The year 2005 has been the group's most successful, with dates supporting their latest album, "Here's To You," selling out consistently. The album so far spawned the mega hit "God Bless the Broken Road," as well as the latest single "Fast Cars and Freedom."

The group--which, in addition to DeMarcus, includes aptly named vocalist Gary Levox and guitarist/vocalist Joe Don Rooney--is also the reigning Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Vocal Group of the year.

liveDaily: How many songs do you go through before you decide which ones you're going to put on your album?

Jay DeMarcus: Well, it's a long, arduous process, that's for sure. We go through hundreds of songs with each record.

What do you look for when you're listening to potential songs to record?

Things that touch us truly and speak to us as a group. That's the most important part. If it touches us, we can pretty much feel and bank on the fact that it's going to touch someone else.

Do you do a lot of songwriting on your own?

I do. It's something that I really, really enjoy. Something I love that's one of the main reasons why I got in the music business.

When did you start writing songs?

Gosh, I was probably 10 years old. I started playing around with my own tunes and music and words. It's something I eventually fell in love with.

When did you know that you had a real knack for writing songs?

You know, I guess early on because of the fact my family was so musical. The more I did it, the more courage I would get to play in front of people. People would encourage me to keep writing and started giving me tips. All of a sudden, I woke up one day and I was in Nashville doing it for a living.

Who else in your family plays music?

Everyone. My mom and my dad's side, both. Actually, that's how my mom and my dad met. They were playing in the same club together.

You probably got a lot of inspiration from them.

They probably are my biggest musical influences, my mother and my father. My dad is a real big influence on me musically. He taught me how to play piano. My mom plays guitar. So I have a real well-rounded foundation.

Do you sit down and tell yourself you're going to write a song ,or do you write when the inspiration hits you?

I think it's probably both. There are days I sit down and say I want to write a song. I want to write an up-tempo song or whatever, about whatever, trees. I sit down and try to make myself write it. Then there are times where I hear something, or something catches my eye; I jot it down. It comes very easily and very naturally.

Tell me about your work with Chicago. You've produced their forthcoming album.

That was a dream come true for me. They're one of my favorite bands in the world, and it was one of those things that I just couldn't pass up. It was a tough thing to juggle being in the Flatts and doing that record at the same time. When the opportunity came, it was a chance of a life time.

Did they seek you out, or did you offer to produce the record?

What happened was their bass player and lead singer, Jason Scheff, and I became really good friends. We started to write some music together. As time went on, we started doing more demos and writing together. [Other members of Chicago] started to hear what we were doing, and they approached me about producing the record. They said, "What you guys are doing already sounds like a Chicago record. So why don't you produce our next record?" They hadn't done a record in about 15 years. It was a really big chance for me to be involved with something I really, really believed in.

What do you think you brought to Chicago that maybe they wouldn't have had with another producer?

I think, given the Flatts' success, I have a really good handle on current music and today's pop music. They wanted to be back on the radio and make hits again. I think I definitely brought a fresh element of modern music to them.

When is the album due out?

It's set to be out in the fall right now.

Rascal Flatts is working on a new album, too, correct?

We're about two-thirds of the way done.

How will this album differ from "Feels Like Today"?

It's going to be really not too much different, just because of the fact what we've been doing so far has been working so well for us. We're not going to change up a whole lot of things. But we are working with a new producer, Dann Huff, who's really, really great because he comes from such a band-oriented place. He is a musician, and he knew how to track us and capitalize on the fact that we are a band. The [upcoming album] is definitely more of who we are. There's more of us on the record than probably any of the rest of the CDs. Based on that aspect alone, we're really, really excited about it.

Do you think that the band's cohesiveness comes from playing so many live shows?

I think so, and more experience and all the years that we've played together, getting to know one another musically, too. I think those are all key ingredients. Dann has been so helpful and so encouraging in saying, "Hey look, people need to hear more of you guys individually on these records." He said, "If there's any criticism I have, it's that the music sounds like a Nashville record, and it needs to sound like you guys." That's what we're real excited about.

What did you do to bring out the sounds of the individuals in the band?

We cut with just Joe Don and I. I played bass. Joe Don played guitar. We brought a drummer in, and Dan played acoustic and we cut like a four-piece rock band.

It sounds like it was a perfect environment in which to work.

It really was. It was such a great environment. We felt so much freedom. You don't have a room full of studio musicians sittin' around, twiddling their fingers and waitin' on you. You can really take the time and experiment a little bit.

Do you know when new album coming out?

We don't as of yet because we don't have all the vocals finished. I think we're looking at spring of next year right now.