Back in November, hit-making country band Old Dominion set a new all-time CMA Awards record.
With their seventh consecutive Vocal Group of the Year honor, the group surpassed the back- to-back total of even the most iconic country ensembles in history — only The Statler Brothers and their nine non-consecutive wins now loom on the horizon. And to lead singer Matthew Ramsey, the moment was surreal.
With nine Number One singles, yearly headlining tours, and over 5 billion career streams, Old Dominion has come a lot farther than they ever expected — from the plucky debut of “Break Up With Him,” all the way to their first greatest hits compilation, Odies But Goodies, last fall. Not bad for a bunch of ragtag songwriters who started out limping around in a beat-up van, and it wasn’t lost on Ramsey that night.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking because we knew [the record] was on the line,” he admits. “Then we were just kind of overwhelmed with gratitude to realize we are a part of not only the country music community and the fabric of country music over the last decade, we’re a part of history on top of that. So, it was really sobering to stand there in that moment.”
Sobering in the moment, for sure. But as for the aftermath? That calls for some celebration. And in typical OD fashion, they weren’t about to do it with a private party, or even a much- deserved tropical vacation. They decided, instead, to get back to their roots, and support some worthy causes, too. And when Ramsey thinks back to those guys in a cramped, often broken-down van, it’s hard to believe.
“We were literally just talking about that because we used to send a tweet out and play in people’s houses – I mean for literally sometimes two people,” Ramsey recalls with a laugh. “We would show up and play, and just the fact that we were willing to go into people's homes and play for their family or friends, just to try and make our gas money to the next town? It’s a pretty massive difference to what we’re doing now, so it would be nice to pop our head into the past and be like, ‘Guys, stick with it! It’s going to work out.’”
That massive difference is on display almost every time Old Dominion hits the stage, since they’ve now earned a reputation for high-energy shows and singalong hits. But with their “7 for 7" Ryman residency, the country band played more like they did at those impromptu house concerts.
Leaving the smoke machines behind, intimate shows let the band show off their still-sharp musical chops — and the natural chemistry behind their success. Each night was different, with a casual, off-the-cuff creative feel and plenty of unscripted deep cuts.
“I think our goal [was] to make everybody feel a part of it, like they’re sitting in on a little jam session,” he says. “We celebrated the music we’ve created and music that other people have created. We just kind of wanted everyone to feel like it’s a community and a family.”
But if that sounds low-key, just remember that Old Dominion is a true, self-contained band... It’s been a long time since they’ve been able to free-style jam together. Meanwhile, the money raised benefited MusiCares, Save The Music, Backline Care, the Opry Trust Fund, CMA Foundation, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and The Ramsey Foundation — seven organizations which the band has come to love over the years. The common charitable thread is that each one supports basic human needs in some form, and that goes double for The Ramsey Foundation. First founded by the frontman to offer food assistance in his hometown of Buchanan, Virginia, it has since expanded to support arts and culture education in rural communities all over the country.
“Our cup is overflowing, so it’s hard to see someone struggling in those basic needs areas, whether that be food or mental health or anything like that, which we have such easy access to,” Ramsey notes. “We’ve just been given so much. When you achieve that level of success, you want to give back in some way, shape, or form, and we love every opportunity we get to do that.”
To him, it was also be the perfect way to kick off a new year of touring, which will find the band returning to big, headlining stages. They’re also looking forward to new music, which Ramsey says they’ve already begun recording. “We’re writing our asses off,” he says with pride, hinting at a new era of “epic” OD anthems.
In a statement announcing the residency, the band referenced Hall of Fame groups The Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama — inspirational heroes which Old Dominion now stands alongside, at least in some ways. Ramsey still finds that hard to comprehend, but hopes to pay the leadership forward. And, to keep giving back onstage, as well.
“Every time we walk on stage, it’s to make people feel better and that’s all we want to do,” he says. “I hope that we just enhanced their life in some way. For me, music has made hard times more tolerable and good times even better, and that’s what we set out to do. We realize our music is not the be-all, end-all of people’s lives. It’s an enhancement. So, we want to be there and provide that service.”