Chase Rice has lived a full and well-rounded life earlier than turning 40—and earlier than establishing himself as considered one of nation music’s hottest voices. Rice’s résumé consists of elite school soccer athlete with NFL aspirations to a actuality TV star—ending runner-up on the hit TV collection Survivor, Nicaragua. Alongside the way in which he additionally earned a pair of NASCAR Dash Cup championships as a pit crew member for high driver Jimmie Johnson.
Now the previous North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker’ drops his seventh album, Go Down Singin’, which he calls his greatest work but. This comes after his earlier private fave, the uniquely titled 2023 album I Hate Cowboys and All Canine 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 unusual. As he rehabbed an ankle damage that finally lower 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 transferring up the charts, or maintaining 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 method higher singer than me. Zach Bryan’s a method higher poetic songwriter than me… So what can I do higher than [them]? That’s the aggressive facet of this. However I’m simply making an attempt to be the very 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 provide 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 taking part in days, Rice, who additionally owns a buffalo ranch outdoors of Nashville, does use his time away from the stage to benefit from the outside.
“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 write down a number 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 simple on him, nevertheless 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 a very good 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 could be utilized to each bodily and life challenges.
“You bought to be smarter than everyone,” Rice says. “You bought to be work tougher and be smarter than everyone.”
He used to use that precept on the gridiron and initially of his music profession, however now he invests extra time and power into himself with out concern for out of doors components.
“I simply wish to bust my a** and make the very best music that I could make,” he says. “That’s the one probability that I’ve to be the very best artist and the very best person who I could be, and that’s the place I’m at.”
Eternally a Soccer Mentality
Rice’s hard-nosed mindset was cast partly because of the load room. He spent a number of time lifting for his school coach at North Carolina, and all the pieces had a goal—get higher to carry out higher.
“We did a number of bands, a number of squats. a number of energy cleans,” he says. “[Our coach] was huge on fast-twitch muscle tissues. Something we had been doing that was fast and quick, that was enormous, which I don’t do anymore, and I must get again on.”
Rice now not works with that coach, however he by no means misplaced that fireside for coaching. He began working at a CrossFit gymnasium and met the proprietor, who grew to become his coach through the pandemic. That coach is now on the street with Rice and his workforce working in a administration place. The exercises contain extra body weight and bands than plates and bars. However the work continues 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 wish to be in fine condition.”
Getting ready to get onstage is far totally different than placing on the pads and taking the sphere. However there are nonetheless many individuals watching him do what he does, and he by no means loses sight of that. The primary distinction is as an alternative of making ready his physique for the collisions each down, he’s making ready his voice to encourage and entertain the followers.
“I wish to be optimum whereas I’m up there on stage and have the ability to sing and provides the individuals the very best present that I can. So, yeah, it’s a recreation day,” he says.
Rice continued by explaining that the mindset is kind of totally different as effectively. “Soccer, it was do your job and be an absolute murderer on the defensive facet of the sphere. That’s the purpose. And music will not be that it’s very it’s inventive, it’s feeling, it’s vulnerability, it’s being probably the most actual model of your self.”
Chase Rice is a DIY Nation Music Star
Rice’s expertise on the guitar truly got here to him whereas he was recovering from an ankle damage. He began studying from watching YouTube movies, then a pal confirmed him some chords. These chords finally grew to become part of Florida Georgia Line’s hit music, Cruise, which grew to become his first No. 1 music as a co-songwriter. Despite the fact that he’s thriving in nation music, he’s nonetheless a pupil in his thoughts.
“The method continues to be occurring, which is the loopy half, like I’m studying new s*** daily on these new information.”
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 think about another 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 useful as Rice enters future phases of his musical profession. He’ss at present a free agent as an artist. He just lately ended his document take care of a earlier label and is now exploring selling himself and his music independently. He’s not 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 sphere, within the weight room, and on his boulder-carrying journey with Hanes, the end-goal is what issues, and Rice’s present purpose is evident.
“What’s essential to me is individuals liking my music, coming to reveals and sing alongside, and us having a very good time.”
Rice’s new album is offered to pre-order now. You may observe him on Instagram @chaserice.