After releasing his debut album in March, “Yellowstone” star Luke Grimes is ready to churn out new music inspired by the recent birth of his son.
“Man, having my baby has changed everything in every way possible,” Grimes, 40, told People in an interview published on Nov. 17.
“I think people talk about your heart expanding a little bit every day, and it’s so true. It’s like there’s a love growing inside of me that I didn’t know I was capable of, and it’s incredible and it’s scary because you have so much more skin in the game.”
Grimes told the publication that his upcoming songs “will be very heavily influenced by having [his son] around.”
“That’s the biggest influence in my life right now,” he said.
Grimes’s wife, Bianca Rodrigues Grimes—whom the actor wed in November 2018—announced the birth of their first child last month.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight earlier this month, Grimes reflected on his experiences as a new father.
“It’s amazing. It’s amazing and hard,” he said. “No one can prepare you for that first month ... but I feel like my heart grows every day, and I’m just like madly in love with the little guy.”
Grimes said newfound parenthood has also brought him and his wife closer together.
Foray Into Country Music
After making his acting debut in 2006, Grimes went on to star in several blockbuster films, including “Taken 2” (2012) and “American Sniper” (2014).He later landed a recurring role as Kayce Dutton on the acclaimed Western series “Yellowstone,” which premiered on the Paramount Network in 2018.
Although Grimes found much success in Hollywood, his passion for music remained a constant in his life. In his youth, Grimes—whose father was a Pentecostal pastor—served as a drummer in his church’s band.
Following his father’s death in February 2022, the Ohio native decided to officially pursue a career in country music, releasing his eight-song EP “Pain Pills or Pews” on Oct. 20, 2023. Grimes went on to play at more than a dozen festivals that year, including Stagecoach and Under the Big Sky Festival. He also headlined a sold-out tour.
The actor-turned-country crooner released his debut self-titled album, “Luke Grimes,” on March 8. The 13-track album features songs such as “What Angels Do,” “Black Powder,” “No Horse to Ride,” and “South On 75.”
“This is an introduction to who I am and what’s on my mind,” Grimes told People earlier this year about his new album.
“I’ve been playing characters for a long time and been acting for 20 years, and that whole process is completely the opposite, where you’re trying to get someone to believe that you’re something or someone else,” he continued.
“I feel like with this first album, the whole point was if I’m going to come in and do this music thing and try to do it right, then I’m going to have to start at the ground floor and tell you who I really am and where I really come from and not try to play a character at all.”
Grimes kicked off his “Playin' On The Tracks” tour on Nov. 9 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with subsequent stops slated for Cleveland, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Denver, Colorado, among other cities.
Nearly a week later, the country singer made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, taking the stage of the historic Nashville, Tennessee, venue for the first time on Nov. 15.
“I didn’t see any of this stuff coming,” Grimes told “Good Morning America” backstage before the show.
“I’ve always loved music; I’ve played music since I was really young. I never thought I would do it to a level where I got to play the Opry, and it means the world.
“So I’m going to try my best to be present and really soak up that moment.”
