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The Bobby Bones Show
BOBBYCAST (now on Netflix) - Luke Combs on Money, Fame & Giving Bobby New Dad Advice
01:12:48
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- [00:00]
Luke Combs
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Podcast Announcer
Guaranteed Human CBS Tonight is NCIS Night. New episodes of ncis, NCIS Origins and NCIS Sydney.
- [00:13]
Luke Combs
Possible abduction of the Marines. We need to move anybody as a potential target.
- [00:17]
Bobby Bones
We're gonna do what we do and we're gonna figure out answers.
- [00:20]
Podcast Announcer
Whatever they're planning, it's going down here. Ncis NCIS Night is all new.
- [00:25]
Luke Combs
It's a night you you've never seen.
- [00:30]
Podcast Announcer
CBS tonight starting 87 Central and streaming on Paramount. Plus support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index, and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purpose and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this
- [01:36]
Jacob Goldstein
is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out Odoo at O D O o dot com. That's O D O o dot com
- [02:08]
Cindy Crawford
you're listening to a podcast, so you're doing something else too. Like maybe scrolling home listings on Redfin saving places you like without thinking you'll get them. Because that's what house hunting has become. But Redfin isn't built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home. Redfin agents close twice as many Deals as other agents. Which means when you find a place you love, you've got a real shot at getting it. Redfin helps turn saved listings into real addresses. Get started@redfin.com own the dream.
- [02:51]
Luke Combs
I don't want people to think I think I'm cool or famous. Like, I'm aware of it, but it's not something that I take a lot of stock in. Like, it doesn't provide me with a lot of, like, mental fulfillment.
- [03:06]
Bobby Bones
Hey, guys, Bobby here. My guest today is my friend Luke Combs. He has another album coming out. It's a six studio album. It's called the Way I am. Comes out March 20th. I hope you check it out. He always puts out banger after banger. He's also going out on a massive tour called the My Kindest Saturday Night Tour. We're talking stadiums all through North America, Europe. He's won it all. 11 CMAs, 4 ACMs. I think he has 20 number ones in a row, which is crazy. He's a Grand Ole Opry member. He is one of the biggest country artists of all time. And here he is, Luke Combs. Luke, good to see you.
- [03:41]
Luke Combs
Yeah, likewise.
- [03:42]
Bobby Bones
Thanks for the time. Do you come to Nashville much?
- [03:45]
Luke Combs
I mean, I live here, so.
- [03:46]
Bobby Bones
Like in the city though, because I feel like most people, once they get really famous, they have to move out a little bit.
- [03:52]
Luke Combs
Yeah, I'm a little ways out. I'm not like really far out or anything. I used to be. I used to live an hour outside of town.
- [03:58]
Bobby Bones
Did you think I didn't know you lived here?
- [04:00]
Luke Combs
Kind of. Well, I mean, it's been a couple years, so, I mean, there's a chance I move somewhere else, you know.
- [04:07]
Bobby Bones
Would you ever move back home?
- [04:09]
Luke Combs
No. Cuz I mean, my parents live here now, you know, so it's like everybody's down the road.
- [04:14]
Bobby Bones
When did they move here? Cuz that's a commitment.
- [04:16]
Luke Combs
They moved here a few months after we had our first kid. I'm an only child and I thought my dad would never move. And he was like, basically he was like, I'll never move. Like, this is the house that we. The house I grew up in. He was like, that's where I'm gonna stay. And then he called me one day randomly and was talking because my mom, like, she would have moved here when I moved here, you know what I mean? Like, she didn't care if, you know, if I had kids. It was like she was like, I'll go whenever. And dad was like, I'm never moving. And three Months after the kid, it was like, he's like, well, maybe I could, I could maybe see us moving out there. And I was like, really? I was just surprised by that. You know, I was like, well, let me know. I'd, you know, I'd be glad to help you guys out. Get out here. And then they came a couple months after that they came.
- [05:02]
Bobby Bones
Is it my in laws and we're about to have a baby. First baby.
- [05:06]
Luke Combs
Yep.
- [05:07]
Bobby Bones
My in laws live Oklahoma, so they're not that close. I wish they were closer.
- [05:14]
Luke Combs
Right.
- [05:14]
Bobby Bones
Was when they moved here. Was that super valuable to you guys?
- [05:17]
Luke Combs
Oh, certainly. I mean it was a huge resource, obviously. And you know, just being able to have. I mean I grew up around both sets of grandparents, you know, like, not like in the same town. When I was really little, my mom's parents lived in the same town, but they were all within like two hour drive. So it was like, I see. I saw them all the time, which was really cool. You know what I mean? Like, my wife didn't have that. My, like, my wife, she only knew one set of grandparents and they lived in like Las Vegas. So it's like they only see him, you know, and they saw him a lot when they were little, but you don't really remember it that much, you know, Like I spent a ton of time with my grandpa. I lived with my grandma when I started doing music because she lived in Charlotte and so I would go there to just play for the summer or whatever. So like it's kind of a. It's just a cool relationship that not everybody gets to have.
- [06:05]
Bobby Bones
I told my wife she's lucky my parents are dead to have to deal with them.
- [06:11]
Luke Combs
Sometimes it could potentially be better for them to not be around for sure.
- [06:14]
Bobby Bones
But yeah, she punches me when I say that, but I think deep down in her heart she gets it. Yeah, I love her parents.
- [06:19]
Luke Combs
Yeah, my in laws are, My in laws are awesome too. Like I'm lucky. Like I don't have any. Like there's no tension. Like my parents and them, like they all just get along and it's like, it's fine, you know, so that's great. That's. So that's a. You know, it's rare for that to happen.
- [06:33]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. With my buddies it's really rare because they're like, wait till you have in laws. And maybe I didn't have parents, so maybe that's why, like I kind of like that.
- [06:42]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
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Bobby Bones
But your dad stayed in the home that you grew up in until he moved here. Did you Live in the same house your whole life?
- [06:47]
Luke Combs
Yeah, basically. I mean, we lived in. We lived in one house in Charlotte until I was 8, and then we moved to Asheville and we lived. They lived in a rental. We lived in a rental for a little bit until they found a house they wanted to buy. And so when I was. By the time I was nine, I was living in the house that my parents lived in until, like, two years ago.
- [07:08]
Bobby Bones
How far from school was your house?
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Luke Combs
Couple miles. Like, four miles, five miles. I mean, not super far.
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Bobby Bones
Did you ride your bike to school?
- [07:16]
Luke Combs
No, no, it wasn't that close. It was like there was interstate involved.
- [07:19]
Bobby Bones
Oh, yeah.
- [07:20]
Luke Combs
So I rode the bus. I was like a. I was a school bus guy until I got a car, which was awesome.
- [07:25]
Bobby Bones
What kind of kid were you at 8, 9 years old?
- [07:29]
Luke Combs
Just chubby dude. Just like I was that I was shopping in the husky section, you know what I mean? I was that guy.
- [07:35]
Bobby Bones
Were you a sports kid? Were you a music kid?
- [07:38]
Luke Combs
No, I wasn't. I wasn't a sports kid, man. Like, my parents never really pushed me into it. You know what I mean? And it was. I think there's. I'm thankful that they never, like, forced me to do anything, but it was also, like, they never, like, youth sports is expensive. It's more expensive now than it's ever been. But even back then, like, they just didn't really have the money to, like, for me to be in some club sport or like, play little league football. It was like they didn't have the resources financially or really the time, because they were both working full time. So it was like, it would have been really tough to make happen, like, getting to and from practice and. And also at that time, you know, we're new to town, so we don't know a ton of people. And so they just never were like, hey, you want to go play football? So I just never really thought of it, you know? Like, I loved watching football, but I really kind of, like, you almost don't even know that kids play it if you don't have, like, brothers or sisters playing it, you know?
