Luke Combs is reminiscing on his early days of pursuing music.
Right before Father’s Day, Luke Combs released the very personal record Fathers & Sons, which is a love letter to his two sons and his father. And even if you don’t have children, the project is something that a lot of people can relate to as they think about the impact fathers or father figures left on their life.
While Combs is at a point in his career where he can take a risk on an album like this that highlights a different side of him, it was not always that way. In a sit-down interview with CBS Sunday Mornings, Combs and Kelefa Sanneh touched on Combs’s humble beginnings. Combs moved to Nashville in 2014, and while many musicians move to Music City in hopes of making it big, that dream came true for Combs, but it was after years of grinding.
Combs played any bar that would have him in Nashville, pitching his sound to music executives. While the two were reflecting on those early days in his career, Sanneh asked if Combs ever felt discouraged when turned down by label executives.
“Man, I did. And I think the thing that was the most discouraging was I felt like, at that time, I’m not getting like passed over for my ability. I’m getting passed over because I don’t look the part.
That was frustrating, but I never let it bum me out because I was happy doing what I wanted to do. Regardless of anyone else’s opinion, I was making a living; I was doing it. Like I’m a college dropout, I’m here. My parents aren’t paying my bills…like I’m doing it.”
Perhaps his “roll off the back” attitude finally landed him a record deal, as he kept playing and living out his dream of being a singer. While I believe that Combs’s image embodies a true Southern man, I also see his point that country music was a little cleaner looking at the height of “bro country” when he moved to Music City. (And can’t we all count our blessings that we have moved away from that.)
When Combs finally landed a record deal, he took off like a thief in the night. Because he already had that head-down, keep-working mentality, when fame came his way, he was ready for it and prepared to keep working to stay at the top—precisely where he is today.
Later in the interview, Combs mentions his gratitude to his parents for letting him pursue his dream. While they knew it was a hard scene to crack, they let him fly, and Combs hopes to do the same for his two boys one day.
“Whatever they decide to pursue or whoever they decide to love, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as they’re happy and they’re fulfilled in their life, then that’s what I care about.”
Throughout the tracklist of Fathers & Sons, you can hear how much his two little boys mean to him. Hearing his hopes and dreams for them in this interview is what any parent should want for their kiddos.
Tex and Beau are lucky to call Combs Dad, and this project amplifies that he feels the same way wearing that title.
