Chris Rice News

Few artists could be characterized as both a newcomer and a veteran at the same point in their careers, but that's the interesting position singer-songwriter Chris Rice is finding himself in these days.

His new disc, "What a Heart Is Beating For," arrived July 17, and Rice has been busy promoting the set to two different markets.

Rice scored a hit on adult contemporary radio with the whimsical "When Did You Fall (In Love With Me)" from his 2005 set "Amusing." Though mainstream programmers considered him a great new discovery, Rice was already a core artist in the Christian market with numerous hit singles and a Dove Award under his belt for male vocalist of the year.

"I probably went to 80 pop stations and was on the air a lot," he said. "Program directors would comment on how natural I was. They were surprised because they thought I was a newcomer -- they didn't realize that I'd been doing radio for 10 years."

"When Did You Fall" peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in August 2006. From the new album, the mainstream single, "Lemonade," is No. 24 on adult contemporary, while "Sneakin' Into Heaven" is being targeted to the Christian market.

A Washington, D.C., native, Rice moved to Nashville, where he began his music career as a songwriter, penning tunes for Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. In 1996 he signed with Smith's Rocketown label, becoming the flagship artist who helped successfully launch the new venture. After six CDs (including two instrumental projects), he exited in 2005 to become a partner in the label Eb + Flo Records with his producer, Monroe Jones.

Rice, who has been compared to James Taylor, has never been a typical Christian artist. His inventive, highly visual lyrics resonate with depth and a quirky charm that catches listeners off guard. "What a Heart Is Beating For" showcases Rice's poignant introspective side on cuts like the title track and his lighthearted personality on tunes like "So Much for My Sad Song," which pokes fun at his perpetual optimism.

"I'm in a different world now," Rice said of the mainstream audience he's courting. "There is something that holds you back when you feel like you're doing this for one particular audience. I have a whole new pile of people who have never discovered me yet."

Reuters/Billboard