- [08:33]
Bobby Bones
Yeah, that's a good point. When I was growing up very similarly, we obviously didn't have any money, but I didn't play basketball because you had to buy a certain shoe. Everybody had to match, right? And so instead of being embarrassed by not being able to afford the shoe, I just was the guy who didn't play basketball, right. And so once I started to have some success and I've done it pretty much Every year, I just buy the basketball team all the same Jordans.
- [08:57]
Luke Combs
Right.
- [08:57]
Bobby Bones
So if you play just that way, nobody has to go. I don't think I'm gonna play because I can't afford the shoes.
- [09:02]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [09:03]
Bobby Bones
So that's a little bit of me going through something and then trying to make it better. I know stuff like. That's important to you, too.
- [09:08]
Luke Combs
Oh, definitely. You know, I've. I mean, I played rugby in college, and, you know, I've bought them. I bought the team's jerseys, and really, the women's team was at app Was struggling at one point, like, after Covid to get funding and stuff, and they had like, a gofundme. And I just, like, paid the whole thing. Like, it was anonymous until right now. But, you know, like, I. Like, I didn't realize. I. You know, like, I don't like to, like. I don't do. Do that stuff. Like, so people know that I do it, I guess. You know, but it's. Yeah, I mean, it's like, it's awesome to do that because I've been in that situation, you know, just like you. It's like, there's a lot of things.
- [09:47]
Bobby Bones
Like, that's an empathy thing.
- [09:48]
Luke Combs
Well, it's like when I was in chorus, dude, like, we had to buy a tuxedo to, like, sing, and it was like. I remember it being like, it's gonna be like a big. This a big spend. You know, it's like a heavy lift when. And now, you know, we weren't like, dirt floor or anything, but, like, my parents were really smart. They didn't have any debt, really, other than debt they needed, which was like, the mortgage and maybe the cars. But it's like, dude, if the washing machine broke, like, that was a big deal. Like, it was like, how are we gonna pay for this? You know, like, how. Like, my dad's like, well, I'm gonna fix it. Basically, I'm gonna try to fix it, and if I can't fix it and it's an issue, it's a big problem. Like, serpentine belt goes out on the car. Big deal, because it messes the whole budget up for the whole month.
- [10:29]
Bobby Bones
And there was a YouTube.
- [10:31]
Luke Combs
No, it wasn't like you could just figure out how to do it and someone could show you exactly how to do it. It was like, you had to know how to do it or you had to pay somebody to do it.
- [10:38]
Bobby Bones
Did you inherit any of that from your dad that, like, learning how to fix stuff?
- [10:42]
Luke Combs
I like to do it. I wish I had More time to do it. Like, I'm not a super gear head, like, car guy. Like, I can't open up an engine and be like, we got to do this and this. I wish I knew how to do that stuff. But it wasn't. It wasn't something that my dad ever did, like, for the joy of doing it. It always was like a chore to him because he would be like, he's working 40 or 50 hours a week, and then it's like, you spend your Saturday fixing the lawnmower. Like, you're not exactly pumped about that. He wasn't exactly like, oh, man, I get to work on the mower. Like, he's like, it was more frustrating. He's already frustrated. He had to mow 4 acres on the lawnmower, and then you go out to crank the mower up and it doesn't start. So you spend all day Saturday fixing the lawnmower, and then Sunday you still got to mow the lawn. And it was like. So there was never. It was done out of necessity, not out of, like, he loved working, doing small engine repair, you know what I mean? Just couldn't afford to get anyone else to fix it for him.
- [11:41]
Bobby Bones
So what does a working class family think when someone wants to do a job like music?
- [11:46]
Luke Combs
Well, they didn't know at that time, you know what I mean? And I think, you know, maybe there's a chance I would have discovered it sooner, you know, but it was just never like, it. My parents always told me, like, do whatever you want to do and chase your dreams. They were always really encouraging. But it was kind of like, well, let's be a little realistic here, you know, of like. Like, if I came in and was like, hey, I want to be a pole vaulter, they'd be like, oh, I don't know that that's. Let's just take a look in the mirror, son. I don't think that's ever going to work out for you, you know what I mean? Kind of thing. And so, I don't know. The singing was just something I enjoyed doing. It wasn't ever anything when I was younger that I thought there would be any future to, and not because there was like, I couldn't do it. I just never occurred to me that that was even in the realm of something that people do. Even though you're listening to, like, music all the time, I'm not thinking of it as, like, this is like, a business that can, like, make people money. I don't know if that makes sense. Like, I was just never processing that at the time.
- [12:49]
Bobby Bones
I mean, I'm from a town of 700 people, and everybody worked at the mill.
- [12:53]
Luke Combs
Right.
- [12:54]
Bobby Bones
And so that was the reality. And if you worked your way up, you got a good job at the mill.
- [12:58]
Luke Combs
And if you got a job at the mill was the goal. Yeah, it was like, dad got a job at the mill. I mean, that's like. That was awesome.
- [13:05]
Bobby Bones
So nobody was even telling me, you can't do it, because. Yeah, that was. It wasn't something that people tried to do, like, for. For me to, like, move off and try to do comedy or radio, podcasting, whatever. People weren't like, you can't do it because it was such a fairy tale.
- [13:22]
Luke Combs
Yeah, it was just. You never. It never even occurred to you that it was a job. You know what I mean? It wasn't like, when you go to school, it's like. I mean, this happens, I would say, more often with music, but still not very often. Like, you go around the room and ask a class full of third graders what they want to be when they grow up. Not many of them say a musician. Not. And even lesser saying, radio host, podcaster, actor. Like, people are. They're just not saying that, well, I want to be a firefighter. Like, that's the dream. That's like the top. Or an astronaut or something, you know? And even then, you're like, how many people are astronauts? Not a lot.
- [13:58]
Bobby Bones
Yeah, I don't think I've ever met an astronaut.
- [13:59]
Luke Combs
Not a lot.
- [14:00]
Bobby Bones
You ever met an astronaut?
- [14:02]
Luke Combs
I've walked. I walked past an astronaut one time, and we went and toured the. In Houston. We went into.
- [14:09]
Bobby Bones
Oh, you actually went to, like, the space center.
- [14:11]
Luke Combs
We went to the space center. Rode in the moon rover, which was
- [14:17]
Bobby Bones
like the car thing.
- [14:18]
Luke Combs
Yeah, it's like a new one. I'm like, why do we have a new one? We haven't been to the moon and.
- [14:22]
Bobby Bones
Yeah, you can't have driven the old one now.
- [14:25]
Luke Combs
Like, we haven't been there in 80 years. Why do we need a new one? Well, you're doing for all that theory, dude. Why. Why is there new moon?
- [14:31]
Bobby Bones
Well, they just announced they're sending up people again, like, in the last week.
- [14:35]
Luke Combs
Yeah, but this was. This was like six years ago, seven years ago, and it was. It was sick, dude. By the way, if you ever get a chance to do it, you gotta do it. It was so cool.
- [14:45]
Podcast Announcer
I don't think.
- [14:45]
Bobby Bones
I don't think I get that look.
- [14:46]
Luke Combs
So you could get that look for sure. I think you just all you got to do is ask. It's. It wasn't, like, classified. Like, it was obviously a thing set up.
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Bobby Bones
Like, they didn't. Like, it wasn't give you the Epstein files all at once.
- [15:00]
Luke Combs
They weren't like, here's all the aliens. Yeah. It wasn't anything like UFOs. Yeah. So, like, they're like, you want to get in this car? I'm like, yeah, that would be so sick. Obviously, I'm not driving it. Like, I'm. I'm riding shotgun. But it was. It was, like, fully electric, like you would imagine a Tesla or whatever is. And, you know, it was, like, seven years ago. That was, like, not a thing. That was driving. Driving around the street, you know? So we're going like. So the wheels were almost like. It was like a ball, like a sphere. It wasn't a tire. It was like a sphere. And so we were going in this parking lot. I mean, we're going like, 30 miles an hour. And we instantly went 90 degrees to the right. Like, the front of the car didn't turn. We were just going this way. And then all of a sudden, we were going completely sideways at the same
- [15:45]
Bobby Bones
time because of how the wheel was built.
