Actor Luke Grimes is well-known for his captivating performance as the youngest son of the Dutton family, Kayce Dutton, on the popular Western show “Yellowstone.” Since the show’s conclusion in 2024, the in-demand actor has embarked on a successful music career, and he’s gearing up for his sophomore album release.
“Red Bird” premieres April 3, and though he’s been hard at work starring in action-packed dramas like “Marshals” on CBS, he’s excited to focus on what he refers to as “a first love.” Before his rise to fame starring in films like “American Sniper,” music was his childhood calling.
All About the Story
Grimes played the son of a rancher on “Yellowstone,” but in real life, he grew up the son of a preacher. He played music in church throughout his childhood, and he carried over the lyrical focus of hymns to his own songwriting in adulthood.
“Red Bird” boasts the same style of intimate, pared-down songwriting that drew listeners to his music after his debut, self-titled record in 2024. Like his other songs, the track list on “Red Bird” is all about the story. “Across the project’s 10 tracks, Grimes explores love, faith, regret, and resilience with a stripped-down clarity that favors storytelling over spectacle,” Nashville media outlet MusicRow said about the release.
“Love You Now,” the lead single from the forthcoming album, debuted in February. The gentle acoustic-based ballad is the perfect primer for the rest of the project, which tackles universal themes with striking sensitivity and personal nuance.
Matt Graham, the head of Grimes’s management team at Range Music, shared with record company MCA that the songwriter “is a special spirit who puts honesty above all else in his art.” MusicRow shared that each track on “Red Bird” reveals his experiences with “commitment, loss and the quiet strength found in staying present.”
Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb oversaw the production of “Red Bird.” Grimes co-wrote each song with various Nashville writers, including Natalie Hemby, who has had a hand in writing multiple hits for country singer Miranda Lambert, including “Bluebird” and “Automatic.”
A Revival of Western Culture
When the Ohio native’s single “No Horse to Ride” from his debut album was featured on “Yellowstone” during season five’s midseason finale, the yearning ballad became a breakout track for the then-budding recording artist. He realized after the initial success of the tune that he could return to his childhood passion and integrate it into his thriving acting career.
“I think of music as sort of a first love; it was my first creative outlet. To be at the start of this journey, putting my own music out into the world, is beyond a dream come true. I’m grateful to the people who helped make this happen, and to anyone who connects with these songs, I will do my best to keep them honest,” he shared in an official statement later featured in lifestyle magazine People.
With each new release, Grimes focuses on cultivating his own sound while blending styles ranging from singer-songwriter to roots-oriented country. But he finds inspiration in the music of country’s gritty voices, from legendary outlaw Johnny Cash to modern-day cowboy-troubadours like Colter Wall. His work, both on-screen and on-stage, has helped fuel a revival of America’s Western culture.
Former Universal Music Group Nashville President Cindy Mabe shared with MCA that the musician and actor works hard to uphold country music’s songwriting tradition. “As an actor, Luke Grimes has effortlessly brought the cowboy lifestyle to the forefront of American culture. As a country music artist, Luke has tapped into that same honesty and authenticity to capture a raw grit and pure depth of artistry that will expand the sound and reach of country music.”
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