Chase Rice & Kaiser Cunningham Glow In The Reception Of ‘Bench Seat’ Video [Interview]

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Pictured (L-R): Dylan Rucker, Kaiser Cunningham and Chase Rice on the set of “Bench Seat.” Photo: Evan DeStefano

With his last album, I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell, Chase Rice broke new ground as an artist.

The man behind such hits as “Eyes On You,” “Gonna Wanna Tonight,” “Ready Set Roll” and “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” dug deep for the 14-song project, curating an impressive body of work to both fans and the industry. With a photo of his late father gracing its cover, I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell included some deeper songs about Rice’s life, such as “Key West & Colorado,” as well as some elevated party rockers that we’ve come to know Rice for, such as his currently-rising single “Bad Day To Be A Cold Beer.”

Fans were especially struck by “Bench Seat,” a song Rice wrote by himself about the journey we go on with our dogs.

Chase Rice with the canine actors for “Bench Seat.” Photo: Evan DeStefano

“This song began with a whiskey and a joint sitting around a fire in Tennessee with one of my best friends in the world since college,” Rice tells MusicRow. “We were reminiscing about how two years before, in the same house, he explained to me that he had his handgun pressed against the side of his head with his finger on the trigger, when his dog walked up and put his head on his leg. That dog saved his life that day.”

He continues, “Sitting around the fire two years later, he said to me, ‘Dude, you should write a song about a guy driving around in his truck with his dog.’ I was trying to avoid country cliches on this album, but I couldn’t avoid this one. Two days later, sitting in my kitchen balling my eyes out for about 8 hours, I was exhausted, and ‘Bench Seat’ was born.”

The song’s lyrics paint a picture of a man struggling, who adopts a dog that ultimately changes his life. The two form an unbreakable bond, riding together in the cab of the man’s truck. Rice sings, “And we roll the windows down, You’re right there in that bench seat next to me. There’s a smell of fresh cut grass, Mr. Reynolds waves as we roll past State Road 44,” illustrating the pair’s tradition.

By the second verse, the man has met a girl and added to their family. But in the third verse, things go wrong. The man unexpectedly dies, and that’s when you realize, the song is the perspective of the dog.

“I always knew this day would come, just thought I’d be the first called home,” Rice sings. “Your little boy and her, don’t ya worry ’bout them. I’ve got ’em from now. See ya soon, my friend.”

The tear-jerking moment, expertly crafted by Rice, marks “Bench Seat” as a career song for the writer.

For such a special tune, Rice knew the music video had to convey its message perfectly.

“For me, the video had to portray the exact emotions I felt the day I wrote the song. It’s the only song I’ve ever written where I had the video in my head while I was writing the song—it actually really helped me write it,” he says. “Nobody else saw what was in my head that day, so I figured we wouldn’t get exactly what I was seeing, but if we could capture the real emotions, the darkness of depression, the beauty of a dog’s life and the power of redemption, that was what mattered most.”

To tackle the music video, Rice called on Nashville creative director, Kaiser Cunningham, who specializes in music video direction and production, documentary storytelling, portrait and live photography, artist branding and more.

Cunningham tells MusicRow that though he was nervous, he was up for the challenge of conveying such a special message—and its twist, three minutes in to the four minute song.

“It was important to me during the beginning of this production to think about the final product from the viewers’ perspective. I had to ask myself several times throughout the filming of this, ‘What would make me feel true emotion?’ Cunningham says. “I believe that we captured that and people can see that attention to detail executed. There were also several little Easter eggs that we left throughout the video which weren’t just for the viewer, but also specifically for Chase and his buddy’s overall storyline. For instance, the casket in the video is Carolina Blue—representative of Chase’s college football days—and the hat that his ‘son’ wears was the one Chase wore throughout the video.”

“Kaiser had worked on the road with me for years, so he knew me and how I work. This one was different because I wasn’t willing to hear any ideas of how the story should go; it was set in stone for me the day the song was written. So, for someone as creative as Kaiser, it could have been a big challenge sticking to what I had in mind, but he nailed it,” Rice says. “He took everything I wanted from coloring, to acting, to storyline and simply made it a better version of what I had in mind from the start. He knew how much this song and video meant to me. It wasn’t about either of us being right, it was about what made the video the best. No details were missed. He’s a pro, and I’m grateful for how much time and energy he put into this video.”

The reaction to “Bench Seat” has been resounding. In addition to its 1.4 million views, the video has been nominated and won multiple film awards. It received honors at the Afterlife File Festival (Spain), Barcelona Indie Awards (Spain), Canadian Cinematography Awards (Canada), Cannes International Film Festival (France), F3 Queen City Film Festival (Cincinnati, OH), Feel The Reel Festival (Glasgow, UK), Lulea International Film Fest (Sweden), Mindfield Film Festival (New Mexico), Oniros Film Festival (New York), Rome International Film Awards (Rome), Sweden Film Awards (Sweden) and North East Film Festival (Teanack, NJ), as well as other honors.

In total, “Bench Seat” has been selected among other nominees at film festivals around the world 22 times, and has won 13 awards.

Of the critical reception, Cunningham shares, “I feel like the overall reaction has just been shock and disbelief. Between the actual shot of Chase dying, the casket, the heaven scene… those are really heavy visuals for people to see and, from what I’ve heard, it’s really striking a chord with people. Moreso, when the viewer realizes the song is from the dog’s perspective it just amplifies the shock.”

He adds, “I personally did not expect it to win any awards. I knew we had an impactful story that people can relate to and that’s what my main concern was, initially. Then when I got approached about sharing this on a greater platform I was overwhelmed. I didn’t realize what we had until after the fact when we started to see how it’s affecting people. It’s been really validating to me and my career and I couldn’t be more thankful to everyone who has watched this, covered it, left us a comment on the YouTube video. It means the world to me.”

Chase Rice. Photo: Evan DeStefano

To both Cunningham and Rice, the fan reaction to “Bench Seat” has been extremely impactful.

Rice says, “The best recognition happens every night. The flashlights up at the end of the song, the tears, the singing along are all a singer’s dream. But, my favorite part is when I start telling the true story behind the song—the depression, near suicide, and a dog that saved a life. That’s the part I’m not sure a lot of people know.

“When I start telling it, something happens every single night. It’s the quietest I’ve ever heard our shows. They’re listening. They’re getting to know me in a way I’m uncomfortable with, but no longer willing to hide; and I’m getting to know them with the way they listen, cry and sing. Life’s hard, we all need each other. This song is that moment for all of us that lets every person in the place know that nobody is alone.”

LB Cantrell
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