- [15:47]
Luke Combs
Right.
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Podcast Announcer
Because it's a ball.
- [15:48]
Luke Combs
It can just go. And it was. It was w. Like, you're, like, hitting GS. Almost like, just in a car.
- [15:54]
Bobby Bones
Have you ever flown in one of the. I. I did a Blue angel flight once. You ever do that?
- [15:58]
Luke Combs
No way.
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Bobby Bones
I don't like flying anyway. But I felt like it was something I couldn't say no to.
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Luke Combs
I said no to it just from the sheer visual of me in, like, a one piece, because they're going to. Here's the embarrassing thing. Like, they're going to have to make you one if you're my size. Like, there. There's not any.
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Bobby Bones
You're acting like you're gigantic, but there's
- [16:17]
Luke Combs
not any on the rack, dude. Like, I mean, even at the time. I mean, at the time, I was probably 30 pounds heavier than I am right now, which is not light. I'm so light right now.
- [16:28]
Bobby Bones
Because you didn't want to put the suit on.
- [16:29]
Luke Combs
Like, was there to some extent. Truly. It was like, well, what am I going to wear, dude? They're not going to let me wear a T shirt in there, I don't think.
- [16:39]
Bobby Bones
No, they wouldn't have.
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Luke Combs
Right?
- [16:41]
Bobby Bones
They wouldn't.
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Luke Combs
And I'm like.
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Bobby Bones
I think they would have had. They take people up. They take pro football players up in the thing.
- [16:46]
Jacob Goldstein
It's the.
- [16:47]
Luke Combs
It's the hefty version of not being able to afford the Jordans growing up. It was not being able.
- [16:52]
Bobby Bones
So then you just supply them with all extra large suits now to everybody.
- [16:56]
Luke Combs
Oh, bro. Extra large is. I would. There's no way I'm fitting in that 3x dude. I would need a 3. There's no 3x flight suits in the military because there's not any 3x guys flying jets.
- [17:10]
Bobby Bones
Dude, they invited you to go.
- [17:12]
Luke Combs
They did. And it wasn't the Blue Angels. It was Thunderbirds.
- [17:15]
Bobby Bones
Okay, I did the Blue Angels.
- [17:17]
Luke Combs
That's still. I don't. Still don't know if I would do it, to be quite honest. They just want you to pass out.
- [17:22]
Bobby Bones
I hated it, but I'm glad I did it.
- [17:23]
Luke Combs
Did you pass out?
- [17:24]
Bobby Bones
I blacked out, Right?
- [17:26]
Luke Combs
So, like.
- [17:26]
Bobby Bones
So I didn't. Yeah. So what happens is because they hit this, you know, you don't wear a G suit, and some of those planes,
- [17:33]
Luke Combs
they give you a G suit, so you're not.
- [17:36]
Bobby Bones
This is nothing. This is just fabric. And so you have your pilot up front, and I'm sitting here. And they tell you whenever it starts to go, to push down with your feet as hard as you can.
- [17:48]
Luke Combs
And, like, when you're hitting, like you're doing the.
- [17:50]
Bobby Bones
Just when you feel them taking off, push down with your feet. Because what happens is the blood is falling so fast because the plane is sucking you back. Your blood's falling out of your head. And if you push with your feet, it at least, like, pushes the blood out.
- [18:02]
Luke Combs
See, I don't want to do that. You know, I don't want to do that.
- [18:05]
Bobby Bones
I felt like I had to yesterday.
- [18:07]
Luke Combs
I don't need to do that, you know?
- [18:08]
Bobby Bones
And I'm shoving my feet down as hard as I can, and it gets to the point where we're doing and I forget the max G's we're doing, and your eyes just start to black out. Like, it starts to close on you and you're pushing and it's staying. You see a little slit and there's a video because there's a video of me in the back. And I just do this.
- [18:26]
Luke Combs
See, there's two. I have too much anxiety for that dude. Like, I would be like, this is the end. Like, this is going to. Like, everyone else is fine, but I'm the guy that won't be fine.
- [18:34]
Bobby Bones
In my mind, you're the one that dies.
- [18:36]
Luke Combs
Yeah, I'm the guy that dies in that. In that scenario.
- [18:40]
Bobby Bones
When we landed, I laid on the floor for an hour.
- [18:43]
Luke Combs
You just so sick, like nauseous. Yes. Yeah, I'm out. I'm not now. I'm definitely not doing it. I already didn't want to do it. Now I'm confirmed not doing it.
- [18:50]
Bobby Bones
I remember thinking, I wish I could have gotten the moon car when I was down on the ground. I was like, if I could have
- [18:54]
Luke Combs
gotten that, I could have done in the moon car instead. So much more calm.
- [19:00]
Podcast Announcer
Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor, cbs. Tonight is NCIS Night. New episodes of ncis, NCIS Origins, and NCIS Sydney.
- [19:12]
Luke Combs
Possible abduction of the Marines. We need to move anybody's potential target.
- [19:17]
Bobby Bones
We're gonna do what we do and we're gonna figure out answers.
- [19:20]
Podcast Announcer
Whatever they're planning, it's going down here. Ncis NCIS Night is all new.
- [19:25]
Luke Combs
It's a night you've never seen.
- [19:29]
Podcast Announcer
CBS tonight starting 87 Central and streaming on Paramount. Plus support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of ST bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com, and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this
- [20:35]
Jacob Goldstein
is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? Business software is expensive and when you buy software from lots of different companies, it's not only expensive, it gets confusing. Slow to use, hard to integrate. Odoo solves that because all Odoo software is connected on a single affordable platform. Save money without missing out on the features you need. Odoo has no hidden costs and no limit on features or data. Odoo has over 60 apps available for any needs your business might have, all at no additional charge. Everything from websites to sales to inventory to accounting, all linked and talking to each other. Check out odoo@o d o o dot com. That's o d o o dot com.
- [21:19]
Cindy Crawford
Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford, and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well, I don't know about you, but, like, I never liked being told, oh, wow, you look so good for your age. Like, why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age? Every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty. Beautiful skin at every age. Learn more@meaningfulbeauty.com.
- [22:01]
Podcast Announcer
And we're back on the Bobby cast.
- [22:04]
Bobby Bones
You posted a picture of you playing your first ever show. I think it was in Boone, North Carolina.
- [22:10]
Luke Combs
Yep.
- [22:11]
Bobby Bones
We talk about that picture. I'm gonna show it as we're talking.
- [22:13]
Luke Combs
Yeah, yeah, it's. I mean, yeah, it's true. I mean, truly the first gig I ever played.
- [22:18]
Bobby Bones
Like a paid gig.
- [22:20]
Luke Combs
Yeah, yeah. I mean, first. Yeah, I mean, really first gig where it was like, hey, I'm gonna, like, promote myself as a person that you would come see in concert, you know, So I had sang in front of people forever, I mean, my whole life. So it wasn't like anything that was particularly nervous about.
- [22:35]
Bobby Bones
Oh, you weren't, like, super nervous? Like, this is my big shot?
- [22:38]
Luke Combs
No, no, no, no. I was more excited because I was like, I. I just felt like I believed in my ability to, like, deliver. Like, I knew I could sing enough and play just enough to like, to actually do it. So there was no nerves there. And I knew, like, basically it's my first show, so it's kind of like, built in. Like, I had a bunch of friends, so I was like, well, I know my friends are going to come. It's not like nobody's go up Boone's not big, dude. It's a. It's a small town.
- [23:03]
Bobby Bones
So is that abstate?
