About Johnathan Rice

Johnathan Rice (born May 27, 1983 in Alexandria, Virginia of Scottish parents) is a Scottish-American singer-songwriter. His first album, Trouble is Real, was released on Reprise Records on April 26, 2005. His follow up, Further North, was released by Reprise on September 11, 2007. He has also worked as a producer on Jenny Lewis' Acid Tongue (2008) and as a session and live musician with Elvis Costello (2008's Momofuku). As of 2010, he performs with Lewis as Jenny and Johnny. Rice spent his childhood between Alexandria, Virginia, and his parents' native Glasgow, Scotland. Before graduating from high school in 2001, Rice befriended Chris Keup, a Virginian singer-songwriter and self-styled A&R man. Keup produced Rice's first known recordings, the six song "Heart and Mind" EP. Rice moved from Virginia to New York City at the age of eighteen. Shortly after arriving in the city, the World Trade Center was destroyed and this, along with other themes of war can be heard in his lyrics in songs such as City on Fire, Put Me in Your Holy War and Stay at Home. The songs were recorded several times before Rice was happy with them, finally settling with Bright Eyes producer Mike Mogis, creating a rich, diverse sound with most tracks leading into one another as a single "work" of music. His first full album Trouble Is Real was released on April 26, 2005. Rice played the part of Roy Orbison in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. He is currently signed to Warner Bros. Rice has cited Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Beatles, and country legend Gram Parsons as influences on his work. In 2006, Rice joined Jenny Lewis' touring band and played on her debut album Rabbit Fur Coat. This was the beginning of a lengthy stint of collaborations with Lewis, including, in 2008, acting as a producer, musician, and co-songwriter on Jenny Lewis' second solo album, Acid Tongue. This would further lead to the collaboration with girlfriend Lewis, as Jenny and Johnny. Their first album, I'm Having Fun Now, was released by Warner Brothers on August 31, 2010.