ABC/Image Group LAChase Rice is just one of many artists who’s working to keep his musical empire afloat right now — without his crucial touring income — thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The man who co-wrote Florida Georgia Line‘s smash “Cruise” admits it isn’t easy.
“A few months goes by of this, and I have to either sell my farm or pay my employees,” Chase tells ABC Audio. “It’s one or the other… Man, you don’t realize till something like this happens how fortunate you are to have this money coming in from touring so you can pay your employees.”
Chase intends to return to the road as soon as he can, but he’s determined to take care of his band in the meantime.
“We have a hell of a crew,” he brags. “I don’t want one of them to skip a beat. So my biggest thing is, as the boss, as the CEO, you can’t sit there and get rich… you’ve got to take the hits as well…”
“And if that means me losing everything,” Chase adds, “me losing all my own money to make sure that my guys and my employees who’ve been there for me during tough times… I want to be there for them just like they’d been there for me.”
The “Eyes on You” hitmaker says it’s a lesson in loyalty he learned from his dad, who built houses and was “hammered” by the 2008 recession.
“This is my opportunity to be good to my guys…” Chase resolves. “And if that means me having to sell my farm or get rid of a bunch of stuff to be able to keep paying for them, I’ll take that hit.”
Chase’s latest single, “Lonely If You Are,” is currently a top twenty-five hit.
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