- [23:04]
Luke Combs
Yeah. And so it's a small town, so you basically know a lot. You know a lot of people in that town. It's not like you're living in downtown Charlotte and there's thousands of kids from the college that you never interact with. Like, you're walking. You walk everywhere. Basically, in town, you can't even have a car your freshman year. Or you couldn't when I was there. Really, you could have one, but it was parked, like, five miles Away. So basically you would get it on the weekends. Like you'd get on the bus and go to your car and go to your car and have it in for the weekend because there's just not a ton of parking. So I didn't even bring my car my freshman year because I was like, I'm not paying to have a parking space I don't even need. And like, I'm just ride the bus everywhere or walk.
- [23:46]
Bobby Bones
Whenever you play that first show, are you playing any songs that you wrote? Are you playing covers?
- [23:49]
Luke Combs
I don't think I. I don't. You know, I don't have a set list. I probably played for like an hour because that was about like the all I could play. I'm def. I'm just doing. It's 99 covers. If I did an original, it was a one or two max because I'd probably only written five songs at that point.
- [24:06]
Bobby Bones
What inspired you to do that show then? Were you singing so much in. Were you doing chorus in college?
- [24:11]
Luke Combs
Not in college. I was in an acapella group my freshman year and like part of my sophomore year. And so I was singing, doing that. Like, you know, I was always like in practice of like singing, you know. But then by the time. By the time I do the show, like I had been playing for people in my living room, like at like parties and stuff. Not in an official capacity, but just like there's a guitar around and you start messing with it and people are like, play, Play Cruise. Or you know, like, whatever. That was a big song at the time. That was my big closer.
- [24:46]
Bobby Bones
Cruise.
- [24:46]
Luke Combs
Cruise was my baby. It was. That's like my encore.
- [24:49]
Bobby Bones
That song was a monster.
- [24:50]
Luke Combs
Yeah, it was like everybody wanted to hear it.
- [24:52]
Bobby Bones
Were you getting a lot of affirmation when you're playing at these houses and for people and they're confused as why you're not trying it?
- [24:58]
Luke Combs
Yeah. Like, it's like I. I basically at that time, like, I knew I was a good singer. Like, I knew that and I was confident in that. And so it was just like, I feel. I felt like, well, man, if I play for people, they're gonna like it, I think. And it wasn't like, like an arrogance thing. It was more just confident. Like, I was never wondering if, like. Like I wonder if people will like this. It was like, man, all I gotta do is put myself out there and I think people will like this, you know, And I think it would be to the extent that it is now. But you know, it. I mean, it worked, you know.
- [25:29]
Bobby Bones
What was the first thing you posted online?
- [25:32]
Luke Combs
The first video I ever posted. Like, doing music stuff.
- [25:34]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. And was it successful?
- [25:36]
Luke Combs
It was probably on, like, Facebook. It probably doesn't even exist anymore. But I would make them in like, the app, like the Apple Studio thing, like on my imac, like Rock Band
- [25:46]
Bobby Bones
or something like that, or the Garage Band or whatever.
- [25:48]
Luke Combs
Yeah, but it was like, there was like, one. It's called, like, Imovie.
- [25:50]
Bobby Bones
Oh, yeah, yeah, Imovie.
- [25:51]
Luke Combs
And it was on all of them. And, like, my laptop had a webcam because, like, at that time, cell phones didn't even have good enough cameras to do that stuff. Now you just film it on your phone. But back then I would, like, set my laptop up, go into Imovie, and then would just record myself, like, sitting in my room. So probably stuff like that on Facebook was probably the first stuff. I'm not certain what the first song would have been, but Cruz some probably something like that, probably, or like Luke Bryan stuff, probably or an Aldean song or something. But I didn't, man. I was doing all kinds of stuff, man. Just. It didn't know. It didn't go well. It wasn't like I was posting it, getting like, hundreds of likes. It would just be like, my friends would say, like, oh, yeah, this guy sings. I know that.
- [26:35]
Bobby Bones
So your story isn't post a video, go super viral, build that way.
- [26:40]
Luke Combs
No, your story is what it ended up being. That it ended up becoming that over time. But it wasn't like I posted one video and people were like, this guy's so good. It was just like, where's another guy posted himself singing on the Internet? Which, I mean, now there's a bajillion people doing that. It was a little bit rarer at that time, but still pretty prevalent. And so that did become kind of how I ended up getting success here was because I was one of the first guys that, like, built their own thing and then brought it to town as opposed to, like, the jumping down the town and, like, figure it all out.
- [27:16]
Bobby Bones
Was that your plan? Did you want to build it or did it just happen to time with school?
- [27:20]
Luke Combs
Yeah, it just. It just organically happened. Like, I just. I just constantly posted stuff, like covers and. And as I gained more and more of a following, I wasn't thinking to myself, like, man, this is like, this is powerful to have your own audience that's in. Get built in engagement. I just didn't think. I wasn't processing it that way. I was just like, man, this is a great way for me to, like, market myself for my live shows. Really, I was thinking of it as, like, well, maybe I could go to. Like, there's obviously a lot of people in different towns that are following me now, you know, so I could go to Raleigh or Greenville, South Carolina, or, you know, and play a show. Maybe people will come to the show. Because then I was so locked in on, like, playing shows was the thing for me at that time that I was like, this is what I need to be doing.
- [28:08]
Bobby Bones
Was there a first out of town show that you were a little nervous about just because you had never played in a different town?
- [28:14]
Luke Combs
Yeah, we played a lot. Like, I did play a lot in, like, Charlotte. So I would go, like, that summer I moved in with my grandma. She was living in Huntersville, which is just outside of Charlotte, the town I was born in. And she was living in an apartment. And she let me move in the bedroom upstairs. Basically, like, all my cousins live with my grandmother at one point, because it was just like, we'll just move in with grandma, and she's like, let us hang out and drink. Or like, she's not like, staying up late, like, what are you doing? You know what I mean, kind of thing. So. And she was. I mean, she's the sweetest dude. She's still alive and she's great. But I would go there and then I. Basically all I did all summer was I didn't. I didn't have to have a job that summer because I was making enough doing my shows in Boone and stuff to be able to not have to work. So I figured that was my first step into, like, quote unquote, building a new market. Like, I wasn't thinking of it that way, but that's what I was unintentionally doing is, like, I went there, lived there that summer, and basically I would get online and just figure out when all the open mic nights were in Charlotte for anything. Like, just some of them were like, you could come do stand up or anything. Some of them were strictly music.
- [29:26]
Bobby Bones
You would go play at open mics.
- [29:28]
Luke Combs
Oh, yeah. I mean, I would go. I mean, that's what I was doing any night. So, like, probably there wasn't one every night, but probably four or five nights a week I was doing that. And then as the summer went on, like, I would do good enough at some of these open mics where they'd be like, would you come play here on Wednesday night for an hour or two? And I'd be like, sure. And then I would make. Make, you know, 200 bucks doing that. And then I would drive up to Boone, do a couple gigs. Those are my big money gigs, you know, make, like, guaranteed 300 bucks or something, playing one of those. So I drive back up the mountain, play a couple nights in Boone so I wouldn't have to work, come back to Charlotte. And then I met a lot of different bar owners and stuff. Just through some owner of a bar would say, hey, this guy played here. I think he's really good. You should book him at your bar, too. And they'd put me in touch with some other guy that I would call. And then maybe that show was in Winston Salem or something. So I just continually, like, push further east into the state and then further west, like into east Tennessee and stuff, and a little bit south into, like, South Carolina, Columbia, that kind of stuff. But I did that for, I mean, two and a half years and just slowly built out. Like, pretty soon I was playing in Georgia, like, North Georgia and Atlanta, had some gigs in Atlanta bars and. And just kind of. I didn't realize I was doing anything good. I just figured that this is what everyone does.
- [30:48]
Bobby Bones
Was it a strategy to grow, or was it a strategy just to play music and exist?
