It still haunts him, what happened on the bus after a show in Missoula, Montana.
But once they got on the bus, Rice noticed a vibe shift.
One kid brought up John Prine and I said, Who is John Prine?
Chase Rice’s new album ‘Go Down Singin’' showcases a former bro-country star willing to go deep.Ben Christensen*
And hell do it all with a smile on his face.
That doesnt mean he wasnt embarrassed.
It just took a while to get there.
Back then, Rice wasnt having it.
He was radio or bust, and his version of country was the only one there was.
When those guys hit, I wanted nothing to do with it, Rice says.
And I was wrong.
I mean, its just sad on my part, how far removed I was from anything not mainstream.
He shakes his head before adding, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
What would the barbecue guys think?
Are bros allowed a redemption arc?
Does poptimism end where country music begins?
Holy shit, fuck yeah.
BEFORE WE SAT DOWN TO TALK, Rice asks if weve met before.
Rolling Stoneis good and authentic and I wasnt, he says.
I was so lost, and I had no fucking clue what I was doing.
He grimaces, then proceeds to make fun of another one of his albums, calledThe Album.
Its wild I just called it…The Album.
Parroting FGL wasnt working, so he tried to be Sam Hunt, and that didnt do it either.
Songs I didnt have the balls to put out, really, he says.
Because I was just trying so hard to be popular.
Looking back, it was too early, he says, shaking his head.
This time, however, he changed his mind.
I was done trying to be everyone else.
I wanted to be my fucking self.
Turns out Rice can paint a vibrant tale just as well as he could get the party started.
Haw River is one of the albums most surprising songs.
Why are we afraid to sing about it?
Theres no reason to shy away from the truth.
Ive never been in that situation, why should I have an opinion about it?).
Country music is all about the heros journey.
The old way of thinking was you couldnt do that, Rice says.
Having good men in my life has changed my life.
Its not just FGL thats split.
Country is at a divide once again.
Whats different now than in 2012 is that sounding country is welcome.
Rice is skeptical that it will stick around.
I am hearing some stuff and Im like, This is so fucking terrible.
But Im the last guy that should say that.
Rice, clearly, is hard on himself.
He still plays it live, but now its acoustic on the guitar with some pedal steel.
Worsham says, who got to hear it first-hand on the road.
I just sat there and enjoyed playing the guitar.
And it was so much better.
