Chris Rice
Chris Rice Bio
Everything up until now has been rehearsal. That's the way Chris
Rice thinks. Today is the important day, and everything in his
life up until this point has been the preparation.
This is obvious as he charges forward in his artistry with
his new release "What A Heart Is Beating For."
"Following up the radio success of "When Did You
Fall' could have been intimidating. But instead, that success
set the stage for these next steps I am taking as an artist.
I just live life that way--having a sort of laid-back optimism,
and building on new opportunities as they present themselves,"
says Rice.
For Chris, "What A Heart Is Beating For" is a logical
step resulting from those opportunities, as well as a launching
point for a host of new ones.
The steps leading up to "What A Heart Is Beating For"
began in Clinton, Maryland, a suburb of Washington D.C. where
Chris was born and raised. A shy kid, according to his family
members, who say that even as a kid he "observed everything,
and seemed to be studying and mulling over thoughts and people
all the time."
The woods and creeks of Maryland, the political and historical
scene of Washington D.C., and a house of four brothers, seem
like the perfect mix of nature, thinking, and humor to start
preparing young Rice for his success as a songwriter and recording
artist, who would be well-known for his artful lyrics with
clever turns, moving images of creation, and a knack for bringing
out at least a couple of smiles per song.
And although never in a preachy way, some of Rice's songs
also drop hints of his on-going faith, which he attributes
to his wise parents who raised him and his brothers in church,
but "never hid us there."
It is this "never-hid-us-there" mentality that
has compelled Rice to boldly and deliberately move into the
pop AC world, even though his past success has been with Christian
radio and retail.
Chris explains, "I never intended to limit the reach
of my songs and artistry, and there is absolutely no reason
to." There's that optimism again.
From Maryland, and after several years of college-hopping
(to figure out what he wanted to be 'when he grew up') Chris
finally landed in Tennessee in his mid-twenties, with a Bachelor's
degree in Psychology and Communication, and a curiosity about
the music business.
"I wondered if I had career potential as a songwriter,
and I knew that some publishing companies were in Nashville,
a town that had way more appeal to my laid-back personality
than the big cities (L.A., New York, Minneapolis, Atlanta)
where music was happening."
Chris's first roommate in Nashville, Monroe Jones, helped
put together Chris's first song demos, produced his first
indie project in 1993, and has produced all of Chris's recordings
ever since, including "What A Heart Is Beating For",
Chris's sixth studio record.
Jones also invited Rice into a label partnership and birthed
Eb+Flo Records, the perfect home for creating his records,
with agreements for distribution and marketing through INO
and Columbia Records.
Rice's collaboration and history with Jones has led to record
sales nearing the 2 million records mark. Not a bad turnout
for a random roommate situation over 20 years ago!
"Although we track instruments in 'real' studios around
town, all of my vocals over the years have been recorded at
Monroe's house, usually with his kids playing around my feet
while I'm trying to sing! There's something so relaxing and
natural about recording that way, just enough out of the norm,
that really comes through on the records."
The new record opens with a fun look at the songwriter's
attempt to write a sad song, when the day turns on him and
ends up causing him to write a happy celebration of love,
called "So Much For My Sad Song."
The title song on Chris's latest, "What A Heart Is Beating
For", immediately shows Chris's song potential that goes
beyond any one format. Electric guitar opens the song simply,
but builds over the course of the song to a powerfully driven
emotion-filled rock song.
In similar fashion, "You Don't Have To Yell" is
one of Chris's first true 'social statement' songs, calling
attention to our addiction to conflict in 'reality' TV, politics,
and news analysis. A poignant message that sees the value
in disagreeing, and taking a side, but reminds us that "louder
doesn't make you right."
"Pardon My Dust" is a richly musical blues/jazz
mix that asks the listener to reconsider our quickness to
judge, and give each other some room for humanness.
Chris celebrates in "Punchlines And Ironies" the
sense of humor built into the universe and into our relationships.
"Lemonade" promises another pop single success
for Rice, with his signature optimism, and the idea of falling
in love and sharing life with his girl. "We're gonna
need another straw!" Remixed and re-mastered for this
record.
Crooner Rice shows up in the Sinatra-esque "Here Come
Those Eyes."
"Let The Words Escape" is a borrowing and retooling
of lines from Elizabeth Barrett Browning sonnets that Chris
weaves into a beautifully moving and poetic love song.
Rice's faith statement is made most clearly in the simple
re-telling of the gospel story in "Tell Me The Story
Again."
The 13-song collection is rounded out with intriguing titles
such as "Love Is Gonna Break Through," "Kids
Again," and "Sneakin' Into Heaven."
The record closes with a moving, melancholy farewell to a
dying friend, building on Shakespeare's phrase, "All
the world's a stage" and carrying the metaphor through
to the end of her show, titled "Baby Take Your Bow."
WHAT A HEART IS BEATING FOR is a brilliant showcase of the
depth and breadth of Chris Rice as an artist and writer, sure
to solidify his presence in the wonderful world of music.Courtesy
chrisrice.com
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