• 2007-

  Matthew RamseyVocals2007-

  Trevor RosenGuitar, keyboards2007-

  Whit SellersDrums2007-

  Geoff SprungBass guitar2007-

  Brad TursiGuitar2012-
• The Nashville-based country band chose the name Old Dominion as a nod to their Virginia roots (Old Dominion is a nickname for the state). Ramsey and Sellers are both from the Roanoke region, while Sprung and Tursi attended James Madison University, where they met Sellers. Rosen is the outlier - he grew up in Detroit, Michigan.
• Ramsey and Rosen first met in Nashville, where they formed a songwriting partnership in 2003. They share credit on Dierks Bentley's "Say You Do" and Craig Morgan's "Wake Up Lovin' You."
• The group formed organically out of a group of songwriters who occasionally performed together, which affects the way they approach songwriting as a band. "I don't think we ever sit down specifically to write an Old Dominion song," Rosen explained to The Shotgun Seat. "We write everyday when we're in town. We write, between us, hundreds of songs. You know, when you sit down that day you just come up with ideas, and you try to come up a groove, and you just try to write the best song that you can write that day. It eventually shakes out. We go through all the songs we've written and maybe we work ‘em up with the band or maybe we demo them and see how they sound in the studio. Eventually we realize, 'oh this might sound good for Old Dominion.' But no, we don't ever sit down with the intention for writing it [for Old Dominion]. We just pick through all the songs we’ve written and shake it out from there and figure out what songs would be good for the band."
• Ramsey and Sellers first met when they played in the marching band drumline for rival high schools.
• Tursi is a country songwriter who grew up with a disdain for country music: "When I was younger I would always make fun of my Dad for listening to country music, and now I am here writing it. Who ever knew he was so cool. There's gotta be a song in there somewhere."
• Tursi and Ramsey co-wrote the Kenny Chesney hit "Save It for a Rainy Day," while Tursi also shares credit on Tyler Farr's "A Guy Walks Into a Bar."
• When Taste of Country Nights' Evan Paul asked Old Dominion about their backstage must-haves, their answer was surprising. "Really, the only thing that I've ever added (to the rider), we added fresh flowers. We want fresh flowers in the dressing room," said Ramsey.
• In 2017 Old Dominion supplanted Little Big Town as the most popular band in country music, at least according to the Academy of Country Music, which awarded them Group Of The Year every year from 2017-2024. LBT won it the previous three years.
• Mathew Ramsey swears by ketamine therapy, which he started in 2023 after a string of injuries (broken rib, punctured lung, fractured pelvis...) left him not just physically injured, but emotionally scarred as well. Around that time he also started a workout regimen to heal his body.
• Matthew Ramsey almost had a very different career before music took over. He has a degree in illustration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and he considered working as an artist, even dabbling in collaborative sketches with the band on their tour bus. But when he realized he couldn't half-commit to both paths, music ultimately won out. "I was going to have to dedicate all of my energy to one or the other," he explained to Audacy's Katie Neal. "And music won."

Comments

More Songfacts:

When I'm With YouSheriff

Sheriff had been disbanded for years when "When I'm With You" hit #1 in America thanks to rediscovery by radio stations. The group never re-formed and never made a video for the song.

I'll Be Missing YouPuff Daddy

Puff Daddy didn't get permission to sample the Police song "Every Breath You Take" on his Notorious B.I.G. tribute "I'll Be Missing You," but he later reached an agreement and even performed the song with Sting.

I Kissed a GirlKaty Perry

Katy Perry's breakout hit, "I Kissed A Girl," was surprising to those familiar with her past: Her parents were pastors and she started off singing Christian music.

AdornMiguel

Miguel wrote "Adorn" about his girlfriend, the model and artist Nazanin Mandi, when he was returning home from a long trip and was anxious to see her.

The Girl Is MineMichael Jackson

The first single from the Thriller album was "The Girl Is Mine," chosen over "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" because it was a duet with Paul McCartney and thus guaranteed airplay.

In the MeantimeSpacehog

The Spacehog song "In The Meantime" samples an obscure recording of telephone noise, which is used at the beginning of the song.

Editor's Picks

Intentionally AtrociousSong Writing

A selection of songs made to be terrible - some clearly achieved that goal.

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."