“Yellowstone’s Luke Grimes Finds Motivation in Father’s Death, Seizes Opportunity During Writers’ Strike to Pursue Country Music”
By Website Content Manager
“Yellowstone” actor Luke Grimes found himself contemplating his identity as an artist in the days leading up to the release of his self-titled debut full-length album. Unsure whether he was primarily a singer who acts or an actor who sings, he ultimately concluded, “I’m an artist who creates.”
During the recording process of the 13-song project in Nashville last year with Dave Cobb, Grimes found himself temporarily out of work due to the writers’ strike, which halted production on “Yellowstone” for 148 days. This unexpected break provided him with a significant amount of uninterrupted time to write and record his album. Remarkably, he co-wrote 10 out of the 13 songs on the album, despite having never engaged in co-writing before this project.
Reflecting on this experience, Grimes admitted, “I didn’t even know co-writing was a thing,” expressing surprise at the prospect of having to write a dozen or more songs for the album alone when he initially signed his record deal. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, how long is that going to take, and what am I going to say?'”
Grimes quickly adapted to the workings of Music Row and embraced the collaborative spirit of country music. Engaging in co-writes, he found himself enamored with the process, spending approximately five months out of the last two years in Nashville, dedicating three to four days a week to writing songs.
“The coolest thing that’s happened to me in a long time is discovering that (songwriting) community,” Grimes expressed. “I honestly think if none of the other stuff worked out, if I could get a spot on Music Row and just write songs for the rest of my life, I’d be pretty happy.”
Grimes’ self-titled debut album, released via Universal Music Group Nashville, is now available.
Although Grimes, known for his role as Kayce Dutton on “Yellowstone,” acknowledges the surreal nature of having a major label recording deal and a full-length album, he remains grateful for the opportunity. Despite the couple of years invested in the project, it still feels like it all happened “pretty fast” for him. Grimes described the process as “a joy” and expressed his hope that the music resonates with listeners, allowing him to create another album in the future.
Originally hailing from Dayton, Ohio, Grimes’ upbringing was humble as the son of a Pentecostal pastor. He honed his musical skills playing in church and spent summers at a church camp. His parents made significant sacrifices, mortgaging their home to fund his education at an acting school in New York City.
Grimes currently resides in Montana with his wife, Brazilian model Bianca Rodrigues Grimes.
By his mid-20s, Grimes had already made significant strides in his acting career. He secured roles alongside notable actors such as Mischa Barton and Bruce Willis in “Assassination of a High School President” and later worked with Liam Neeson in “Taken 2.” Grimes portrayed United States Navy SEAL Marc Lee in “American Sniper” and took on the role of Elliot Grey in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise.
During his time in Los Angeles, while pursuing his acting career, Grimes also immersed himself in music, playing in an alt-country band alongside roommates from Memphis, Tennessee. Even after the band disbanded, he continued to play guitar and write songs for enjoyment, never envisioning a professional music career.
However, everything changed when Grimes’ father passed away, prompting a shift in perspective. Reflecting on the brevity of life, Grimes realized he couldn’t let fear of judgment hold him back from pursuing his passions. Determined to honor his father’s memory and live without regrets, he decided to fully embrace his musical aspirations.
“At that moment, I decided, ‘You know what, life’s short. I can’t be so worried about what people think that I don’t do what I want to do,'” he recounted. “So, I just said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I think Dad would be very proud.”
Now, at 40 years old, Grimes feels like he’s embarking on a new chapter as he delves into the professional side of the music business, embracing the opportunity to pursue his passion with renewed determination and purpose.
“I’m not a spring chicken,” Grimes admitted. “It’s weird to be brand new. I’ve been acting for 20 years, so to start at the very beginning kind of was a pretty vulnerable place to be.”
Despite his initial apprehension, Grimes found acceptance and support within Nashville’s music community. His first songwriting session paired him with industry veterans Rhett Akins and Lee Thomas Miller. Grimes walked in feeling like an outsider, apologizing for his presence and admitting his lack of experience with co-writing appointments.
However, Akins and Miller immediately put him at ease, reassuring him that they were accustomed to the process and encouraging him to relax and collaborate freely.
“They’re like, ‘Oh, we do this every day. It’s no big deal,'” Grimes recounted. “They immediately calmed me down.”
During that session, the first song they worked on didn’t make it onto the album, but the third one did. Reflecting on the experience, Grimes realized that he had co-written half the album during his very first songwriting trip to Music City, a testament to the welcoming and supportive environment of Nashville’s music scene.
He attributed his lack of success to prematurely discarding his top ideas. Grimes collaborated with Aaron Raitiere on “Ain’t Dead Yet,” a track he found particularly enjoyable. “Oh Ohio,” a deeply personal piece, emerged from a session with Jessi Alexander and Jon Randall, inspired by Ryan Adams’ “Oh My Sweet Carolina,” a poignant reflection on home. Grimes likened it to a breakup with his home state, Ohio, a bittersweet departure he knew was inevitable.
Reflecting on his musical journey, Grimes reminisced about his first performance before a crowd of 11,000 in Montana, followed by appearances at Stagecoach and the Under The Big Sky Festival, where he played for 15,000 attendees. Prior to these experiences, he had never performed in a coffee shop or participated in a round, acknowledging the privilege of his opportunities and the hard work invested by others.
In a whirlwind year, Grimes transitioned from his debut show to headlining a tour, gracing music festivals, and recording his inaugural album. He described it as a surreal experience, partly facilitated by the writers’ strike, acknowledging that subsequent years would differ. Nonetheless, he cherished the progress made during that time.