Dustin Lynch and Chase Rice

Dustin Lynch moved to Nashville in 2003 in pursuit of a career in country music. He signed to Broken Bow Record in late 2011, and released his debut single “Cowboys and Angles” on January 16th 2012. It’s a mid-tempo song that gained a lot of critical acclaim, such as Billy Dukes of Taste of Country, who gave the song four out five, praising Lynch’s “sturdy voice” saying that the chorus “Showcases his natural talent”. It debuted at number 59 on the U.S Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of January 21st 2012. It climbed to number 2 in October. His self-titled debut album, released on August 21st 2012, made it to the top spot of the Country charts. Later that year, “She Cranks My Tractor”, which was released on November 19th 2012, also charted, as did the third single from Lynch’s self-titled album, “Wild in your Smile” which made it to number 32 on the Country chart. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three and a half stars, saying that “a lesser singer may have turned this song into a droll, cliché experience but “Wild in your Smile” pops with the help of some country-rock production”. He also said that “it sounds so easy for Lynch to sing with strength and conviction, and he’s showing the capability to navigate the subtleties that separate a good song from a great song”.

In early 2014, on March 31st, Lynch released his fourth single, “Where It’s At (Yep, Yep)”, which became his first number one on the Country Airplay chart in September 2014.

He received nominations for Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year at the American Country Awards 2012. He also received a CMT Music Award nomination for Breakthrough Video of the Year for “”Cowboys and Angels” in 2013.

Rice was born in Florida but spent his adolescence in North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where the extra curricular country and western singer also excelled in sports being the linebacker on the football team. Prior to his country and western music career he even found himself as a cast member of Survivor: Nicaragua, which despite playing his single “Buzz Back” on, it didn’t catapult his music career the way he’d hoped, but looking on the bright side he recalls it as an important time in his life.

Rice began playing the guitar quite late in life, in fact whilst he was at University, with his father being the inspiration for him beginning to play guitar in the first place saying “boy, anyone can play guitar, but no one is gonna really listen to you until you start singing”. His debut EP came in the form of “Country as Me” which was released on March 8th 2011, but unfortunately didn’t chart. It also featured the single “Buzz Back”. The next year however, Rice released his follow up entitled “Dirt Road Communion”, released on March 20th 2012. It made it to number 48 in the US Country Chart. It was the same year that the singer-songwriter collaborated with Florida Georgia Line’s track, “Cruise”, which was an international success, charting in numerous countries. It reached the top spot on the US Hot Country Songs Chart, and number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

In 2013, Rice released a 6 track EP that featured the title track “Ready Set Roll”. It reached the top spot on the iTunes Country album chart. The next year, Rice teamed up with Columbia Records for the release of his album “Ignite the Night” on August 19th 2014. It got to number seven in Canada, the number one spot on the Country Albums chart, and number three on the Billboard 200.