After 13 Years On The Road, Chase Rice Is Taking A Break: “I Need To Go Live Life”

Since stepping onto the country music scene at the height of bro country, Chase Rice has proved that the music that kick-started his career does not define him and that he’s a multi-dimensional artist.

Since 2023, Rice has completely reinvented himself and distanced himself from the sound he became synonymous with. Releasing I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell and Go Down Singin’ in back-to-back years, the “Circa 1943” singer forced himself back into the hearts of many country fans simply due to its authenticity, traditional nature, and, quite frankly, lack of the modern elements present on his early work.

In September of last year, he followed them up with yet another stellar album, Eldora, which once again proved that Rice was fully committed to being his authentic self through timeless storytelling and instrumentation.

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Rice has been on a journey to be authentically himself, and sometimes that means making a decision that he knows will not be his fans’ favorite.

On January 7, Rice took to Instagram to share the news that he will not be touring in 2026- a decision he says was not difficult for him to make because he wants to protect his longevity as an artist, and the last 13 years on the road have led him to experience burnout.

“Alright everybody, I wasn’t sure whether I was gonna talk about this or not but here we are. I’ve been touring for 13 years and I’ve lived a dream far greater than I could’ve ever expected. This isn’t a goodbye thing or anything like that to be clear upfront, although it may feel like that, but I’m 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. 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. I need to go live life so that I have more real experiences to write down.

I won’t be touring this year and it wasn’t even really a decision, it was something I know that I just have to do for myself. A lot of artists do this all the time, but it’s new for me so it’s kind of a big deal in my life. To my band and crew, I love y’all. You’ve seen me at my worst yet you still love me back like I’ve lived my best. I hope we can all get together in the coming years and get back to enjoying life on the road again. To any fans that have followed me along this journey, I love y’all too, you have truly made a dream of mine come true.”

Rice ends his statement by saying he’s not canceling any of the pre-scheduled shows he has for this year, but he will not be announcing any significant tour dates beyond what’s already on the calendar.

“I’ve got a handful of shows this year, but it will not look like anything like what I’ve done the last 13 years of my life. 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.”

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After sharing his heart with the world, fans, friends, and country music fellows quickly filled the comments with words of support for Rice and his decision.

“The man.”

“Love this. You’ve earned it brother.”

“Cheers to your next chapter!!”

“Good for you! Love that you’re doing this for yourself. Life’s too short.”

“I’ve followed along on your ride for 10 of those 13 years, and rest/relaxation are certainly in order for you and the guys. I hope 2026 allows y’all to achieve all of that and then some!”

“Take care of yourself. Your physical and mental health come first.”

“Chase you the man.”

Touring is not for the faint of heart, and 13 years on the road will take a toll on you. While this is not Chase Rice saying he will never tour again, it does remind fans that their favorite country artists are not superheroes and sometimes have to prioritize their well-being.

Can’t wait to see what you get up to, Mr. Rice, and don’t forget to give us Jack updates.

Fire up ” Circa 1943″ before you go:

The post After 13 Years On The Road, Chase Rice Is Taking A Break: “I Need To Go Live Life” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.