Chase Rice recently shared an emotional short film for his new single, “Bench Seat.”

Directed by Kaiser Cunningham, the seven-plus-minute short film shows mental health struggles faced by many people.

“My buddy was in a really dark place – to the point where he was ready to end his own life. It took a lot for him to take me back to that moment, but when he told me what stopped him it stopped me in my tracks: his dog came and laid his head on his lap, and that connection saved him,” Rice explains.

“I wrote this song by myself with the point of view from the dog’s perspective – which might not be obvious right away – and what that moment might have meant for the two of them if not for that intervention.”

The video encourages people to feel comfortable talking about their mental health issues and seek assistance if required. The video also refers to available resources via wannatalkaboutit.com and encouraging anyone in crisis to call/text 988.

“For the first time in my career, I could envision the whole video as I was writing the song,” notes Rice. “I wanted to shine a light on the topic of mental health because this is something that makes way too many people feel alone and especially when addiction becomes part of the picture, one bad moment can have horrible consequences. I personally know how hard it can be to ask for help when you need it, but I hope this helps start a few more conversations and lets people know they really aren’t alone.”

(Photo: Kaiser Cunningham)

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