Luke Combs is not at all the man, or artist, he used to be. The 35-year-old has been part of the landscape of country music for eight years, since his debut This One’s For You record was released in 2017. In the years since then, Combs has had a long line of No. 1 singles, toured the globe, sold-out stadiums, and had platinum-selling songs heard around the world.
For Combs, he is just getting started.
“The next frontier is expanding my limits to embrace people who want to destigmatize country music,” Combs tells The Tennessean. “It’s a fresh, different challenge.”
If anyone knows how to welcome more people into country music, it’s Combs, who once was someone who had zero interest in country music. At all.
“I’m passionate about country music, and have a deep knowledge of its inner workings,” Combs reflects. “But I’m also someone who ran as far away from country music as I could and hated it, for a decade, when I was ten or 11 years old,”
Now a bona fide country music superstar, Combs understands better than most what the genre needs to do to make it even bigger. It’s a challenge he is taking on personally as he looks to the future.
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“I eventually rediscovered my love for country music and feel like, though the genre might not be for everyone, some parts of the genre could be for anyone,” says the singer.
“We’re in a rare position where we get to steward forward an era where country and pop music no longer have to exist independently of each other,” he adds.
Combs had already more than earned his right to steer country music any way he wanted to go. But the humble singer says his advocacy can be traced back to Tracy Chapman, and her support of his “Fast Car” single, later performing for the first time in a decade with Combs at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
“I don’t think any of this is possible without Tracy’s stamp of approval,” Combs says. “[It] has created the opportunity to showcase how my work can be loved and appreciated by people who may have thought they could never love my music.”
Forefront on Combs’ mind is not more career success, additional awards, or any new accolades. Instead, his biggest focus is his two sons,Tex and Beau, and the legacy he is leaving them.
“Even though they’re not old enough to see these shows, I want my kids to be able to look back on this era in their father’s life and process how proud their father was of putting time, effort and passion into what he’s accomplishing,” Combs says. He also concedes that any future plans he has could not happen without the musicians that back him every time he takes the stage.
“My band is so much more talented than I am with instruments in their hands,” Combs says. “They’ll go from country to playing Vanessa Carlton or Train, then play a bass solo over the White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army.'”
“The kids know ball,” he boasts. “We’re not taking glitz, glamour, fame, flash, fire and smoke to these crowds. I will still get up there with my band, songs and talent, then give them the best live show possible that will earn their respect.”
Combs may not be on the road as much in 2025, but he hints he has big plans for next year, including a massive tour.
“I got a big tour coming next year,” Combs says. “I just kind of finalized a lot of the details on that here in the last week or so. So new record coming up soon, new tour coming up. I’m just excited. I’m excited and I’m back. I’m back doing stuff and being around, and obviously spending time at home. I just wanted to be able to talk to you guys again, me to you. I know I used to do stuff like this a lot, and I miss doing it.”
Combs is also working on a new album. Find all of Combs’ music and upcoming shows at LukeCombs.com.