Damien George Rice (born December 7, 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician. He began his career in the 1990s as a member of the rock band Juniper, which was signed to Polygram Records in 1997. With two songs released, “The World is Dead” and “Weatherman,” the band had minor success in Ireland. Rice worked as a farmer in Tuscany and busked around Europe after quitting the band in 1998, before returning to Ireland in 2001 and launching a solo career. The remainder of Juniper went on to perform as Bell X1.
Rice released his debut album, O, in 2002. It peaked at No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart, received the Shortlist Music Prize, and spawned three UK top 30 singles. In 2006, he released his second album, 9. Rice released his third studio album, My Faded Fantasy, in 2014, after eight years of varied collaborations. Songs for Tibet, the Enough Project, and the Freedom Campaign have all benefited from his musical contributions.