- [30:52]
Luke Combs
Yeah, pretty much it was a strategy. Cause, like, I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life. Even in college, it was like. It was never, like, blatantly obvious what I was cut out to do. Which is weird to say now because I'd been singing forever. But once I picked the guitar up, man, I knew, like, this is what I'm supposed to do. Did I ever have any dreams of becoming, like, a big superstar? No. Because again, I'm going back to, like, that blue collar mindset of. Well, that just doesn't happen to people. So I'll just be fine. Like, I'm making enough money, paying all my bills, don't have to work. If that's it, then I'm happy with that, and that would be fine. If that was how it was forever, I would have truly been happy doing that. And so I kind of set myself up for success because there was never any. There was never any, like, failure. I never viewed myself as being able to fail because I had already achieved what I wanted to achieve, which was sustaining myself on my own without help from anyone else and just playing shows. I could have lived the rest of my life that way if I wanted to.
- [31:58]
Bobby Bones
So everything was house, money?
- [31:59]
Luke Combs
Yeah, it was. Yeah. It was like, basically, it's like you go to a casino and they're like, here's $10,000. And you're like, oh, perfect. I'll never blow this because I'll spend a dollar at a time.
- [32:08]
Bobby Bones
You know that's not how you do it in real life, though, right? Dollar at a time.
- [32:11]
Luke Combs
I don't. I don't even gamble at all.
- [32:13]
Bobby Bones
You don't?
- [32:13]
Luke Combs
I don't sports bet. No.
- [32:15]
Bobby Bones
You're not a casino guy.
- [32:16]
Luke Combs
I like. I like playing roulette, but I don't. I don't do it like, I'm not a guy that's like, I could go to Vegas and not go in a casino and be like, cool.
- [32:26]
Bobby Bones
Is it because you've had your casino time?
- [32:29]
Luke Combs
No, I. I mean, I've got. I've. I've. The most money I've probably ever lost in a casino is less than 500.
- [32:36]
Bobby Bones
Wow. See, I don't really.
- [32:37]
Luke Combs
I don't get it. It doesn't do anything for me.
- [32:39]
Bobby Bones
I went hard.
- [32:40]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [32:41]
Bobby Bones
And now I don't do it anymore.
- [32:42]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [32:42]
Bobby Bones
But that's why I don't do it anymore.
- [32:43]
Luke Combs
It just never. Because I could never get out of the mindset of, well, I'm just burning this money. It's just going away. Nobody show me a guy that comes out on top.
- [32:53]
Bobby Bones
No, none.
- [32:53]
Luke Combs
There isn't one.
- [32:54]
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
- [32:54]
Luke Combs
No, there isn't a guy.
- [32:55]
Bobby Bones
No, there's not. And if there is a guy, he's lying.
- [32:57]
Luke Combs
Yeah. 100.
- [32:58]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. I won so much. That's bull crap.
- [33:01]
Luke Combs
And you're like, yeah, but how much did you lose?
- [33:02]
Bobby Bones
Yeah, exactly.
- [33:03]
Luke Combs
My dad always tells me about a guy that he worked with. It was like his boss when he worked at the maintenance at the college there in Asheville. And he would always be like, dude, I won thousand bucks on this scratch off or whatever. And he's like, dude, he had one of those, you know, those little, like, metal spikes that they put receipts on at restaurants. He was like. He had one of those in his desk, and it was this high with just losing all the dead ones. Yeah. All he would say is, like, dude, I won 200 bucks on scratch offs this week. And he was like, well, yeah, but what did you spend? Like, did you spend 500? Because it doesn't really count.
- [33:36]
Bobby Bones
Yeah, it spends $4,000 to hit that one.
- [33:38]
Luke Combs
It's like, man, how do we get in the casino business? It's the best business in the world to be in.
- [33:43]
Bobby Bones
You ever play casinos?
- [33:45]
Luke Combs
I did, yeah. A bunch of radio stuff like.
- [33:48]
Bobby Bones
Like where they pay you up. Because any.
- [33:50]
Luke Combs
A couple, once or twice, they pay so good. I would. Did one Time. I can't remember what casino it was. They were always fun. They're kind of hard to like. And this is going to be a weird way of saying this, and I'll probably say it wrong, but, like. Like, a casino is a hard place to be famous at because everybody's there
- [34:07]
Bobby Bones
for a different reason.
- [34:08]
Luke Combs
Well, if I'm playing a show, everyone's staying at the casino, so it's not like I can just walk in and sit at the poker. Like, everyone in there.
- [34:16]
Bobby Bones
There's like, there, and they know they're
- [34:18]
Luke Combs
all there, and they know. So, like, you can't even really go in there and do the thing anyways. And then if you do, they're like, well, we could get you a private table, but it's. You got us. It's a thousand dollars a hand to get a private. And I'm like, I'm not.
- [34:29]
Bobby Bones
Not.
- [34:29]
Luke Combs
That's a total waste. So I remember one time I got. You know, because I feel like one of the big things at the casinos, and it's cool, man, if that's what you're into, and I appreciate it, but it's like, they're like, well, we'll give you a marker, dude. One of the casinos, it was like, part of the payment was like. I remember they'd be like, we'll give you $10,000 marker. And I'm like, how about you just give me $10,000? And they were like. They were like, well, we can't do that. And I'm like, what do you mean you can't? Like, you're already paying me X amount, so just add $10,000 to it and don't give me the chips. And they're like, well, we can either, like, give you the chips or not. I'm like, perfect. Took the chips, walked in, sat down at the roulette table and bet the max. Bet on red or black every time. And then just took what I made and walked out. Because it was basically get $10,000 or nothing. So I'm like, well, at least could get maybe $5,000 of this. So I think I walked out with, like, seven grand, But I was like, I'm not gonna get caught up in the trap of, like, we give you 10,000 bucks, you lose it all. And then you're like, what? Maybe I'll just stay in here and I'm having a good time.
- [35:34]
Bobby Bones
I mean, that's what. That's inevitably the goal.
- [35:36]
Luke Combs
That's inevitably the goal.
- [35:37]
Bobby Bones
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [35:38]
Luke Combs
And it's not that I'm like, overtly smart. It's just gambling doesn't do anything for me. I just don't get the. I don't get the. Whatever the Rush people get. I just don't get it.
- [35:48]
Bobby Bones
I don't know why the pleasure center of your brain does not go off whenever.
- [35:51]
Luke Combs
For that. For that thing. No. You throw down a bag of Taco Bell in front of me or it's in trouble, but the gambling thing is not.
- [35:58]
Bobby Bones
What about buying stuff when you started to make money? Did you buy, like, guitars or.
- [36:02]
Luke Combs
Guitars and watches are my thing that I'm into. I've really. The guitars have slowed down because it's a space issue. Like, where do you keep all these guitars? You know, I've probably got, like. I'd say probably like 20 guitars, which, in the terms of a guitar guy is not really even a lot.
- [36:19]
Bobby Bones
Do you play them all or do you have any that just sit and you want to look at.
- [36:22]
Luke Combs
There's some that sit. That they've all been played for, sure. I'm not a guy to, like. I don't have any, like, guitars where I'm like, well, don't ever touch it. You know, like, it's. It's like a sacred thing. I had one like that, and I donated it to the Country Music hall of Fame. But that was not bought for, like, the intent of playing it, you know,
- [36:44]
Bobby Bones
and it was anonymous until now. So thank you for that, too.
- [36:46]
Luke Combs
Oh, yeah, yeah. You're getting me on this, man.
- [36:51]
Bobby Bones
Watches.
- [36:52]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [36:52]
Bobby Bones
Was that something? Because I got into watches, too?
- [36:55]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [36:56]
Bobby Bones
I never knew watches, so I had no back. It was just like, wow, this is kind of cool. And I can afford it now. And I think I just wanted to afford something.
