September 24, 2025 • 6 mins
Rob Thomas phoned in ahead of his solo Australian tour this October, chatting about new music, his son joining him on the road, and even an unusual argument he once had with George Michael. Russell couldn’t resist asking if Rob remembered the first time he ever heard himself on the radio. Tune in to hear the full interview.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are one month out from Rob Thomas visiting us
for the All Night Days tour.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's been a long time since I've had one of those.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
And All Night Day He's going to be at the
Riverside Theater Friday, October twenty four and Saturday October twenty five.
Tickets are available through Ticketech. His new album All Night
Days is out now and he's with us this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good morning, Rob.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
So can we just say that, like we're a month
away from Rob Thomas Day, Rob.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thomas Thomas, we absolutely can.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I want to make it. I want to make it.
I want to make it a thing like that.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yes, a celebration of all things Rob Thomas. I love it,
Rob Thomas.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Festivus, it's everything and everybody gets a day Rob. Why
shouldn't you exactly?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Thank you? Thank you so much went.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Through to have you coming back. You seem to enjoy
coming to Australia just a bit. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, I mean it's been almost thirty years. You guys
have been really really nice and we've had I think
a really great relationship together. You know, you guys have
been always kind of down for my brand of whatever.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, we get you, we do.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah, yeah, that's what I feel.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Yeah, we've been getting you for a very very long time.
So now we're up to the sixth solo album. You know,
there's Matchbox and then there's Rob solos, six of those
all night days. Does the album don't come from being
able to listen to it on a Saturday night as
well as a as a Sunday day. It's an anytime album.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah. I think that every record I have has to
have your Saturday nights and your Sunday mornings, right, Like
you have to think that you feel great about and
then the things that you feel sad about.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
And is it also a little bit about yeah, up
all night because you know you are in the music biz.
Lisa might not still be up for staying up all night,
but I'm sure you are.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Well I'm not normally, but then something about being on
the road makes you have to and therefore I do
appreciate the fact that I get to do that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah. So did you start working on this album mid
COVID lockdowns?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
That's what we heard.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Yeah, Like, you know, originally in twenty twenty, I was
going to make a solo record. Yeah, and then the
world kind of shut down for a minute and when
twenty twenty three Matchbox we decided to make a record,
and so some of these songs got put on hold.
Some of them were out on the Matchbox record, some
of the Matchbox record wound up on this record. It
just you know, it was a whole process.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
The good thing is I know for a fact that
these are the best songs that I have because I
didn't just put them out immediately, like I got to
sit on them for a minute. Like you know, by
the time I put this out, I was so glad
for you guys to hear it, Like I was like,
you guys like this right, You guys like it right,
right right?
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Because obviously you know you've written stuff for the band,
you've not now you're up to the sixth solo album.
Does inspiration still come to you easily from new material?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah? I think so, because, like I said, I write
all the time, and I don't try to write a
record to try to define me. I just write records
defining the moment that I'm in. And my moment is
probably a lot like what you guys are going through.
So like I could write a song about a moment
that I'm going through, but that moment is something that
you guys understand, you know what I mean, Like I
write about maybe I'm getting older, or maybe I'm writing
(02:55):
about a fight that I just had with my wife,
but like we all understand how that moment makes you feel. Yeah,
and so those moments come easily. So I think when
you don't try and write for an artist and you
just try and write for a person, it's way easier
and people relate to them a lot more.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, that's I mean, that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I wouldn't even have one good song in me, so
it's nice when someone can write.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Everybody try.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Everyone's I mean, whether it's a good song is another matter,
but everyone's got a song.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I'm like, I'm listen, I'm a I'm a I'm a
I'm a lover of songs, right, So you know that
moment where you have a song that just for some
reason you love it because it explains how you feel
in a way that you couldn't say it oh.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
All the time. Well, that's what I mean.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It's must have someone writ to do.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, yeah, totally tell us about the shows at the riverside.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Who's coming with you?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
So each place that I go in Australia, were taking
a different artist from that local place, I think. And
then with you know, with my Soco band, it's been
this band that I'm in. It I've been with for
twenty years, so it's not like a just a hired band.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
And it's also my son is the guitar player in
the band, so it's like it's it's family and it's
joy and it's fun. So like our thing is when
we come to see you, we don't play music for
you guys. We want you guys to be a part
of this night that we're all curating you, I mean,
because it's like we only get so many of these
nights and it's our night too, and we want everyone
to have a great time.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Does the mouth off at you because you know your dad?
