Retreating from the rush of his career and
the pressure to be No. 1, Chase Rice is embracing life’s simple joys. (Ben Christensen)
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.”
Rice’s music honors his love for our nation’s freedom and what it means to be American. (Lauren Tucker)
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.
(Ben Christensen)
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 enjoys hunting, working in the great outdoors, and telling stories through his music. (Kaiser Cunningham)
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.
(Kaiser Cunningham)
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.
Tasha Layton is a Billboard chart-topping singer-songwriter. (Tasha Layton/BEC Recordings)
Tasha Layton has thrived since her days as a contestant on “American Idol” and a backstage vocalist for Katy Perry. After turning down a solo career in pop music, she released several successful Christian singles, including “Into The Sea (It’s Gonna Be OK)” and the smash hit “Look What You’ve Done,” which landed her on Billboard’s list of top 5 female Christian artists of the year in 2020 and 2021. She is currently wrapping up her Trust Again tour across the United States.
In this interview with American Essence, the South Carolina native shares about her life—from being mom to her kids Levi and Lyla, to launching a mental health initiative inspired by her own story. Through it all, faith and family are front and center.
Layton performs in Milwaukee, Wis. Tasha Layton/BEC Recordings
American Essence: What is your morning routine like?
Tasha Layton: My morning routine is being woken from a dead sleep to chaos every morning. My children are 4 and 7, and so I may or may not have washed off my makeup from the night before, and I literally hit the ground running.
There’s no routine right now in my life, which I am sad about, but I know that will come as my kids get a little bit older. I know that I’ll fall back into a routine, but I do try to wash my face every day, but I don’t have a normal cleanser either. I mean, it’s literally just chaos and no rhythm. The only rhythm that I definitely don’t sway from is my time doing daily devotionals.
AE: Any daily wellness practices that keep you grounded?
Ms. Layton: My time in meditation and prayer every day with my Bible and my journal—that is the one that I don’t miss. I really want to take better care of myself physically, but as a mom, I haven’t been able to find that balance yet. And sometimes, for folks looking at my life from the outside in, they might think I have it all together, but I really don’t.
AE: What is something that people might be surprised to find out about you?
Ms. Layton: Before I had children, I was an adrenaline junkie. I skydived, bungee jumped, did extreme scuba diving, rafting, and other things like that. I just loved doing extreme things. And then when I had kids, I didn’t do any of it anymore, because I just wanted to stay safe for them.
Layton with her husband, Keith Everette Smith, and two children, Levi and Lyla. (Tasha Layton/BEC Recordings)
AE: What is your favorite part of the day?
Ms. Layton: I love the time in the evening when I get to snuggle my kids on the couch, or read to them at night before they go to bed. That’s my favorite time of the day. My husband and I weren’t able to have kids, we weren’t supposed to be able to have kids, and so our children are miracles and huge blessings to us.
AE: What has motherhood taught you?
Ms. Layton: I learned something new about God all the time because of my kids, how much God loves us, how much grace He shows us, how much patience He shows us, ways that He knows better than we do about certain things. And, like a good parent, you’re going to give your kids what they need, not always what they want. You don’t know what you’re capable of until you become a mother, because you’re operating under extreme exhaustion and beyond the capacity you thought you had, and somehow you get it all done.
AE: What is your favorite family tradition?
Ms. Layton: One of my favorite times together as a family is when we are home from traveling and we go out for Mexican food and ice cream. We do it regularly, and it’s easy. We don’t have to think about it—we know what we’re going to get to eat. My kids love that time. They get so excited for ice cream at this age, so we really love just time together as a family, since we travel so much.
AE: What inspires you and keeps you going on tough days?
Ms. Layton: It’s a combination of two things. The first is that I feel an innate sense of calling from God to do what I do, and, thus, the grace to do it. And the second is that I hear stories every night when speaking with people after events and concerts of how my music has inspired them or changed their lives. Hearing that encouragement from them is also a big deal for me.
AE: How does your faith show up in everyday life or guide your daily decisions?
Ms. Layton: My faith shows up in every single decision I make every single day—how I respond when my kids are fighting, my tone when my husband brings up something to talk about, or how I greet the Amazon delivery person at my doorstep. It’s how I treat people. Doing what I do for a living, I have a very large team, and it’s how they feel treated—and do they feel loved? Do they sense that I am wanting the best for them?
AE: What is your ultimate goal as an artist, and how do you hope to impact others?
Ms. Layton: My ultimate goal with music is to help people connect with God, and, by helping people connect with God, that helps bring them freedom and joy in life. Those are the things that I’m aiming for every time I write a song, to connect people with Him.
Layton performs during the 10th Annual K-LOVE Fan Awards at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. on May 28, 2023. (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
AE: How does your faith influence the messages you want to convey through your music?