- [37:04]
Luke Combs
I think it starts. It starts that way. For sure. It started that way for me. The bug was like. My grandfather worked at the mill, by the way, and he worked there for a long time. And when he retired, he got a really nice watch. I got a Rolex. And he was always, like, real proud of, like, it just signified this big achievement for him. And so when I bought my first watch, that was kind of the reasoning, like, that's where it began. And then it was like, man, I can't believe, like, I never thought I would get to the point where I could afford something like this. And then that's the reason for a couple of watches. And then it just became like, man, now I really like these.
- [37:42]
Bobby Bones
And now I'm like, you learn about them more.
- [37:44]
Luke Combs
Yeah. And I'm like, now this is really cool. Like, it's this and insanely precise craftsmanship. Like, I don't know, like to me it's like, it's cooler than. It's like buying something you can wear. And then, I don't know, it's like, yeah, it's a d. It's a, it's a deep dark hole though. The watch thing, it's bad, man.
- [38:03]
Bobby Bones
I had to pull myself out a little bit.
- [38:05]
Jacob Goldstein
It's.
- [38:05]
Luke Combs
It's scary, dude.
- [38:06]
Bobby Bones
The two things that I had never seen were a actual Rolex or cocaine.
- [38:13]
Luke Combs
Yeah. I've never seen coke.
- [38:14]
Bobby Bones
I've not seen cocaine. Rolex. The first one I ever saw is one I bought.
- [38:17]
Luke Combs
And you'd think in the entertainment business that like people would just everywhere, like someone's, someone's off screen right now doing
- [38:24]
Bobby Bones
it on the side of the camera.
- [38:25]
Luke Combs
Someone's in here right now, just.
- [38:27]
Bobby Bones
I've never seen it either.
- [38:28]
Luke Combs
Yeah. And I think people know when they meet me, they're like, this guy's not cool. Like, this guy's not a cocaine guy. He's not cool enough. And so they're like, let's go to the cool guy room and do the cocaine. And then we'll come back and he'll just think we're, we have adhd, like fidgety. We'll just tell them we have adhd. We're just high energy guys, you know.
- [38:48]
Bobby Bones
What do you think does, what's real though about being famous? That. Because Right. My perception too is in entertainment everybody's doing drugs everywhere. And that's really not it.
- [38:59]
Luke Combs
It's not, it's not really.
- [39:00]
Bobby Bones
Unless you're like, are welcoming yourself to that and you're inviting.
- [39:03]
Luke Combs
I think it's like there's different crowds. Like there's obviously people who are doing that somewhere. And if you're in that crowd, it's probably really prevalent and you think everyone that's famous does drugs.
- [39:14]
Podcast Announcer
The Bobby cast. We'll be right back. CBS tonight is NCIS Night. New episodes of ncis, NCIS Origins and NCIS Sydney.
- [39:26]
Luke Combs
Possible abduction of the Marines. We need to move anybody who's a potential target.
- [39:31]
Bobby Bones
We're gonna do what we do and we're gonna figure out answers.
- [39:33]
Podcast Announcer
Whatever they're planning, it's going down here. Ncis, NCIS Night is all new.
- [39:38]
Luke Combs
It's a night you've never seen.
- [39:43]
Podcast Announcer
CBS tonight starting 8, 7 Central and streaming on Paramount. Plus support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public. You can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now Generated Assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc, SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this
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- [42:30]
Podcast Announcer
This is the bobbycast.
- [42:32]
Bobby Bones
What happens that we don't see whenever you are super famous that now you've been exposed to?
- [42:39]
Luke Combs
I think it makes your life really convenient and it makes your life really inconvenient.
- [42:45]
Bobby Bones
Do convenience first.
- [42:46]
Luke Combs
Convenience is obviously the ability and the financial freedom to like travel the way that you want to travel, stay at the places you want to stay, have access to things that other people wouldn't have access to, I. E. Like tickets to sporting events and like people want you to go to stuff and be at stuff. And that is a really cool thing. It's really, it's really great. The inconvenience is just like the obvious. Like people following you to your house or people trying to figure out where you're staying so they can get a bunch of autographs from you and sell them or what. Like there's all these things like you are never. You always feel like someone's looking at you all the time when I'm anywhere. And it's not like it, not like in a fear way, but just kind of like it's weird to say doing what I do that I really don't like to be the center of attention that much. Especially when I'm outside of my job parameters. Like I don't want people to think that I think I'm cool or famous. Like I'm aware of it, but it's not something that I take a lot of stock in. Like it doesn't provide me with a lot of like, like mental fulfillment.
- [44:04]
Bobby Bones
The fame part of it.
- [44:05]
Luke Combs
Yeah. Like I'm not like oh, I'm famous. And that is like I don't derive any of my self worth from being famous. Like I try to derive my self worth from like being a good friend or like being good to the people that work for me and being kind to people that like at the venues we play at or being nice to fans in public. Like that's where I derive a lot of my self worth from is like just maintaining like we're just being a. Trying to be a good person I think is important to me and trying to be kind to people and going out of my way to do nice things for people and giving back to people I feel like is I. And fame has allowed me to do that on a greater level than I could have ever been able to do that. So I'm very thankful for that part of it, you know. But you just kind of like, sometimes you're out and you're just like. I feel like everyone's like. I'm kind of embarrassed because it's like everyone's looking at me.
- [44:55]
Bobby Bones
Do you ever get caught up in it early?
- [44:57]
Luke Combs
Not. Not really, no. I. Because it happened so fast. There was like, you almost, like. Like, I didn't have any free time. There was no, like. Like, it hasn't gotten, like, real, like, really convenient until the, like, the last two years. And now I've got kids, so I've got that going on. So it's like, it's never been like, oh, man, I think I'm awesome. And it's like. I mean, we were riding the high of, like, the success in the sense of, like, there was a lot of pride of like, I can't believe I've achieved this, and I'm very proud of achieving it, and I'm not going to stop. And I would like to continue to keep, you know, climbing, seeing where we can get to. So that part of it, it certainly. But I didn't ever want it to, like, I don't know. I just feel like the way I am with my friends and my family and stuff, like, they would just have never let me get to that point, you know, And I. I didn't want to get to that point anyways, like, of being this, like, big, egotistical guy. Like, my. My friends would, like, they would have just quit being friends with me if I got to that point. So it would have become, like, blatantly obvious. I think, at this point, if that
- [46:08]
Bobby Bones
had ever happened, I think I'm gonna. This is my opinion, there's a tier in current country music, and I'm gonna eliminate all the greats. I'm gonna take the Garths out. So they're out, but there's a tier. And that top tier, in my opinion, is you and Wallen and Zach Bryan for multiple reasons. Streaming success, number ones, touring success. Right. You guys are doing stadiums.
- [46:29]
Luke Combs
Sure.
- [46:30]
Bobby Bones
Does somebody like you still compare yourself to other people?
- [46:36]
Luke Combs
I don't think musically really ever. Like, I'm not like, well, I need my stuff to sound more like this guys or that guys. Obviously you're aware of other people's success. Just because, like, I feel like my team is more obsessed with it than I am. And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but it's not something I ever try to get caught up in. Like, I really want to try to run my own race, you know, I can be nothing but happy for anyone. Else having success, to me, like, it's so rare to achieve. And it's like the first time there's. I mean, there's been two stadium acts in country music history before right now, Chesney and Garth. That's really it. On a consistent basis. So to have three guys doing it at one time, it speaks to the. The, you know, the overall health of the genre. It's like, it's. It's, you know, it's in a better place than it's ever been in, and it's been in some really great places in the past. So I feel lucky to be a part of that. And it's, I think for me, I joke about that stuff more than take it seriously. Like, I remember thinking, like, man, I, you know, put out this one's for you, and it ties Shania's record for the longest number one. And then Morgan puts his album out and beats it. And it's like, you know, it happens, but it's like, what's that? It doesn't really change anything for me. And then, like, there was like, there was like six months where I was the best selling country artist of all time, and then it was Morgan, like, shortly afterwards. So it's like it's never going to. It never stops. And I don't know, I just, I, like, I. I just feel like it's a waste of time to worry about that stuff, man. Like, I have so much good stuff going on. I have no, like, need to be the biggest or best guy that's ever done it or, like, the most tickets or. I just feel like you're missing the whole point of it.
