed tour, the award-winning group explains that their latest chart-topper, written by their buddies, Will Hoge and Eric Paslay, is a "selfish tune," and tells their story of being a band for the last 12 years and "playing every show we could. As songwriters, when a great song comes your way, you don't ignore it." (quote via Detroit radio station 99.5 WYCD.)

The group will be out with Rascal Flatts through the end of October, and hopefully the rest of the trek will run a little more smoothly than it did at the start! On their first night, their "temporary" bus driver forgot to check the bunks and took off without them. The band had been visiting the Flatts' Jay DeMarcus on his bus and after saying their goodbyes, and soon discovered they had no place to sleep. Luckily, Jay put them up for the night. "His bus smells a lot better," the group reports.

Jay, Joe Don Rooney and Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts each have their own bus, something the expansive EYB entourage could probably use. "You look at these buses from the outside and they look huge," the band explains, "until you start living in it with nine guys and the walls tend to creep in on you a little bit. Tends to have weird smells ... unique smells."

As The Boot reported in March, EYB frontman Mike Eli is about to become a first-time dad in early August. While guitarist James Young (not surprisingly) recommended the names "James" or "Jamie," Mike and his wife have already decided on a name, even though all they will reveal at this time is that it will follow a family tradition and will start with a "K."

In addition to giving "a new dynamic to our touring," the band is also excited that the arrival of Baby "K" will afford them some time off! Before their break, the Eli Young Band is in St. Louis tonight (July 27) and Chicago tomorrow night. Keep track of their tour schedule here.

Watch Eli Young Band's "Even If It Breaks Your Heart"