It’s a new chapter for both Chase Rice and Morgan Wallen, one that doesn’t involve alcohol. The two singers, who Rice says bonded during the COVID lockdown, are now both sober, with Rice drawing inspiration from Wallen and his decision to stop drinking.
“Now he’s completely sober,” Rice said on The Sports Objective (via Music Mayhem). “Through the history of him and I becoming buddies through COVID to becoming sober together, because I don’t even hardly drink anymore. It’s just like, [alcohol was] a thing that was taking me down and stopping me from becoming the best version that I can be of myself.”
When Rice is with Wallen, the “Bad Day To Be A Cold Beer” singer finds he is less likely to imbibe as he would have in the past.
“When you’re around people like that, that motivates you to be better,” Rice acknowledged. “It really helps me focus on, ‘All right, here’s a good influence over here doing this. Absolutely killing it in life. Killing it with his music. How can I take that sobriety into my life to help me become better?’”
Instagram/Chase Rice
Rice also did the 75 HARD Challenge, which focuses on massive life changes in a 75-day period. It was a program that for Rice, who started it only four days after he quit drinking, worked well — at least combined with Wallen’s influence.
“The reason I did it was because I was so afraid,” Rice admitted. “I was so scared to death to do it when my buddy brought it to me, and it kept coming up. Then, when he said, ‘No. We’re starting tomorrow.’ I was so scared to death. That’s when I knew I had a problem that I needed to fix.”
Only four days after he started the 75 HARD Challenge, Rice and Wallen went to the Kentucky Derby, where Rice followed Wallen’s lead in not consuming any alcohol at all.
“I’m sitting here going, ‘’How am I not going to drink at the Kentucky Derby?’” Rice recalled. “But Morgan was there, and he and I stayed together, hung together, and it just makes you closer as a person. So being around people, that’s been helpful.”
Wallen, who is currently on six weeks of vocal rest, said last fall that he had been performing sober.
“I think we played probably 75 shows, something like that this year, and I did them all mostly in a sober state of mind,” Wallen told Extra. “I was really, really focused. I kind of treated it like an athlete would a season, and I think that was really key to me. I feel like I really thrived in that, so I think that’s really stood out to me.”
Rice’s I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell album is out now, along with a ten-part docuseries about the making of the record. Find all of Rice’s music and upcoming shows at ChaseRice.com, and visit MorganWallen.com for the latest on Wallen’s tour and music.