Rich proves true with huge lyrical passion, a gigantic portion of daring subject matter that’ll leave any listener wide-eyed, and massive on-stage energy. This energy hasn’t fallen one bit even after four years of touring nationally. It’s only increased, and for Rich, that’s the plan for the rest of his career.
Rich’s upcoming record showcases passion, mixed with honest songwriting, and spun into guitar driven country/rock melodies that are noticeably present in his latest single “The Cricket Song”, released in February. This single is only one of many on the record that beg each listener to be a part of Rich’s story and sometimes, the story pushes the envelope without tipping it over. Crowd-favorite “Marijuana & Jalapenos” is a Texas anthem that’ll have you trying to grin around the tongue in your cheek. Rich is accompanied by some of the industry’s most sought after songwriters including Jimbeau Hinson (“Hillbilly Highway”, Steve Earle) and Trent Summar (“She Knows What to Do With a Saturday Night”, Billy Currington). Be ready to embark on a story-telling journey when Steve Earle meets Mark Twain in one of the album’s cuts written by Hinson titled “Banks of the Mississippi”.
Rich displays an energetic take on-stage that is aurally present in the upcoming record. His drive for life is lyrically present in the album’s closer, “I’m Never Gonna Quit”. This never-give-up mantra has led Rich to accumulate a die-hard and dedicated fan base over his years of touring who could sing every word to each song on the night’s set list. Night after night, he offers audiences an energetic and intimate performance that could only be described as “Bruce Springsteen meets Country Music” and if you ask him what it is that fuels these performances and his recent success, he’ll reply with one word: passion.
“If I didn’t love playing city after city so much, I wouldn’t do it.”
Intriguing song content, melodies that will have you riding on verve, and the determination to present an ever-increasing on-stage dynamism to audiences across the U.S. make Rich O’Toole a Country Rock force to watch out for.