Old Dominion is an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
band formed in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
. The band consists of
Matthew Ramsey (lead vocals),
Trevor Rosen
Trevor Joseph Rosen (born February 18, 1975) is an American country music songwriter and musician. He is also a member of the American country music band Old Dominion (band), Old Dominion, in which he plays guitar and keyboards.
Early life
Trev ...
(guitar, keyboards), Whit Sellers (drums), Geoff Sprung (bass guitar), and Brad Tursi (guitar). Their music is contemporary country with rock instrumentation, and has pop overtones.
The band has released four full-length albums and three EPs. They released their self-titled EP in 2014, followed in the next year by their debut studio album, ''
Meat and Candy'' on
RCA Records Nashville
RCA Nashville is an American country music record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is distributed by Sony Music Nashville which is part of Sony Music.
Current artists
*Kane Brown
*Andrew Jannakos
*Miranda Lambert
*Niko Moon (RCA/River Hou ...
, which includes the singles "
Break Up with Him
"Break Up with Him" is a song written and recorded by American country music group Old Dominion. Originally released as the second single off their self-titled EP on ReeSmack in January 2015, the band later signed with RCA Nashville in February 20 ...
", "
Snapback", and "
Song for Another Time". Their second album ''
Happy Endings'' was released in 2017, which includes the singles "
No Such Thing as a Broken Heart", "
Written in the Sand", and "
Hotel Key". The third album ''
Old Dominion
Old Dominion most commonly refers to:
*The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia
** Colony of Virginia
*Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia
**Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...
'' was released in 2019, with the singles "
Make It Sweet" and "
One Man Band
A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical or electronic contraptions. One-man bands also often sing while they perform.
The simplest type of "one-man ban ...
" both successful on the chart. This is followed by ''Time, Tequila & Therapy'', which was released in 2021.
In addition to their own material, Ramsey, Rosen, and Tursi have written several hit singles for other contemporary country music artists.
Origin
The band members of Old Dominion are lead singer
Matthew Ramsey,
Trevor Rosen
Trevor Joseph Rosen (born February 18, 1975) is an American country music songwriter and musician. He is also a member of the American country music band Old Dominion (band), Old Dominion, in which he plays guitar and keyboards.
Early life
Trev ...
on guitar and keyboard, Whit Sellers on drums, Geoff Sprung on bass, and Brad Tursi on guitar. The band was named Old Dominion in 2007. "
Old Dominion
Old Dominion most commonly refers to:
*The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia
** Colony of Virginia
*Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia
**Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...
" was chosen because it is a nickname for the state of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, and four members of the group have links to Virginia.
Ramsey and Sellers are both originally from the
Roanoke Region The Roanoke Region ( ) is the area of the Commonwealth of Virginia surrounding the city of Roanoke. Its usage may refer to the metropolitan statistical area or the Roanoke Valley, but it sometimes includes areas in the Allegheny Mountains and New ...
of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, and played on
drumline
Marching percussion instruments are instruments specially designed to be played while moving. This is achieved by attaching the drum(s) to a special harness (also called a carrier or rack) worn by the drummer, although not all marching bands us ...
s for their respective, rival high schools,
James River High School and
Lord Botetourt High School
Lord Botetourt High School (LBHS) is a high school in Daleville, Virginia. It was built in 1958 and opened in the fall of 1959. LBHS is one of two high schools in Botetourt County, the other being James River High School in Buchanan.
The school ...
.
After high school, Ramsey went to
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virgini ...
and moved to Nashville after graduation to become a songwriter. He was introduced to Rosen in 2003 and formed a songwriting partnership for some years while working as a solo artist.
Sellers went to
James Madison University
James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...
in Virginia where he met Sprung and Tursi.
Sellers and Sprung also ended up in Nashville where they joined force with Ramsey and formed Old Dominion. Tursi was once a member of the
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
rock band
Army of Me; he joined Old Dominion in 2012.
[ Rosen is the only band member who did not have a connection to Virginia; he was born and raised in ]Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, and gradually met the other eventual bandmates in Nashville.
Music career
The band was initially formed to showcase the songs that its individual band members had written. Members of the band have writing credits on many songs recorded by other artists: Brad Tursi has written Luke Bryan
Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter, and television personality. He began his music career writing songs for Travis Tritt and Billy Currington before signing with Capitol Reco ...
