US country star Luke Combs has spoken exclusively to BBC News about why country music is having its moment, how his British fans are different – and the thrill of bringing Nashville to London.
Country music is hitting new heights in the UK – it is now the fastest growing genre among British listeners, hitting three billion streams alone last year.
That has not gone unnoticed by the genre’s biggest artists – including US country star Luke Combs, who boasts more than 25 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 7.5 million Instagram followers.
For Combs, the growing interest comes down to country’s universal appeal. “I just think country music is a place that everybody can go and enjoy,” the Grammy-nominated singer, 35, says.
“When I started out, there weren’t a lot of acts coming over to the UK and doing club or arena tours and putting in the work. So that was what we always tried to do. It was like, if we invest our time and our energy into coming over here, the fans over here will appreciate that.”
Combs, known for hits like When It Rains It Pours, has travelled to London as country music’s famous Grand Ole Opry relocates from Nashville, Tennessee, for a special one off-performance at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday.
The Opry is the world’s longest-running live radio show and is known the world over as the home of country music.
Stars including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton have all performed on its iconic stage. The show is now streamed across the world six nights a week, but Friday’s historic 100th anniversary performance in London will be the first time the Opry has left the United States.
Combs says it will be something special.
“There’s a lot of hype going on. They’ve never done anything like this before. Playing at the Royal Albert Hall is a bucket list for me, and to play the Opry at the Royal Albert Hall will be insane. It’s like two epic things combined into one.”
An Opry performance consists of each artist performing up to four songs, along with some surprise collaborations. The London show, which also includes US country artists Darius Rucker and Marty Stuart, and British group Mumford and Sons, sold out in minutes when it was announced in May.
According to Combs, the UK was the right choice. “This is my sixth or seventh time in the UK and the fans here love country music. The appetite for it is here. When we started coming over here… it was just so cool to see there were this many country fans.”
He says streaming has been instrumental in introducing more people to the genre – and there is a big difference between his US fans and those based in Britain.
“Country music has become available to more people compared to when it was just terrestrial radio. In the States, we have singles that we promote to radio, which become the songs that get people drawn in.
“But when you come the UK, everyone has consumed the whole album already. It’s really awesome to come here and have the fans ask for songs that maybe wouldn’t even make the set list in the States.”
He adds: “I would say the UK fans are a very listening crowd, which I think is neat. In the States, our shows are very loud, a bit of a melee.
“The energy over here is great but everyone’s listening to the music. They’re focused on what you’re saying and what the lyrics are.”
Award-winning US singer-songwriter Ashley McBryde will join Combs on the bill for Friday’s historic show. She says other artists making the move into the genre has also helped it grow.
“There have been a lot of things that have broadened the fan base, like Post Malone and people like Jelly Roll. Just exposing us to different ears has been really helpful.”
She adds: “There’s not another city on the planet that I would name before London to do the Grand Ole Opry.”
Combs says playing for the first time on the Grand Ole Opry stage at the age of 26 in 2016 was something he will never forget.
“You make your Opry debut and your mom, dad and grandma come in town and it’s this linchpin of your whole career,” he says.
“You remember these certain moments, and your Opry debut is one of these moments that puts a feather in your cap and you just remember it forever.”
According to Opry boss Colin Reed, London’s one-off show, if successful, could lead to others in the future.
Combs adds: “I think the Royal Albert Hall is going to be a perfect venue to host this show, and I know that everybody at the Opry has been really excited about it for a long time, myself included.
“They’ve never done anything like this before but I think they’ve chosen the right place.”
