One month after releasing his newest studio album, Go Down Singin’, Chase Rice has surprised fans with a brand new project. Titled the Fireside Sessions, the new album features all 25 songs from Rice’s last two albums — Go Down Singin’ and I Hate Cowboys… — as live, single-take versions with cowriters including Lori McKenna, Jackson Dean, and more as featured artists.
Recorded around the fireplace at his farm outside Nashville in the style of Music City’s famous writers’ rounds, Fireside Sessions serves as both a tribute to Rice’s musical recalibration and deeper evidence that he deserves to be spoken about in the same conversations as artists like Zach Bryan and Wyatt Flores rather than Morgan Wallen or Jason Aldean. It’s also important to note the Fireside Sessions album cover, which unites the covers of the aforementioned culminating albums, displaying Rice and his late father in a mirrored image.
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Rice unveiled the surprise release during a special writers’ round at the iconic Bluebird Café in Nashville on Thursday. He was joined by collaborators Oscar Charles, Blake Pendergrass, John Byron, and Jonathan Sherwood.
Back in September, PopCulture.com had a chance to chat with Rice about his new songs, and he made it clear that he is much happier with his new musical lot in life. “It’s so much better than what I used to do, and I’m OK with saying that,” he said about the songs on Go Down Singin’, then adding that he hopes “people dig it.”
Rice clarified that he believes it’s important to “honor the past, and honor my journey” but asserted, “There’s not a chance in hell I’m changing what I’m doing, so people can get on board or don’t.”
Fans in North Carolina can hear some of these new songs for themselves this weekend, when Rice performs at Eric Chuch’s Concert For Carolina benefit show on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Bank of America Stadium. In addition to Church and Rice, the charity event will also feature Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Bailey Zimmerman, The Avett Brothers, Scotty McCreery, and Parmalee.
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