's " Light It Up", Cole Swindell
Colden Rainey Swindell (born June 30, 1983) is an American rock music singer and songwriter. He has written singles for Craig Campbell, Thomas Rhett, Scotty McCreery, and Luke Bryan, and has released four albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashvil ...
's "Remember Boys" and "Up" as well as Tyler Farr
Tyler Lynn Farr (born February 5, 1984) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Originally signed to BNA Records Farr released two singles for the label before it closed. He transferred to Columbia Records Nashville, releasing two alb ...
's " A Guy Walks Into a Bar" in addition to songs for Kenny Chesney
Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...
, the Randy Rogers Band
Randy Rogers Band is an American country music band from San Marcos, Texas. The band is composed of Randy Rogers (lead vocals), Geoffrey Hill (guitar), Jon Richardson (bass guitar), Brady Black (fiddle), Les Lawless (drums), and Todd Stewart (gui ...
, Michael Ray, Josh Turner
Joshua Otis Turner (born November 20, 1977) is an American country and gospel singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to MCA Nashville Records. That same year, his debut album's title track, "Long Black Train", was his breakthrough single r ...
, Ryan Hurd
Ryan James Hurd (born November 2, 1986) is an American country music singer and songwriter. In addition to writing No. 1 singles for Blake Shelton, Lady A, and Luke Bryan, Hurd has recorded for RCA Records Nashville.
Career
Hurd was born in Ch ...
, and for the ABC musical drama ''Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
''. Matthew Ramsey co-wrote "Chainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable gasoline-, electric-, or battery-powered saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. It is used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, bucking, pruning, ...
" for The Band Perry
The Band Perry are an American band composed of siblings Kimberly Perry (lead vocals, guitar), Reid Perry (bass guitar, background vocals), and Neil Perry (mandolin, bouzouki, background vocals). They signed to Republic Nashville in August 2009 ...
, Trevor Rosen
Trevor Joseph Rosen (born February 18, 1975) is an American country music songwriter and musician. He is also a member of the American country music band Old Dominion (band), Old Dominion, in which he plays guitar and keyboards.
Early life
Trev ...
co-wrote Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Nicole Ballerini (born September 12, 1993) is an American country pop singer. She began songwriting as a child and signed with Black River Entertainment in 2014, releasing her debut studio album the following year, '' The First Time''. ...
's " I Hate Love Songs", Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single " Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
's "Sangria
Sangria (, es, sangría , pt, sangria ) is an alcoholic beverage originating in Spain and Portugal. Under EU regulations only those two Iberian nations can label their product as Sangria; similar products from different regions are diffe ...
", William Michael Morgan
William Michael Morgan (born May 13, 1993) is an American country music singer from Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was signed to Warner Bros. Nashville.
His debut single " I Met a Girl", reached number two on the Country Airplay chart and number e ...
's " I Met A Girl", Chris Young's "Neon
Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...
" and The Band Perry's "Better Dig Two
"Better Dig Two" is a song recorded by American country music group The Band Perry. It was released in October 2012 as the first single from their second album, ''Pioneer (The Band Perry album), Pioneer''. The song was written by Brandy Clark, Sha ...
", Two songs written for the band by Ramsey and Rosen, " Wake Up Lovin' You" and " Say You Do", were covered by Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan Greer (born July 17, 1964) is an American country music artist. A veteran of the United States Army as a forward observer, Morgan began his musical career in 2000 on Atlantic Records, releasing his self-titled debut album for that ...
and Dierks Bentley
Frederick Dierks Bentley (; born November 20, 1975) is an American country music singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to Capitol Nashville and released his eponymous debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's ''Modern Day Drifter'', ar ...
respectively and became hits. The success of these songs led to the band self-releasing the extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. ''It Was Always Yours'' in 2012.
Their song "Dirt on a Road" was their first song as a band that received significant airplay, and their single "Shut Me Up" further gained them some attention. The band had opened for Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, Jake Owen
Joshua Ryan Owen (born August 28, 1981), known professionally as Jake Owen, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. Signed to RCA Nashville in 2006, he released his debut studio album, '' Startin' with Me'', that year.
This ...
and Chase Rice
Chase Rice (born September 19, 1985) is an American country music singer, songwriter and reality television personality. He first came to prominence in 2010 while he was a contestant on '' Survivor: Nicaragua'', where he was the runner-up to J ...
.
