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 sequence Survivor, Nicaragua. Alongside the best way 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 finished,” 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 extraordinary. As he rehabbed an ankle damage that finally minimize his soccer profession brief, 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 all the time be a steady grind.
“Different individuals are extra gifted than me,” he admits. “Morgan Wallen is a approach higher singer than me. Zach Bryan’s a approach 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 most effective model of me.”
Chase Rice Enjoys the Out of doors 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 present the give individuals time to study the album and actually dig into it,” he says.
However whereas he doesn’t hit the weights as usually or intense as he did throughout his enjoying days, Rice, who additionally owns a buffalo ranch exterior 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 loads 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, but it surely was nonetheless one thing he remembers 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 superb man. He’s been an enormous affect on me.”
Carrying a boulder up North Carolina’s Mount Pisgah was tough, he says, however like each different problem, Rice has discovered methods to regulate and succeed when confronted with robust types of adversity. His knowledge will 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 in the beginning of his music profession, however now he invests extra time and vitality into himself with out concern for out of doors elements.
“I simply need to bust my a** and make the most effective music that I could make,” he says. “That’s the one likelihood that I’ve to be the most effective artist and the most effective individual that I will be, and that’s the place I’m at.”
Without end a Soccer Mentality
Rice’s hard-nosed mindset was solid partly due to the burden room. He spent loads of time lifting for his school coach at North Carolina, and the whole lot had a function—get higher to carry out higher.
“We did loads of bands, loads of squats. loads of energy cleans,” he says. “[Our coach] was huge on fast-twitch muscle groups. 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 fireplace 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 highway with Rice and his crew 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 need to be in fine condition.”
Getting ready to get onstage is far completely 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 the most effective present that I can. So, yeah, it’s a recreation day,” he says.
Rice continued by explaining that the mindset is kind of completely different as nicely. “Soccer, it was do your job and be an absolute murderer on the defensive facet of the sector. That’s the objective. And music 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 truly 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 finally turned part of Florida Georgia Line’s hit tune, Cruise, which turned his first No. 1 tune 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*** every single day on these new data.”
His dedication to the method and success he has seen lately goes again to that linebacker mentality—do no matter it takes to win, and don’t contemplate another consequence.
“I’ve not had a plan B since I began doing this, which is a big 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 report cope with 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 sector, within the weight room, and on his boulder-carrying journey with Hanes, the end-goal is what issues, and Rice’s present objective is obvious.
“What’s necessary to me is individuals liking my music, coming to reveals and sing alongside, and us having a superb time.”
Rice’s new album is on the market to pre-order now. You possibly can observe him on Instagram @chaserice.