Chase Rice has lived a full and well-rounded life earlier than turning 40—and earlier than establishing himself as certainly one of nation music’s hottest voices. Rice’s résumé consists of elite faculty soccer athlete with NFL aspirations to a actuality TV star—ending runner-up on the hit TV sequence Survivor, Nicaragua. Alongside the way in which he additionally earned a pair of NASCAR Dash Cup championships as a pit crew member for prime driver Jimmie Johnson.
Now the previous North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker’ drops his seventh album, Go Down Singin’, which he calls his finest work but. This comes after his earlier private fave, the uniquely titled 2023 album I Hate Cowboys and All Canines Go to Hell. Over a decade after he began his pursuit of music greatness, Rice, who simply turned 39, is assured on this newest launch.
“This album is my favourite album I’ve ever performed,” Rice says, “as a result of it’s actual, it’s private, it’s nice songwriting, it’s storytelling, and it’s nation.”
Rice’s entry into nation music is something however abnormal. As he rehabbed an ankle damage that ultimately reduce his soccer profession quick, Rice turned to the web for DIY guitar classes. After studying a couple of chords, Rice turned a low second of his life (his father had additionally handed away on the time) right into a nation music alternative. Rice has developed right into a profitable singer-songwriter who continues to depend on a hard-nosed work ethic—just like the dedication that helped him earn a beginning spot at UNC. Whether or not it’s shifting up the charts, or preserving match, Rice is aware of the method going ahead will at all times be a steady grind.
“Different individuals are extra gifted than me,” he admits. “Morgan Wallen is a manner higher singer than me. Zach Bryan’s a manner higher poetic songwriter than me… So what can I do higher than [them]? That’s the aggressive aspect of this. However I’m simply making an attempt to be one of the best model of me.”
Chase Rice Enjoys the Outside Life
Rice plans a tour within the spring of 2025, throughout that point he’ll even be engaged on songs for his subsequent album. The delay he says is to permit his followers to soak within the album. “I’m going to offer the give individuals time to study the album and actually dig into it,” he says.
However whereas he doesn’t hit the weights as typically or intense as he did throughout his enjoying days, Rice, who additionally owns a buffalo ranch outdoors of Nashville, does use his time away from the stage to benefit from the open air.
“I’ll be elk looking, deer looking, duck looking with my canine,” he says. “When winter rolls round, I’ll snowboard, and I’ll have time to put in writing lots of songs.”
One expertise that also stands out to him personally was a rucking journey with famend bow hunter Cameron Hanes, which included carrying a boulder up a mountain. Rice stated Hanes took it straightforward on him, however it was nonetheless one thing he recollects fondly whereas acknowledging how intense it was.
“He’s an absolute animal,” Rice says. “He might’ve smoked me, however he didn’t. Cam’s an excellent man. He’s been an enormous affect on me.”
Carrying a boulder up North Carolina’s Mount Pisgah was troublesome, he says, however like each different problem, Rice has discovered methods to regulate and succeed when confronted with robust types of adversity. His knowledge might be utilized to each bodily and life challenges.
“You bought to be smarter than all people,” Rice says. “You bought to be work more durable and be smarter than all people.”
He used to use that precept on the gridiron and firstly of his music profession, however now he invests extra time and power into himself with out concern for outdoor components.
“I simply need to bust my a** and make one of the best music that I could make,” he says. “That’s the one probability that I’ve to be one of the best artist and one of the best person who I might be, and that’s the place I’m at.”
Perpetually a Soccer Mentality
Rice’s hard-nosed mindset was solid partially due to the load room. He spent lots of time lifting for his faculty coach at North Carolina, and every thing had a function—get higher to carry out higher.
“We did lots of bands, lots of squats. lots of energy cleans,” he says. “[Our coach] was huge on fast-twitch muscle groups. Something we have been doing that was fast and quick, that was big, which I don’t do anymore, and I must get again on.”
Rice not works with that coach, however he by no means misplaced that fireside for coaching. He began working at a CrossFit fitness center and met the proprietor, who turned his coach through the pandemic. That coach is now on the street with Rice and his staff working in a administration place. The exercises contain extra body weight and bands than plates and bars. However the work remains to be difficult and rewarding whereas he maintains a weight of round 205 kilos.
Chase Rice defined, “I’m simply making an attempt to optimize my physique now, versus being a loopy match dude. I simply need to be in good condition.”
Making ready to get onstage is way totally different than placing on the pads and taking the sector. However there are nonetheless many individuals watching him do what he does, and he by no means loses sight of that. The principle distinction is as a substitute of making ready his physique for the collisions each down, he’s making ready his voice to encourage and entertain the followers.
“I need to be optimum whereas I’m up there on stage and be capable of sing and provides the individuals one of the best present that I can. So, yeah, it’s a recreation day,” he says.
Rice continued by explaining that the mindset is sort of totally different as effectively. “Soccer, it was do your job and be an absolute murderer on the defensive aspect of the sector. That’s the purpose. And music just isn’t that it’s very it’s creative, it’s feeling, it’s vulnerability, it’s being essentially the most actual model of your self.”
Chase Rice is a DIY Nation Music Star
Rice’s expertise on the guitar really got here to him whereas he was recovering from an ankle damage. He began studying from watching YouTube movies, then a good friend confirmed him some chords. These chords ultimately turned part of Florida Georgia Line’s hit tune, Cruise, which turned his first No. 1 tune as a co-songwriter. Although he’s thriving in nation music, he’s nonetheless a scholar in his thoughts.
“The method remains to be taking place, which is the loopy half, like I’m studying new s*** each day on these new data.”
His dedication to the method and success he has seen in recent times goes again to that linebacker mentality—do no matter it takes to win, and don’t contemplate every other outcome.
“I’ve not had a plan B since I began doing this, which is a large a part of it.”
That mentality goes to be helpful as Rice enters future phases of his musical profession. He’ss at the moment a free agent as an artist. He lately ended his document cope with a earlier label and is now exploring selling himself and his music independently. He isn’t one for self-promotion however is adjusting to it.
“I logged into TikTok [receently] for the primary time in my life,” he admits
As Rice did on the sector, within the weight room, and on his boulder-carrying journey with Hanes, the end-goal is what issues, and Rice’s present purpose is obvious.
“What’s necessary to me is individuals liking my music, coming to reveals and sing alongside, and us having an excellent time.”
Rice’s new album is out there to pre-order now. You may comply with him on Instagram @chaserice.
