Is ‘Yellowstone’ Star Luke Grimes Planning a Country Album?
Ryan Bingham may not be the only singing cowboy on Yellowstone. Luke Grimes — who plays Kayce Dutton on the Paramount Network series — says he's eyeing Nashville for a songwriting trip and plans to return to music this year.
That's right, a return to music. Talking to Rolling Stone, Grimes spoke of his years as a drummer in an L.A.-based alt-country band. He also played guitar and did some writing with the group, but there is very little evidence of it online. Scroll down to hear the one published piece of his songwriting, a Jesse Cole track called "Reckless Road."
Now, it would appear Grimes is ready to share his voice. Bingham's management team is working with Grimes on his musical endeavors (they also rep. country trio Midland and Hailey Whitters), and he says many of the artists you hear on the television show are in his record collection. Colter Wall is an example — the Canadian had three songs placed during Season 4 of Yellowstone, including the final moments of Ep. 1, after Rip kills Roarke with the rattlesnake.
"I hate this word, but the 'secular' music that I was allowed to listen to as a kid was Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash,” Grimes tells the magazine, referring to his raising as a pastor's son. "That’s the stuff my dad grew up on in the Appalachian Mountains. When he didn’t have to be a pastor, he was playing that sort of folk and country-rock."
Grimes and his wife now live in Montana, so that lifestyle is inspiring his music. Expect a sense of isolation to dot the songs, if and when we hear them.
The cast of Yellowstone is remarkably talented musically. In addition to Grimes and Bingham (who plays Walker), Kevin Costner leads a group called the Modern West. Denim Richards (Colby) is trained in musical theater and opera, and Gil Birmingham (Thomas Rainwater) is a talented guitarist, as seen during this rendition of Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Pride and Joy."