- [48:22]
Bobby Bones
What's the point of it?
- [48:23]
Luke Combs
The point of it is, like, to enjoy it. Like, to look back on your life and say, man, like, we did that, that we accomplished it in a way we felt good about. We were good to people that we met along the way. And I've lived a great, fulfilling life that was full of career success, but also full of time spent with my kids and time spent with my friends and enjoying the things that I want to enjoy and enjoying kind of like the spoils of war, like, getting to, like, go sit courtside at a Lakers game. Like, I don't take that stuff for granted. It's so cool to be able to get to do that. And it's something I never would have been able to do, you know, in the past. And so just that's what it is, man. Like, if we're caught in the trappings of, like, who's the biggest this and I'm the best that. Like, are you even really enjoying. Are you. What are you even doing it for? If that's why you're doing it, why are you even doing it, really?
- [49:15]
Bobby Bones
Do you need a break ever creatively, to get creative again?
- [49:19]
Luke Combs
Oh, big time. Yeah. I think it can become. I feel like right now I'm like, I want to write more than I ever have, and I've got an album coming out in March just because I haven't had time to, like. I love. I love writing on stuff and writing stuff for my records, and it's an interesting segue. I know you have the segment where you bring a record, and I was going to talk about this at some point.
- [49:44]
Bobby Bones
Well, let's do it now.
- [49:45]
Luke Combs
Yeah. So this. Yeah. Pick it up record. Yeah. Willie Nelson, Stardust. I don't. You, you know, you may be familiar with this record. It's Willie's most successful record of all time. Okay. And Willie Nelson, I think we can all agree, is one of the best songwriters in the history of country music. Right. This is his most successful album he's ever had, and it's the only album that he didn't write any songs on, and he did that intentionally. And this album that I'm about to put out, is this the album that I've written the least songs on. I still wrote a lot, but there's not many that were like my idea from inception. A lot of them were ideas or starts that came from my buddies, and then some of them are songs that I didn't write on at all. And I loved this record. When I. I was listening to this in my college apartment when I first got a vinyl player and I was first going back and listening to all these records I had never been exposed to and wanted to hear. This was an album I really gravitated towards. And it's a super moody, like, slow record, like, very kind of, like, spacey, like, very light production. And I. At the time, I didn't have. I just assumed he wrote all those songs. I wasn't even, like, I didn't even know that artists didn't write their own songs at that time. And then when I found that out a couple years after listening to this, I still didn't go back and reference this. I wasn't like, well, I wonder if Willy wrote that stuff. Like, it. As I'd done my research, I'm like, oh, well, Willie writes everything. He just does. And then when I found out that he didn't write this record, I was like, well, maybe this is a lesson to myself that, like, you don't have to write everything. And, like, some of my favorite songs on this record, I didn't write. I didn't write the title track to this record, who I Am the Way I Am. Yeah, I didn't write that song. I just teased a song a week or two ago called Be by you. I didn't write that song. And those are some of my favorite songs on the record. And some of it was out of necessity from a time standpoint of just trying to be home with the kids more and trying to be present with my wife and like. Like being there for my family while also doing the, you know, going. Playing these crazy festivals last year and making this record. And some of it was out of necessity, but some of it was also out of, like, letting go of, like, the need. Like, maybe there was this egotistical need of, like, well, I feel like I need to write my songs because that adds something to my thing. And I think that it does sometimes, you know, it doesn't always. And, you know, but I do think that sometimes, like, I want people to know. It wasn't ever the. It wasn't ever the thought of, look how smart of a guy I am or look how good I am at writing the stuff. It was more like I wanted people to know that I'm, like, putting the work in. Like, that I'm like, I'm not. That was my thinking at the time was like, well, I'm not just phoning this in. Like, I'm putting the work in. Like, I'm in the. You know, I'm in the, like, doing the thing.
- [52:49]
Bobby Bones
Do you feel like you got. You're so confident that you're now able to do that? Because I feel like there are two reasons you would do it. One of them is being you're so confident now that you understand what it is to be a good songwriter.
- [52:58]
Luke Combs
Yeah. And knowing that there's a lot better songwriters than you and that some of those people are your friends and some of those are people you don't know. And it's like. And that's okay. You know what I mean? Like, I'm never going to be the best songwriter in the world. It's just never going to happen, you know, and that's okay, you know, and. But just knowing, like, you can do both, like, it's not. It's not some big statement on, like, who you are as a guy or anything, that I didn't write some of these songs and, you know, I didn't Write a couple songs on Fathers and Sons, too. And that's the most personal record I've ever made, you know? And I think there's magic in that, too. Like, getting to listen to those songs for that record, for this record, like, it was something I'd never gotten to do before. Like, I never gotten to sit down and listen to a bunch of songs and be like, man, wow. I would have never had this idea or this is something I never would have a direction. I never would have went. Whether it's lyrically or melodically or, you know, it's just cool getting to do that. You just get to. It opens up a whole new thing. And I've. I've always had so much respect for songwriters because I loved writing my stuff. I loved writing it with people. I love being a part of that process. I feel like they're underappreciated, underrepresented in our space. And so this was another way of just, like, digging into that, you know, into that mindset of, you know, these people are great, man. And they're. I mean, a lot of the best songwriters in the world live in this town. You know, if not. I mean, most. Most of the best songwriters in the world live here.
- [54:32]
Bobby Bones
Give me some advice. I'm about to have my first kid.
- [54:34]
Luke Combs
Yep. Oh, man.
- [54:36]
Bobby Bones
I don't even know. It's like, just.
- [54:38]
Luke Combs
Oh, gosh, don't. You just. Don't. This is gonna be so weird to say, but just. And this is. It's. It's the absolute antithesis of, like, what you should do. But just, dash. Don't worry about it, man. Like, you can't. You can't really control it.
- [54:55]
Bobby Bones
I think a fear for me.
- [54:57]
Luke Combs
Yeah, it's just gonna be. It's gonna be chaos. It's gonna polar shift of your entire life.
- [55:03]
Bobby Bones
Everybody says that, but until you experience, I don't think you can understand. I don't understand that you're never ready.
- [55:09]
Luke Combs
You're not going to be ready. You'll be ready when it happens, because you'll just have been. I mean, like, this is a stark comparison, but, like, a soldier is never ready for war. And it's not the same thing, obviously, but, like, that's the only metaphor I can come up with. Like, you're never ready to do that until you're there and then you've done it. And then you're like, oh, I guess I can do this, because I kind of have to. And, like, when you have the kid, it's like, you gotta go. And there's no other choice. Like, the kid can't do anything for itself. Like your baby can't do anything for itself. I would say the. My biggest piece of advice is that, like, the baby. The, like, baby with an infant that comes out, it does not need you in any way. Your wife needs you a lot, though.
- [55:56]
Bobby Bones
Got it?
- [55:56]
Luke Combs
Your wife is gonna be so tired. It's gonna be so exhausting because she's going through the same thing you're going through, but in it, there's also a physical element for her. Like, her body is going to be completely different after this thing, and it's going to be like she's never experienced that before, and she's going to be dealing with all these new emotions, and you're going to be going through all these things. So helping her and, like, helping her through it and doing everything to make her life as comfortable and easy as it can be through that process, to me is the. The most benefit that you can be for the child. Because the child needs your wife. It does not need you. It needs you to help the wife so she can help the baby. You know, obviously you're gonna hold it and feed it and be around. Obvious. That's obvious. But, like, it really benefits from that relationship with her in those formative months. And she's gonna need a lot of support, man. She's gonna be really tired and stressed and not getting enough sleep, and you're not going to be getting good sleep. And you just got to be a team, dude. You just can't, like, you can't ever, like, like, lash out at each other because it's like, you're not. It's not. It's not you versus the baby or you versus your wife. Like, this is the new team. The new team has three players on it now. And it's like, how do we. How do we dish the ball, like, to the new teammate? Like, how do we. How do we get everybody involved? And that's your role. Like, you're basically point guard. Don't ever shoot. Just pass. You know what I mean?
