NASHVILLE (AP) - When multiplatinum country group Rascal Flatts appeared to be lip-synching during a performance at this year's Academy of Country Music Awards, the trio handled the aftermath - including a promotional round for new album "Rewind" just a month later - with a little honesty and a lot of humor.

Lead singer Gary LeVox said the band had played two shows and done several hours of interviews in the days leading up to the April 6 show in Las Vegas and his voice was affected by the dry desert air. Bass player Jay DeMarcus joked that when they decided to lip-sync to their new single, it was clear they weren't very good at it.

They were still making light of the situation as the group sat down for a recent interview. At one point, DeMarcus crouched down behind LeVox and spoke like a bad ventriloquist, promising to never lip-sync at an awards show again as LeVox moved his lips out of time.

"And for anybody that was offended by that, we sincerely apologize and hope to redeem ourselves in the near future on the next live performance," DeMarcus said for LeVox.

Humor's been one thing that's kept the band together since they first got together back in 1999 at a little club in Nashville's tourist district. They laughed together as they recounted the show, which was captured only on VHS tape.

On "Rewind," released last week, the group tries to look back at some of its better moments while also looking forward by updating its sound and trying new approaches with a group of co-producers.

"We've exceeded all of our goals by a long shot," guitarist Joe Don Rooney said. "But I think you just go look at the landscape of where we're headed. We don't know what's in store, but we're excited about it. Once again, we still feel like those three guys in that club just down the road that are still hungry, still want to make a difference."