Country hitmaker Chase Rice is a proud member of the Church Choir, Eric Church’s devoted fandom.
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The singer-songwriter turned to social media (May 1) to tease a tribute track dedicated to the country phenomenon. The unreleased song is titled “Church.”
Rice filmed himself delivering the sentimental single in the dark under glistening string lights. While sporting a camouflage baseball hat representing his Cleveland bar, Welcome To The Farm, he recalls seeing Church perform for the first time.
The guitar-soaked ballad conveys the significant influence the “Springsteen” singer had on Rice’s artistry. The imagery-heavy lyrics paint a vibrant picture of a lively Church concert that was initially a date in his early twenties. Rice clarifies that it wasn’t any ordinary concert, but a spiritual experience that left an ever-lasting impact.
We raised the boots | We drank the beer | We sang the songs we never heard on the radio | I fell in love in the very front row | She took my hand, and the choir sang ‘ooh’ | Between his hat and his glasses and her brown eyes, he sings. Between the hag and the jacket on a Saturday night | I was baptized in whiskey water for better or worse | When she asked me to Church.
Not only does the tribute exemplify his storytelling soul, but it places his buttery baritone range on full display. The preview comes on the heels of his 13-song album, I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell. The country crooner is currently on his Way Down Yonder Tour supporting his vulnerable collection that embodies his growth as a musician.
While making stops at notable venues nationwide, such as Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia, Rice says he’s been testing out “Church” on concert-goers.
“Been playin’ this live, tellin’ the story about the night that changed my life forever,” Rice wrote on Instagram alongside the clip. “Made me realize what this guy did that night was what I was supposed to do. Thank you, @ericchurchmusic.”
Fans flocked to the comments to praise the heartfelt melody and to encourage Rice to drop the track sooner rather than later.
“It was fantastic to hear it live,” shared a previous ticket holder.
“I could listen to your voice all day,” said a listener.
“That’s one that needs to be released. Love it,’ added another.
The chart-topping artist opened up about the inspiration behind the lyrics at the 31st annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival. According to Country Now, Rice shared ‘Church’ as the final song in his stripped-down set.
“I wrote a song last Tuesday, first song I’ve written since I wrote my last record,” said Rice. “I went to an Eric Church concert in 2008, and he’s great. I went to his show, it was right after I lost football, which was supposed to be my career. All my football buddies are retired now and I’m kind of just still going and getting going, so I’ll take this career all day long.”
Rice continued, “I went with this girl named Katie; she could see that I was going through it, and she said, ‘Do you wanna go to a concert?’ And I said, ‘Okay, I’ve heard a couple of songs. He’s pretty new, but I’ll go see him play.’ That night he had me, man, he was singing about PBR’s, he was singing about going through tough shit, and if you’ve ever seen Eric Church live, you’re like, ‘Damn, that’s my guy.’”
The platinum-selling artist has yet to confirm a release date for “Church.” Until then, fans can catch the remainder of his headlining trek or on Old Dominion’s No Bad Vibes Tour starting Oct. 26 in Glendale, Arizona. For upcoming appearances and tickets, visit HERE.
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