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Yeah, no, because I'm also his boss.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Now I believe your manager also managed David Bowie and
George Michael. And is it true that your last memory
of George is watching Avatar with him in Australia?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, in Sydney. Yeah, he was there for his tour
and I was just finishing my tour. Yeah, so him
and I went to go see Avatar together and then
my last memory was actually him and I an elevator
fighting about Avatar.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Whether it was a good movie or not.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, yeah, he did not like it. I thought it
was really good. Different, but you know, it's funny my
wife and my wife friend had to me like him
and I. That was kind of our thing. We always
talked about music, and we always we disagreed on everything.
Like my favorite album was Pink Floyd the Wall, and
he thought it was Ship. That was like, no, no, no,
it's a great record.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
It is one of the greatest things of all time.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Yeah, especially if you're my age and like doing drugs
listening to it. It's amazing.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
It was built for it. It was wait for it.
Absolutely so. Do you remember the very first time you
heard yourself on the radio? How did it feel?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I do, because it was like one of those moments
you would expect. Like we were in the van and trailer, yeah,
driving you know, like to the like across the country
in America to get to like our next gig, and
we were moving into Dallas and we we were listening
to a seat a tape cassette at the time. I
don't know if you if you kids know what a
cassette is.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Along the freeway dot you so.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
We ejected the cassette and the second that we did,
our song came on. I remember like we were like
we saw like Dallas over there and we were like
we had that moment, We're hands in the air. We
just felt we felt like we had made it. And
then by the way, that song later on did not
do well and we almost got dropped. Care felt like
we were giant.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
It would it would all. Thanks all thanks to a
dodgy cassette. We love it.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
There you are winding it back on with a pencil.
Rob Thomas.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
We can't wait to have you in town October twenty
four and Saturday, October twenty five for Rob Thomas Day,
nay two.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Days it is. It's a festival. Tickets are available through
Ticke Tech.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
The album All Night Days is out now. Thanks for
joining us this morning.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Guys, Thank you so much for your time. We're gonna
have a really good time.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
We look forward to seeing you at the Riverside Theater.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Thanks Rob, Thank you guys so much.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Bye.
We are one month out from Rob Thomas visiting us
for the All Night Days tour.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's been a long time since I've had one of those.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
And All Night Day He's going to be at the
Riverside Theater Friday, October twenty four and Saturday October twenty five.
Tickets are available through Ticketech. His new album All Night
Days is out now and he's with us this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good morning, Rob.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
So can we just say that, like we're a month
away from Rob Thomas Day, Rob.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thomas Thomas, we absolutely can.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I want to make it. I want to make it.
I want to make it a thing like that.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yes, a celebration of all things Rob Thomas. I love it,
Rob Thomas.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Festivus, it's everything and everybody gets a day Rob. Why
shouldn't you exactly?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Thank you? Thank you so much went.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Through to have you coming back. You seem to enjoy
coming to Australia just a bit. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, I mean it's been almost thirty years. You guys
have been really really nice and we've had I think
a really great relationship together. You know, you guys have
been always kind of down for my brand of whatever.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, we get you, we do.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah, yeah, that's what I feel.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Yeah, we've been getting you for a very very long time.
So now we're up to the sixth solo album. You know,
there's Matchbox and then there's Rob solos, six of those
all night days. Does the album don't come from being
able to listen to it on a Saturday night as
well as a as a Sunday day. It's an anytime album.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah. I think that every record I have has to
have your Saturday nights and your Sunday mornings, right, Like
you have to think that you feel great about and
then the things that you feel sad about.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
And is it also a little bit about yeah, up
all night because you know you are in the music biz.
Lisa might not still be up for staying up all night,
but I'm sure you are.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Well I'm not normally, but then something about being on
the road makes you have to and therefore I do
appreciate the fact that I get to do that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah. So did you start working on this album mid
COVID lockdowns?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
That's what we heard.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Yeah, Like, you know, originally in twenty twenty, I was
going to make a solo record. Yeah, and then the
world kind of shut down for a minute and when
twenty twenty three Matchbox we decided to make a record,
and so some of these songs got put on hold.
