Ben Rice is an American record producer, sound engineer, mixer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his work with musical artists Valerie June, Norah Jones, The Candles, Jonas Brothers, James Bay, and The Skins, as well as record producers Eddie Kramer, Gus van Go, and Youth. In 2021 Rice received a nomination for Producer of the Year at the Americana Awards for his work on Valerie June's album “The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers”, which was nominated for Album of the Year.
Rice owns Degraw Sound – a recording studio in Brooklyn, New York.
Early years
Fascinated by recording and songwriting, Rice began making 4-track recordings when he was twelve and landed his first studio job at the age of sixteen.[1]
Musical career
2003–2009: Surefire
Rice formed the band Surefire with his childhood friends: Nicolas Panken (guitar), Jacob Sloan (bass), and Justin Aaronson (drums); he served as the band's lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter from 2003 to 2009.[2]
Early success
Fueled by their live shows, Rice's band built a cult-following on Myspace.
Surefire's sound was often compared to the music of Tom Petty;[3] however, Rice fused contemporary indie rock, 1960'sblues rock,[8] and 1970spsychedelic rock[9] to produce his own unique, style of music. One music-critic noted that Rice's compositions were "quite distinctive...a purely personal musical reflection" of the eras,;[10] this musical review was echoed by other media outlets that often compared his musical-style to Petty, Coldplay, and even Cream.[11][12]
Rice's creative songwriting and compositions helped establish Surefire in the New York City music scene; before they were signed, the band was regularly selling-out shows at concert venues – including the Bowery Ballroom.[9][3][13]
Rice in studio with Eddie Kramer
Lizard King Records / Warner Music Group
Surefire's early success afforded them an opportunity to record a series of demos with renown, record producers Gus van Go and Werner F.[14]
Impressed by these demos, Surefire's growing fandom, and their ability to sell-out venues, Lizard King Records founder and CEO Martin Heath signed Rice and the band to his label in early 2006, which already represented artists like The Killers, The Pierces, and Santigold.[15][16]
Shortly thereafter, the band again had the opportunity to record with the Gus Van Go / Werner F. team – creating an untitled EP for Lizard King Records / Warner Music Group. Unfortunately, this EP was shelved by the record label and ultimately never released.[17]
Citing a difference in musical vision, Surefire left Lizard King Records in 2007 to independently record and release their first, full-length album.[15][11] Rice co-produced this self-titled album with legendary, record producer Eddie Kramer.[19][20][21] With the release of the record: Surefire, the band continued to tour until their disbandment in late 2009.[22]
2009–2011: Blackbells
Rice live with Blackbells
After Surefire, Rice fronted the indie rock band: Blackbells, whose sound was compared to British artists: The Verve and Oasis.[15] Rice produced two EPs with this group, and witnessed commercial success with musical features on CMJ College Radio, HBO TV, and the USA Network.
Blackbells EP
Rice produced the 2010 self-titled Blackbells EP.[15] This album quickly climbed the charts to reach No. 18 on the CMJ College Radio chart.[23]
Later in 2011, Rice also produced Blackbells sophomore release: IxI EP.[24][31][32]
Like Blackbells first release, this EP was a commercial success with musical features in USA Network's Necessary Roughness television drama (episode #308)[33][34] and in the premier season of HBO's 24/7 sports show (episodes #1–2).[35] Blackbells songs "Bad Bones" and "Testify" were featured in theses HBO and USA Network TV shows.[36] Later, Rice and his other Blackbells bandmates appeared at the DeLuna Music Festival.[14][37][38]
In 2021 Rice released the full-length solo album “Future Pretend” which once again drew favorable reviews for 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 and comparisons to Tom Petty, Oasis and The Strokes.
Professional work, notable collaborations, and select discography
According to an interview by Mix magazine, Rice credits the success of his business to hard-work, long-hours, and advice given by his former-producer and manager Gus van Go, who encouraged Rice to pursue a professional career in sound-production and studio-recording.[14]
At Degraw Sound, Rice is known to produce unique compositions by collaborating with the artist, rather than directing their musical-style.[51]
"Every artist and band is different. I don't come at anything from a ‘This is my production style’ approach. That only makes things boring, and even though it may save some time, it can actually sabotage a project," says Rice. "Because every project has its own quirks, you have to be willing to change accordingly and pick up on what the artist or band needs. Some will come into the studio with very specific ideas, and some will say they know what they want to make a record but don't know the extent of what they need in order to reach their goals. It's my job to get to know the client, figure out what's needed, and be willing to jump in and offer creative input to benefit the project."
Rice founded Degraw Fest in 2017 - a music festival which features artists who record at his studio: Degraw Sound.[56][57][58] The 2018 festival was featured in The New York Times - as a must-see event.[59][60] Building on its prior success, the 2019 festival featured a series of performances at the Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) - hosted in partnership with the BBP Conservancy and Degraw Sound.[61] Degraw Fest 2019 coincided with the park's 20th anniversary of hosting free programs. Over the years, Degraw Fest has featured artists including: AMFM, Bell the Band, Ben Rice, Common Jack, Eighty Ninety, Elliot and The Ghost, Fiama, Goldkey, GRITS, Kevin Daniel, Pearla, Queue, Sophie Colette, and Yella Belly.[62][57][58][63][60][64]
Notable collaborations and appearances
After producing Reno Bo's album Happenings and Other Things (2009), Rice briefly toured with the Nashville-based rocker to promote the new record; this collaboration marked the first time that Rice produced an album, where he was not the primary artist.[65]
Rice also produced, engineered, and mixed The Skins debut EP.[54] Later, he engineered The Skins' single "Rude Girl", which was produced by Michael Einziger and Chad Hugo, as part of an album distributed by Republic Records.[66][67] In 2014: Rice produced, engineered, and mixed the full-length album Unanchored' (Sony/RCA) for Norwegian artist: Silya & the Sailors. Silya's single, Sucka, charted at #1 on iTunes in Norway.[49][68]
In 2021 Rice received a nomination for Producer of the Year at the Americana Awards for his work on Valerie June’s album “The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers”, which was nominated for Album of the Year and reached #1 on the Americana Radio Airplay Albums Chart.