2014–2016: ''Old Dominion'' EP, '' Meat and Candy ''
On October 7, 2014, they released their self-titled EP, produced by Shane McAnally
Shane McAnally (born October 12, 1974) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. Originally a solo artist for Curb Records in 1999, McAnally charted three singles on Hot Country Songs, including the No. 31 " Are Y ...
. The EP debuted on the Top Country Albums chart at No. 33 with 1,000 copies sold. The lead single from the EP was "Shut Me Up
"Shut Me Up" is a single by Mindless Self Indulgence, released on September 12, 2006. It is the first track on their third studio album, '' You'll Rebel to Anything''. "Shut Me Up" peaked at number 7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Singles Sales chart a ...
", the music video features American country music singer and songwriter Whitney Duncan
Whitney Duncan (born August 3, 1984) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She finished as the fifth place finalist on the fifth season of ''Nashville Star.'' She has released one studio album and has charted on the U.S. Hot Count ...
. A song from the EP "Break Up with Him
"Break Up with Him" is a song written and recorded by American country music group Old Dominion. Originally released as the second single off their self-titled EP on ReeSmack in January 2015, the band later signed with RCA Nashville in February 20 ...
" first received exposure on the satellite Sirius XM Radio
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
's "The Highway
A highway is a long road giving a relatively fast connection between two places.
Highway may also refer to:
Roads in England
* The Highway (London) (previously Ratcliff Highway), a road in the East End of London
* The Highway, a road in Br ...
" channel in late 2014 which boosted its popularity, and the song was then released as the second single to radio on January 20, 2015.
They signed a record deal with RCA Nashville
RCA Nashville is an American country music record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is distributed by Sony Music Nashville which is part of Sony Music.
Current artists
*Kane Brown
*Andrew Jannakos
*Miranda Lambert
*Niko Moon (RCA/River Hou ...
in late February 2015. The band also opened for Kenny Chesney in his Big Revival Tour. In September, they announced that their debut studio album, titled '' Meat and Candy'', would be released on November 6, 2015. Shortly before the album's release, "Break Up with Him
"Break Up with Him" is a song written and recorded by American country music group Old Dominion. Originally released as the second single off their self-titled EP on ReeSmack in January 2015, the band later signed with RCA Nashville in February 20 ...
" reached No. 1 on Country Airplay
Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990.
This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...
. The album's second single, " Snapback" released to country radio on January 11, 2016. It reached at number 2 on the Country Airplay in June 2016. The album's third single, " Song for Another Time" released to country radio on June 20, 2016.
2017–present: ''Happy Endings'', ''Old Dominion'' and ''Time, Tequila & Therapy''
On March 10, 2017, Old Dominion released " No Such Thing as a Broken Heart", the lead single to their second RCA album, which went to number one on the Country Airplay Charts. The album's name, ''Happy Endings'', was announced in June, and the album was released on August 25, 2017. "Written in the Sand" was the album's second single, and "Hotel Key" its third.
The band released " Make It Sweet" in November 2018. Make It Sweet is also the name of the corresponding tour, the band's first as a headliner. Acts joining them on this tour include Morgan Evans, Jordan Davis, and Mitchell Tenpenny. Both "Make It Sweet" and "One Man Band
A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical or electronic contraptions. One-man bands also often sing while they perform.
The simplest type of "one-man ban ...
" appear on the band's third album, ''Old Dominion
Old Dominion most commonly refers to:
*The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia
** Colony of Virginia
*Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia
**Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...
'', released in October 2019, with the latter becoming their highest-peaking Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
hit to date. However, the album's third single " Some People Do" became their first single since their commercial breakthrough to fail to chart the Billboard Hot 100, as well as their first single to peak outside the top twenty of Billboard's Country Airplay chart.
The fourth album, ''Time, Tequila & Therapy'', was released on October 8, 2021. It was led off by the single " I Was on a Boat That Day". For the second single, the band switched to Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville is an American record label that serves as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & ...
, also an imprint of Sony Nashville.
Discography
*'' Meat and Candy'' (2015)
*'' Happy Endings'' (2017)
*''Old Dominion
Old Dominion most commonly refers to:
*The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia
** Colony of Virginia
*Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia
**Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...
'' (2019)
*'' Time, Tequila & Therapy'' (2021)
Television appearances
Awards and nominations
References
{{Authority control
2007 establishments in Tennessee
Arista Nashville artists
Country music groups from Tennessee
Country musicians from Virginia
Musical groups established in 2007
Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee
RCA Records Nashville artists