Ms. Layton: When you write Christian music, you are essentially teaching theology to the masses. With theology, being the study of God, you have to be very careful about what you’re writing. I want to get a theologically sound message out to the masses and to help people know and experience the love of God at a level maybe they hadn’t before. And when I’m writing a song, I have that in mind, both making sure that the song is scripturally sound and also just a healthy song. I’m not going to write about the things that other pop artists write about. I’m going to write about heart issues and keep God at the center of it all.
AE: Where do you find inspiration for your music?
Ms. Layton: The biggest inspiration I’ve had so far has been my own experience—the low points of my life, the struggles, the honest questions I’ve had—but as I continue to do what I do on the level that I do it now, it’s also being inspired from the people who come to my events and tell me their stories. Other people’s stories have been very inspiring for me over the last year, and I definitely consider those stories when I’m writing music.
AE: What songs have you gotten the most feedback on?
Ms. Layton: Probably one of my biggest songs to date is a song called “Into the Sea,” and I think people have really gravitated to that song because the chorus says “It’s Gonna Be OK.” And we live in such a season as a culture of anxiety and fear, and hearing the message “It’s gonna be OK” is very important.
As a person of faith, I don’t believe that just because we have faith, our life is going to be easy or free from distress or obstacles, but I do believe that God’s presence will always be with us, and that our faith sees us through those things and walks through those things with us. That song has definitely been a huge anthem for people. And then I have another one called “Look What You’ve Done.” That’s my life’s testimony in a song. That one has become an anthem for a lot of people as well.
AE: Who has had the most significant influence on your life or career?
Ms. Layton: My husband has had the most influence on my career, because he is the one who believes in me and pushes me to do all that God has called me to do, and I can’t fake it in front of him and get out of anything. He’s gonna be that voice to say, “You can do this.”
AE: What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received in your career, and how did it impact you?
Ms. Layton: When I was a young girl, my mom told me, “Tasha, be who you’re supposed to be, and you will become exactly who you’re supposed to become,” and she said, “Be who you’re supposed to, and you’ll do exactly what you’re supposed to do.”
I think when we focus on our character and our internal integrity and self, somehow, the externals just handle themselves—jobs and open doors and all of that. It handles itself when you focus on your character and on being more like Christ. And I’ve carried that with me my whole life.
AE: If you could sit down with your younger self at the start of your career, what advice would you give her?
Ms. Layton: I wish that I would have lived with the fear of God and not the fear of man. I was so concerned with what people thought of me that I wasn’t living courageously or vulnerably. It wasn’t until I knew how loved and special I was, and that God feels that way about every single person on this planet. It wasn’t until then that I truly stepped out courageously into what I felt like I was supposed to do in life, because I knew that I didn’t have to be afraid of what people thought.
(Tasha Layton/BEC Recordings)
AE: What projects are you most excited about right now?
Ms. Layton: I have three things I’m very excited about right now. One is a live worship record that is releasing this year. And then, I also have a full-length studio project releasing as well. The third thing that I’m very excited about is, I began a Christian mental health initiative in 2024 called Boundless.
It was really birthed from my own mental health struggle because I have a suicide attempt and depression in my history, and I went through a process with God and my therapist that really got me through and set me free from all of that. It was so special that I wrote a book about it to help people walk through that same process, to experience the kind of freedom that I had experienced. The book turned into a workbook that turned into a leader guide, and then I wrote a kids’ book, and now it’s an online course. My aim is to help people reach a sense of holistic health in their life that’s not just, you know, taking a pill for everything or praying it away. It’s this balance of what we need in every area of our life to be whole and healthy. But it began out of my own process of freedom, from lies I believed when I was a kid about God, about myself, about other people. We’ve put a lot of work into that this year, and I believe that the music in what we’re doing is working hand in hand to help people find that freedom.
Layton’s song “Look What You’ve Done” has become an anthem for many people. (Tasha Layton/BEC Recordings)
AE: What is a dream project or collaboration you haven’t tackled yet, but hope to in the future?
Ms. Layton: I would love to build an intensive counseling center where people can escape and go explore their own history and get healed up from past wounds and trauma.
AE: How does your faith influence the messages you want to convey through your music?
Ms. Layton: When you write Christian music, you are essentially teaching theology to the masses. With theology, being the study of God, you have to be very careful about what you’re writing. I want to get a theologically sound message out to the masses and to help people know and experience the love of God at a level maybe they hadn’t before. And when I’m writing a song, I have that in mind, both making sure that the song is scripturally sound and also just a healthy song. I’m not going to write about the things that other pop artists write about. I’m going to write about heart issues and keep God at the center of it all.
AE: How does your faith show up in everyday life or guide your daily decisions?
Ms. Layton: My faith shows up in every single decision I make every single day—how I respond when my kids are fighting, my tone when my husband brings up something to talk about, or how I greet the Amazon delivery person at my doorstep. It’s how I treat people. Doing what I do for a living, I have a very large team, and it’s how they feel treated—and do they feel loved? Do they sense that I am wanting the best for them? Other people’s stories have been very inspiring for me over the last year, and I definitely consider those stories when I’m writing music. It handles itself when you focus on your character and on being more like Christ. And I’ve carried that with me my whole life.