Some of them were out on the Matchbox record, some
of the Matchbox record wound up on this record. It
just you know, it was a whole process.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
The good thing is I know for a fact that
these are the best songs that I have because I
didn't just put them out immediately, like I got to
sit on them for a minute. Like you know, by
the time I put this out, I was so glad
for you guys to hear it, Like I was like,
you guys like this right, You guys like it right,
right right?
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Because obviously you know you've written stuff for the band,
you've not now you're up to the sixth solo album.
Does inspiration still come to you easily from new material?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah? I think so, because, like I said, I write
all the time, and I don't try to write a
record to try to define me. I just write records
defining the moment that I'm in. And my moment is
probably a lot like what you guys are going through.
So like I could write a song about a moment
that I'm going through, but that moment is something that
you guys understand, you know what I mean, Like I
write about maybe I'm getting older, or maybe I'm writing
(02:55):
about a fight that I just had with my wife,
but like we all understand how that moment makes you feel. Yeah,
and so those moments come easily. So I think when
you don't try and write for an artist and you
just try and write for a person, it's way easier
and people relate to them a lot more.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, that's I mean, that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I wouldn't even have one good song in me, so
it's nice when someone can write.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Everybody try.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Everyone's I mean, whether it's a good song is another matter,
but everyone's got a song.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I'm like, I'm listen, I'm a I'm a I'm a
I'm a lover of songs, right, So you know that
moment where you have a song that just for some
reason you love it because it explains how you feel
in a way that you couldn't say it oh.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
All the time. Well, that's what I mean.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It's must have someone writ to do.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, yeah, totally tell us about the shows at the riverside.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Who's coming with you?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
So each place that I go in Australia, were taking
a different artist from that local place, I think. And
then with you know, with my Soco band, it's been
this band that I'm in. It I've been with for
twenty years, so it's not like a just a hired band.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
And it's also my son is the guitar player in
the band, so it's like it's it's family and it's
joy and it's fun. So like our thing is when
we come to see you, we don't play music for
you guys. We want you guys to be a part
of this night that we're all curating you, I mean,
because it's like we only get so many of these
nights and it's our night too, and we want everyone
to have a great time.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Does the mouth off at you because you know your dad?
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Yeah, no, because I'm also his boss.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Now I believe your manager also managed David Bowie and
George Michael. And is it true that your last memory
of George is watching Avatar with him in Australia?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, in Sydney. Yeah, he was there for his tour
and I was just finishing my tour. Yeah, so him
and I went to go see Avatar together and then
my last memory was actually him and I an elevator
fighting about Avatar.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Whether it was a good movie or not.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, yeah, he did not like it. I thought it
was really good. Different, but you know, it's funny my
wife and my wife friend had to me like him
and I. That was kind of our thing. We always
talked about music, and we always we disagreed on everything.
Like my favorite album was Pink Floyd the Wall, and
he thought it was Ship. That was like, no, no, no,
it's a great record.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
It is one of the greatest things of all time.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Yeah, especially if you're my age and like doing drugs
listening to it. It's amazing.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
It was built for it. It was wait for it.
Absolutely so. Do you remember the very first time you
heard yourself on the radio? How did it feel?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I do, because it was like one of those moments
you would expect. Like we were in the van and trailer, yeah,
driving you know, like to the like across the country
in America to get to like our next gig, and
we were moving into Dallas and we we were listening
to a seat a tape cassette at the time. I
don't know if you if you kids know what a
cassette is.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Along the freeway dot you so.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
We ejected the cassette and the second that we did,
our song came on. I remember like we were like
we saw like Dallas over there and we were like
we had that moment, We're hands in the air. We
just felt we felt like we had made it. And
then by the way, that song later on did not
do well and we almost got dropped. Care felt like
we were giant.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
It would it would all. Thanks all thanks to a
dodgy cassette. We love it.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
There you are winding it back on with a pencil.
Rob Thomas.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
We can't wait to have you in town October twenty
four and Saturday, October twenty five for Rob Thomas Day,
nay two.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Days it is. It's a festival. Tickets are available through
Ticke Tech.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
The album All Night Days is out now. Thanks for
joining us this morning.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Guys, Thank you so much for your time. We're gonna
have a really good time.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
We look forward to seeing you at the Riverside Theater.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Thanks Rob, Thank you guys so much.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Bye.
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