Relax, fans. Country music star Chase Rice isn’t retiring; he’s just slowing down. Way down.
“It kind of hit me on a tour bus last fall that I didn’t want to be on that tour bus. I haven’t taken a break from touring in 13 years. I’m taking one now, and I’m as happy as can be,” he said.
Rice talked to us by phone from his Tennessee home, where he spends his days playing golf and romping with his black lab, Jack. Tough life. “I’m still doing a handful of shows and writing songs.” But the grind of touring is behind him—at least for now.
Rice first came to prominence at age 24 in 2010 as a contestant on “Survivor: Nicaragua.” This kick-started his country music career, first as a songwriter of the diamond-certified single “Cruise,” performed by Florida Georgia Line. From there, he went on to release six studio albums of his own and two No. 1 singles on the Country Airplay chart: “Eyes on You” and “Drinkin’ Beer, Talkin’ God, Amen.”
Surely someone once that busy isn’t satisfied just playing golf, right?
“I’ve been renovating the house, and over the winter I hunted deer, elk, and duck with Jack. I got sad when the season was over, and there were no more deer to chase.”
When can we expect Rice to return to the tour circuit?
“I didn’t know how much I needed this break, needed to kick back and slow down. I can’t say I’ll be back with a full tour in 2027. I don’t know. I’m concentrating on living life again. But I’ll get back to full-time at some point.”
He’s in no hurry for “some point” to arrive.
Finding His Own Voice
Rice still does what he does best—make music—but he’s less pressured to be No. 1.
The change happened a couple of years ago, when he quit the Broken Bow label, went independent, and started producing albums that reflect what he wants to say, rather than what would please corporate headquarters somewhere. The ultimate product of this rediscovery of artistic freedom is the album “ELDORA,” released last year. Rice explained its origins:
“We”—Rice, producer Oscar Charles, and songwriter and friend Wyatt McCubbin—“went to a cabin in Colorado after playing Red Rocks and wrote 10 songs, plus I already had written two others. We didn’t think, ‘Will this be a hit?’ I got caught up in my earlier career with, ‘Where are the radio hits?’ Not that radio is a bad thing, but I think it slows your ability to write good songs when all you think about is hits.” The album’s name, all in capital letters, comes from a sign advertising an abandoned lodge they had passed by. Seeing the old hotel got Rice’s imagination going.
In 12 songs, Rice tells a dozen stories of sorrow, triumph, and lessons learned. The overall tone is nostalgic and a little melancholy with a dollop of hope. Among them: “Cowboy Goodbye,” Rice’s tribute to his musical hero George Strait, compares the life of a cowboy to that of a musician. “Mr. Coors” relates the tale of an immigrant who founded a certain brewery. “Naming Horses” contemplates the possibility of a lifelong relationship. “One Drink Long” is about the pull of returning to a former love. The tragic, fictional backstory of the title song involves an abortion.
Rice’s favorite song on the album, which he says is also his favorite of all the songs he’s written so far, is “Circa 1943.” The story of his grandparents’ meeting. It begins:
Harold met Berniece circa 1943 That bullet to the leg nearly took him but it took him to her He sure smiled when he came to, looking up into baby blues She said gunny you’re lucky it could’ve been a whole lot worse
“I love looking back on life, and I love that World War II generation,” Rice said. “I love thinking about other people’s stories. I don’t know what country music is anymore, but my music is about telling stories. Most are true-life stories; some mix in a little fiction.”
His new single release, “Connie Lou,” released in May, is a lively evocation of his mother. An old woman in the corner, knitting mittens? Definitely not. Rice’s mom was a “dance hall belle” with “that cowgirl thing.” His musical tribute to her is as upbeat and as drunk on life as the general tone of “ELDORA” is sober.
“Connie Lou” and his ongoing concert schedule show that Rice can still make music while taking it easy.
Proud to Be an American
Rice’s newfound independence as a singer-songwriter is mirrored by his admiration for the greater independence of the United States.
“People get up in arms about politics and stuff. All this bickering is a shame. At the end of the day, what’s important is recognizing that this country is insanely special. And it’s important that we recognize the people who have fought for this country. We don’t have freedom without them,” Rice said.
A framed quote from Ronald Reagan hangs in his dining room. It reads: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. … It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
Rice added: “We need to keep fighting for freedom.”
For Rice, it means fighting for the right to express the ideals, goals, and history of Americans. It means telling stories that link us to the Americans who have gone before, a job Chase Rice intends to keep doing.
From July Issue, Volume VI
