‘Yellowstone’: Luke Grimes Has Big Career Move Lined Up

Yellowstone‘s Luke Grimes is embracing a side of himself most fans don’t know about in 2022. The actor, who plays Kayce Dutton on the hit Paramount Network western, is embarking on a music career. He’s now working with the management team behind Midland, Hailey Whitters and his Yellowstone costar Ryan Bingham while writing new songs, he recently told Rolling Stone. What Yellowstone fans might not realize is that Grimes was a drummer in a Los Angeles country band before his role on the hit series, meaning this is a return to his musical roots, in a way.

“It was around that time when the alt-country thing was really going on. Wilco and Ryan Adams were really big then and we were kind of like that,” Grimes told the outlet. “I played guitar too and helped write songs for the band, so I got to be more than just the drummer. It was a cool experience.” 

In addition to Colter Wall, Grimes cites Ruston Kelly, Paul Cauthen, and the late songwriter Townes Van Zandt, as his inspirations, as well as Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. “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,” the son of a pastor continued. “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.”

As for if Grimes’ musical journey will bleed over into his Yellowstone performance, the Montana resident told Entertainment Tonight, “I think it would be weird if Kayce stared singing,” he said. “But here pretty soon, you’ll see Luke singing.” Grimes’ foray into music isn’t any hint he’ll be stepping back from Yellowstone anytime soon. 

“When you’re a little boy and you want to be an actor, what are some things you want to play? A cowboy, a soldier,” he shared. “It’s kind of all of the dream roles wrapped into one. He’s just an emotionally complex guy but also a badass. It’s all good stuff.” With Season 4 just wrapping up with an explosive finale, Grimes said there’s more to explore with Kayce in Season 5. “The beginning of Season 4 is one of the most exciting things I have ever seen on TV,” he noted. “And then for Kayce, the rest of Season 4 is a bit of a healing process and I think Season 4 for him is really a game-changer, where they really set some things up for him to be a different man in Season 5.”