Rob Thomas Talks Happiness, New Solo Album, Ryan Gosling Duet Hopes and the Dreamy Ballad Inspired by Shania Twain

Yahoo

01-08-2025

Happiness, if you ask Rob Thomas, isn't a right. Days out from kicking off his solo tour, the Matchbox Twenty frontman's on a high from rehearsals in Nashville, where he's so jazzed up about returning to the road that he's contemplating hitting the streets of Music City to grab random pedestrians to serve as an audience.
After 32 years in music, the 53-year Grammy winner clearly still finds his greatest glee in performing. But, as he notes in his new single, 'Hard to Be Happy,' such joy isn't always easy to come by — nor should it be.
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'I think the idea that you have a God-given right to be happy is a childish thought,' muses the singer, who begins The All Night Days Tour in Atlanta on Aug. 1 before dropping his sixth solo album, All Night Days, on Sept. 5. 'As you get older, you realize happiness is earned. It's something you have to find, forge and build with the relationships you have, the people you love and the time you spend.
'When you realize that, you spend more time trying to not be unhappy, but it doesn't feel like an active pursuit, 24/7. Even in the [Declaration of Independence] you have the right to the pursuit of happiness, which doesn't mean you actually have the right to be happy!'
The difficult road to happiness is something listeners will relate to in 'Hard to Be Happy,' which is why the song holds relevance today despite being penned during the COVID-19 pandemic as Thomas began a follow-up to 2019's Chip Tooth Smile.
After Matchbox Twenty decided to record 2023's Where the Light Goes, Thomas' solo music was sidelined, resulting in All Night Days capturing varied time periods, influences and collaborators.
'Songs like 'Queen of New York City' were for my solo project, then went to Matchbox, then there's songs on this record that were written during the Matchbox sessions,' Thomas says. ''Hard to be Happy' was written in 2020 and was a general feeling at that time, but as I backed away and lived with it, it fit into an overall conversation with myself about whether I'm OK.'
The chirpy track has become the third-most-added song on U.S. Hot AC Radio. In an exclusive preview of its video shared with The Hollywood Reporter, a goofy Thomas hilariously prances around an '80s-style jazzercise workout video.
Co-written with Todd Clark and Derek Fuhrmann, Thomas was devastated when he reached out to Fuhrmann about promoting the single, only to hear he had passed away. 'He was a really good writer and all-around great guy, so it was a shock.'
Grief is something that has often made it hard to be happy for Thomas. His 2019 single 'One Less Day (Dying Young)' came from losing friends and peers, then on 2021's Something About Christmas Time, he dedicated 'Doesn't Feel Like Christmas (Samy's Song)' to his late Pomeranian Samy. In April, Thomas and his wife of 25 years, Marisol Thomas, lost their beloved 'Gingey' Ollie, kickstarting a challenging new chapter of life without any of their fur babies.
Navigating such obstacles is something the couple, who run animal rescue organization Sidewalk Angels Foundation, have taken in stride since meeting at a Matchbox Twenty afterparty in 1998. Within years of their nuptials, Marisol began experiencing debilitating health issues that eventually saw her diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. She continues facing health struggles, which often makes it 'hard to be happy,' for Thomas.
He honors their enduring love in the sweet, stirring ballad 'Thrill Me,' co-written with Tim Lopez from Plain White T's and partly inspired by Shania Twain.
'I used to love 'You're Still the One' and that sentiment,' says Thomas. 'The reason why [relationships] sometimes don't work out is because people are ever-evolving. If you're lucky, both of you evolve in the same direction, or are willing to accept the changes happening to each other. When that happens, it's magical.
'It's like with happiness: Commitment and staying together is something people have to agree on and work at a bit. But I don't prescribe to the idea that it takes work all the time. If that's the case, don't get married, dude!'
Co-produced by Greg Wattenberg, All Night Days marks Thomas' first album since leaving Atlantic Records for Universal Records. Songs written during Matchbox Twenty's sessions include blood-pumping banger 'I Believe It' (penned by Wattenberg and Thomas' bandmates Kyle Cook, Paul Doucette and Brian Yale) and heart-wrenching 'No Good at Loving You,' inspired by marriage.
