This Country Star Is Back in the Studio Four Months After He Stepped Away From Music

Chase Rice is back in the studio. Four months after the country singer revealed that he planned to take 2026 off of touring, he got back to work on music.

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Rice hasn’t been totally absent from the scene since his January announcement. He played several shows, including sets at Red Rocks and Stagecoach.

In an Instagram post, Rice shared a photo of himself working in the studio, and revealed what he’d been up to the last few months.

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“Some time off at the start of the year, then right into Red Rocks and Stagecoach was wild,” he wrote. “I was having FUN on stage again. I know it hasn’t been long, but it made me miss it.”

With his time off, Rice got “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,” he concluded. “Love y’all, thanks for a fun ride.”

Chase Rice’s Decision to Take a Break

Rice having fun on stage is a new feeling for the singer, considering how he felt coming into 2026.

“I’ve been touring for 13 years and I’ve lived a dream far greater than I could’ve ever expected,” he wrote on Instagram, before revealing that the grueling schedule left him “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. “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,” Rice continued. “I need to go live life so that I have more real experiences to write down.”

In his post, Rice went on to announce his break, before concluding by writing, “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.”

Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Stagecoach