I want you to put the word out there that Chase Rice is back up.
Forgive my meme quoting, but I felt as though it was appropriate. After all, the “Bench Seat” singer just announced that he’s back in the studio after taking a hiatus from making and playing music altogether. It was earlier this year (January 7, to be exact) that Rice took to social media to share that he wouldn’t be touring in 2026.
In fact, after 13 years of going pedal to the metal, Rice needed to step off the road and away from music for a bit. The country star, who came up during the “Bro Country” movement, said he wanted to protect his longevity, and had to change something up in the midst of burnout:
“Alright everybody, I wasn’t sure whether I was gonna talk about this or not but here we are. I’ve been touring for 13 years and I’ve lived a dream far greater than I could’ve ever expected. This isn’t a goodbye thing or anything like that to be clear upfront, although it may feel like that, but I’m exhausted.
I haven’t been able to be myself on stage in quite a while and really enjoy music and why I got into it in the first place. I love songs, I love living them, hearing stories from other people, and figuring out how to put that life into music. After 13 years it’s finally beat me up to the point where I need to step away for a while. I need to go live life so that I have more real experiences to write down.
I won’t be touring this year and it wasn’t even really a decision, it was something I know that I just have to do for myself. A lot of artists do this all the time, but it’s new for me so it’s kind of a big deal in my life. To my band and crew, I love y’all. You’ve seen me at my worst yet you still love me back like I’ve lived my best. I hope we can all get together in the coming years and get back to enjoying life on the road again. To any fans that have followed me along this journey, I love y’all too, you have truly made a dream of mine come true.
I’ve got a handful of shows this year, but it will not look like anything like what I’ve done the last 13 years of my life. I hope this year brings new experiences for me to put into songs that will make y’all happy. Until then, thanks for the ride.”
Completely understandable from Rice, who even made a musical career adjustment in the past three years or so.
He decided to draw a line in the sand and step out of the style of country that made him a household name. His releases of I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell and Go Down Singin’ in back-to-back years were intentional as it gets. He wanted to establish himself as authentic, traditional, and most importantly, not what everyone assumed him to be. That shined through in his stellar album, Eldora, which he released in September of last year.
And after that run of albums that felt more personal to Chase Rice, and the years of touring that went with them, the country singer needed to take a step back. No one can blame him for needing that, but everyone is excited to see that his time off was the refuel that he needed.
Rice recently shared that he’s back in the studio, is having fun playing live again, and has found inspiration for a whole new set of songs:
“Back in the studio. Some time off at the start of the year, then right into Red Rocks and Stagecoach was wild. I was having FUN on stage again. I know it hasn’t been long, but it made me miss it. Now I’ve got a little more time off to go live life, be with friends, golf, write, record, drink, watch ‘The Chosen,’ not drink, fish, travel, see my niece and nephews and be with family. I don’t know what that’s gonna do for these songs, but I can’t wait to find out. Love y’all, thanks for a fun ride.”
That right there is great to hear.
I know there’s still some fans out there that long for Chase Rice to return to “Bro Country” style chart toppers. But I’d argue that what he’s doing now – and specifically what he did with Eldora – is as genuine and timeless as anything Chase Rice has ever made. If it’s authenticity that you’re looking for, and not an artist chasing radio hits, you’ve got to check out Rice’s last three records.
Especially knowing that new music is on the way from the country singer… until then, cue up some of his more recent releases:
“Bench Seat”
“Circa 1943”
“Eldora”
