Last year, Chase Rice declared that he would stop making "bro-country." That meant no more songs about drinking and partying. Although those songs were successful, he chose not to return to that style, even if fans don't seem to be interested.
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He said, "You look at 'Ready, Set, Roll' and 'Drinkin' Beer. Talkin' God. Amen.' and all those songs that were hits for me back in the day, and it keeps me wondering why that is what people want to hear, as opposed to the more quality, better music that I'm making now?"
After discussing his musical shift, Rice also revealed he plans to stop touring when he turns 40. However, as a recent Rolling Stone interview highlighted, Rice doesn't seem to have a Plan B, and he admits he's a little scared about it.
Chase Rice Says He's "Still Content" With His Decision
In the interview, Rice shared that when his hiatus begins, he has "no idea how (he's) going to make money."
"It's scary as s*** not knowing where your money is going to come from, but it's a fun thing to be in a place where you're not making what you usually make, and you're still content with it," he said. "That just assures you that it's the right move. I have zero plans of going back to any of the more pop stuff. I'm going to keep writing the style of music that I make now on a guitar and pray for the best."
Why Is Rice Not Going to Tour?
Earlier this year, Rice shared on Instagram that he was "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," he wrote.
He offered more context about his remarks to Rolling Stone.
"I was elk hunting, and I just really didn't want to go back," he explained. "I wanted to stay out in Montana. Throughout the fall, I kept doing shows, but I was like, 'This is not right. I'm not excited to get onstage anymore.' Everything felt wrong. So, I had a conversation with management and my agent, and it was just like, 'Wow, we're really going to do this. I'm going to step away until I feel like I want to do it again.'"
Still, Rice emphasizes that he isn't leaving the stage forever. This break is only temporary.
He elaborated, "I'll probably never tour as extensively again. And financially, that isn't the best decision, because doing 80 shows a year isn't about making a million dollars a night—not for me, anyway. It's a business."
He added, "But creatively, I'm planning on writing my ass off. There won't be an album this year, I know that. But I'm really looking forward to slowing down, seeing what we can create."