There's someone else who Thomas has loved almost as long as Marisol — his 1999 'Smooth' collaborator Carlos Santana. Thanks to the Grammy-winning track, Santana and music mogul Clive Davis became lifelong mentors who 'helped me center myself, to get where I want to be.'
During Monday's production rehearsals, Thomas felt the lighting wasn't right for 'Smooth.' 'So, I wrote to Carlos saying, 'Hey man, what color is 'Smooth'?' Thirty seconds later, he writes back, 'Diamond ice.' I said, 'That's beautiful. Thanks for your help!''
As well as 'Smooth,' Matchbox Twenty hits and new tracks, Thomas' setlist will celebrate the 20th anniversary of his solo debut, …Something to Be. The album spawned Grammy-nominated hits like 'This Is How a Heart Breaks' and 'Lonely No More,' plus John Mayer collaboration 'Streetcorner Symphony.'
So, 20 years later, did Rob Thomas find … something to be?
'I think the becoming is in the searching,' he reflects. 'There's no destination or peak to get to. When we started out, nobody knew who we were, but we'd play the college club and it felt fucking awesome. Then you get signed and you're playing radio festivals, but at noon, and it's like, 'Who cares? This is still fucking great.'
'If that had been the peak, I would've happily looked back telling people, 'I was in a band, we had a good run and it was fun.' It still just feels fun. When you're looking ahead trying to figure out [something to be] or that destination to get to, you're not looking at your feet and appreciating the moment you're in — and the little wonders.'
It's a lesson for his son from a previous relationship, Maison Thomas-Eudy, who's 27 and carving out his own musical path. While A Great Big World is joining Thomas on tour, Maison's L.A. pop rock trio The Lucky will also open select shows, including one at Fountainebleau Las Vegas on album release day.
Maison — who played guitar on several All Night Days songs, including the snappy standout title track — is also Thomas' new guitarist, thanks to previous guitarist Frank Romano suggesting the Berklee graduate as his replacement.
For Thomas, it's a 'weird' adjustment hugging Maison goodbye as he heads off with the band each night, instead of sticking with him. It was a different story during Matchbox Twenty's 2024 Australian tour, when the two bonded during shopping trips, movies and poolside lunches.
'We solidified the friendship part of our relationship in Australia,' says Thomas. 'We got to know each other and who we are now. He's one of the closest people in the world to me and one of the best humans I know — so kind and thoughtful. I couldn't ask for anything more.'
Maison, meanwhile, credits Thomas for instilling key lessons in building a fruitful music career.
'He's taught me a lot about effort, what it takes to succeed, to always work on being better and never say you can't do something,' Maison tells THR. 'I almost said 'No' to filling in for Frankie because I thought his shoes were too big to fill, but I'm glad I said 'Yes' because I'm having a blast.'
After wrapping the U.S. leg of the tour at L.A.'s YouTube Theater on Sept. 6, Thomas will tour Australia and New Zealand. He's also preparing to mark 30 years since Matchbox Twenty's 1996 debut, Yourself or Someone Like You.
In a newly resurfaced interview clip, a 25-year-old Thomas credited 'penis size' for setting Matchbox Twenty apart from other new rock bands. But ultimately, it's chart-toppers like '3AM,' 'Long Day' and 'Push' that laid the foundation for the group's legacy, fanbase and subsequent records. With Doucette admirably encouraging Thomas to dedicate ample time to All Night Days, Thomas doesn't anticipate anniversary celebrations commencing until mid-late 2026.
'End of next year is when we'll really start things, then the next year we're going out properly and doing special things,' he says. 'We're not interested in making another album right now because we might kill each other, but maybe we'll come up with a song or two. We also want to have some fun with old live recordings.'
However, there's one recording that still needs to go down. After Ryan Gosling repeatedly belted out 'Push' in 2023's Barbie, fans remain eager to see Gosling perform the song with Thomas.
'Listen, if I could've done that, I would've already left Mari and be with him right now,' laughs Thomas. 'He's an attractive man.
'Let's see about getting Ryan Gosling to the show to sing with us,' Thomas then instructs his manager, who promptly takes note ahead of the tour hitting California, where Gosling resides. 'If that happened, you'd be witnessing the bromance of the ages. He would eclipse my love of Taylor Kitsch. Sorry Taylor!'
Kitsch may drop in Thomas' man crush rankings, but one thing's for sure — a Rob x Ryan collab wouldn't make it hard to be happy for fans.
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