Ben Rice - Future Pretend

 “Rice strums up a touch of the Tom Petty jukebox with his shiny draw and top-notch musicianship.” — Glide Magazine

 “… (a) transporting mix of organic Americana and pop production.” — Ditty TV

 “a modern day Tom Petty, gifted with a captivating vocal, that can make any song sound good.” — Kings of A&R

“…a courageous speculation of waning national identity. With hints of country and Americana flair, this gentle listen primes its audience for a critical reflection on today’s American dream paradox.” — The Wild Honey Pie

Americana isn’t just cowboy shirts and twanging guitars. At its essence, Americana is about yearning for a halcyon era, past or yet to come. On his debut solo album, Future Pretend, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and producer Ben Rice embraces “big city Americana”, offering an intimate and immersive record that brims with ruminations on culture, society, and personal evolution.

Rice wrote, produced, engineered and mixed the album at his studio Degraw Sound in the spring of 2020 as New York City was facing the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and America was wrestling with social and political tumult. The album was a personal and artistic reset — a chance to process seismic life changes, and connect with the present. Future Pretend is a sleek and vulnerable 9-song collection of reflective singer-songwriter tunes, dynamically enhanced with touches of modern production and otherworldly ambiences. It features collaborations and contributions from friends like producer Gian Stone (The Revivalists, Ingrid Michealson), keyboardist Pete Remm (Norah Jones, Mavis Staples), drummer Greg Wieczorek (The Autumn Defense, Norah Jones), drummer/producer Charlie Culbert (Raffaella, Leyla Blue), Abner James and Harper James (Eighty Ninety).

Rice is a seasoned musician; outside of his solo career, he has worked as a producer and studio guitarist. Select career highlights include producing for Norah Jones and Valerie June; studio guitar work for Fletcher and on a Billboard #1 hit for the Jonas Brothers; playing in indie rock bands signed to WMG; and sharing the stage with artists like Arctic Monkeys and Brendan Benson.