- [57:27]
Bobby Bones
Like, just set everybody up.
- [57:28]
Luke Combs
Set everybody up for success, man. You know what I mean? Like, you're John Stockton out there, man. Like, no, you don't need.
- [57:34]
Bobby Bones
Well, I gotta be white. You gotta give me a white guy. Am I that white?
- [57:37]
Luke Combs
Where you can.
- [57:37]
Bobby Bones
You can't give me Chris Paul.
- [57:39]
Luke Combs
Yeah, okay. You're magic. Okay. You know what I mean?
- [57:42]
Bobby Bones
Fair enough.
- [57:43]
Luke Combs
Yeah, but, yeah, you just gotta. That's the thing is you gotta. You just gotta be there. Like, you're a support player. Basically, you're offensive lineman. You're not ever gonna score a touchdown. You're not ever gonna run the ball for 80 yards like you just got. You got to help the people that are doing that do it. You know what I mean? And the only other person doing it's your wife. So you just got a block for her, basically.
- [58:07]
Podcast Announcer
Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor, CBS Tonight is NCIS Night. New episodes of ncis, NCIS Origins and NCIS Sydney.
- [58:19]
Luke Combs
Possible abduction of a Marine, anybody's potential target.
- [58:24]
Bobby Bones
We're gonna do what we do and we're gonna figure out answers.
- [58:27]
Podcast Announcer
Whatever they're planning, it's going down here. NCIS Night is all new.
- [58:32]
Luke Combs
It's a night you've never seen.
- [58:36]
Podcast Announcer
CBS tonight starting 87 Central and streaming on Paramount. Plus support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, Crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory services by Public Advisors llc, SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this
- [59:42]
Jacob Goldstein
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- [60:27]
Cindy Crawford
Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well, I don't know about you, but like, I never liked being told, oh, wow, you look so good for your age. Like, why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age, every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty. Beautiful skin at every age. Learn more@meaningful beauty.com.
- [61:09]
Podcast Announcer
And we're back on the Bobby Cat
- [61:11]
Bobby Bones
cast, the new record that's coming out. How many songs do you record? How many end up making it?
- [61:16]
Luke Combs
I recorded 40 and 22 ended up making it.
- [61:20]
Bobby Bones
Where are the other 18?
- [61:22]
Luke Combs
Sitting around.
- [61:22]
Bobby Bones
Will they ever be heard?
- [61:24]
Luke Combs
Probably, yes, in some capacity. Not all of them, but I think some of them will certainly. And it could just. I mean, Sleepless in a Hotel Room is on the record. And it's a song I wrote years ago that I didn't think it was the right time to put out because it was too like thematically close to some other things I felt like we had already had. And so it was like, maybe it just needs room to breathe. And never in my mind was like, oh, I'll definitely come back to it. But I was like, I knew it was a good song. I knew I loved it. I had put out an acoustic version and people liked it. It wasn't like my most viral. It wasn't like a no brainer at the time I put it out. But things change over time, you know. And so I think these songs that didn't ultimately didn't make the record could be in the same place. You know, there's one song on the record that didn't make the Fathers and Sons record because I thought the production of it in the way that we had kind of. I had first heard it and then finished writing it was almost like too cool for the Fathers and Sons record, you know, it was too like the Fathers and Sons records, really. Acoustic driven. It's broken down, we cut it live. And I was like, well, this song is never going to. To work on this record. Even though it would. Thematically, it's like the perfect song for that record. But it needed the production that it had with it to get to where it needed to go. So it's like, well, you just wait on it and have it in the back of your mind. And when the record comes around, we'll record it and if it's great, we'll put it on there. And if it doesn't, then it's in the same place it is now. It doesn't mean that any song is dead. I mean, I've come back and cut stuff from years back. I mean, I've done that a bunch of times, you know, it's just got to be the right time and fit on the record in the right way to me.
- [63:09]
Bobby Bones
Did you ever go to a concert especially early on and it change you from watching a live? Like, yeah.
- [63:15]
Luke Combs
I mean, my first concert was Vince Gill, 9, like, 96. I was 6 years old. That was definitely like, whoa, this is really cool. He was my favorite artist, you know, and that. But the light bulb didn't go off there because you're six, you know, but you're like, wow, this is like, really cool, man. Like, this is. People are. Are here watching this. I come to see this guy. It's really neat. But the one for me was Asheville Civic Center. It was Death Cab for Cutie opening for Pearl Jam at Asheville Civic Center. And that was the first concert I went to as like a teenager. And I was like, liking my own music. Like, one. And this is a concert, like, I went with my mom. My mom liked Pearl Jam too, but it was like, that was the first one I went to. Were like, this is music like that I'm liking. And we go and see the show and you're just kind of like, whoa, this is like. This is wild. You know, like, it's just never seen anything like this, you know. And then Avett Brothers in Asheville was a big one. We saw them a couple times there. That one was huge. Those were huge shows for me because they were like. Like, at the time, like my favorite band when I was seeing them, because they were kind of from. They're from North Carolina. And I really gravitated to stuff from North Carolina. Eric Church, you know, I just gravitated towards that because it felt like it made it feel more like real almost. It was like, well, this guy. It's not some guy from Hollywood or whatever. In your mind, you think of a famous person. It's like, not even a real person kind of sometimes. And so it was like, man, these guys are. These guys are from where I came from. And they were like, having a lot of success now at the time I see Avett Brothers. I'm not even doing music yet, but it still felt like, man, it's cool. These guys are from here, like the real people, you know what I mean? And so that those were big, big shows for me.
- [65:04]
Bobby Bones
I have three final questions for you.
- [65:06]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [65:07]
Bobby Bones
When you moved to town, was there ever a moment of, wow, this is like the major leagues now. And I gotta recalibrate
- [65:15]
Luke Combs
a lot. A lot of times, like, and a lot of those nights were just like, like nights at Tin roof. Really, like 10 roof to membranes, like Tin Roof Revival or Whiskey Jam. You go in, you move to town, you're excited, everything's great. You know, I put some songs out in college, those did really well. You know, I'm kind of like the standout guy in North Carolina from like a talent perspective at that time. Like, there's not a ton of people doing it, but from a con, I'm not saying I was the best guy, but confidence wise, I felt that way, you know, I felt like I could hang with anybody at least. And you come to town, dude, and you hear, I mean like, I remember being in like Tin Roof. I'm in there like just trying to like hang, play a couple of my songs and the next rounds like Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton, Channing Wilson, and then the next one's like Lainey Wilson and like all these great artists and, and, and writers and stuff. And you're like, man, these people are like, everyone is really good, really good, you know, like, everyone's better than me. And that's awesome because like now I, now I'm like iron sharpens iron kind of situation for me at that point. Like, I really gotta step my game up if I want to like, survive in this ecosystem.
- [66:41]
Bobby Bones
Made you better?
- [66:42]
Luke Combs
Oh, certainly. And excited to learn. Like, not in a competitive way. Like, it's not like I'm like me versus, you know, Jonathan Singleton as a songwriter, like, that just doesn't work. Like, it doesn't make sense. It's more like, how do I get in rooms with these people and learn from them and write with them? And a lot of those people have become like guys that I lean on and like, truly can call friends. And like, we get to do it all together and have success all together. And that's really unique thing. It doesn't exist in a lot of places. You know, like, like sports aren't, you know, like, obviously you can be friends with a guy on another team, but not during the game, you know what I mean? Like, it's like you're competing against each other directly, you know. So I think, yeah, man, just being around people that are that good. And that's the bar, you know? Like, that's the point where I'm like, man, I just got to get up to the par with these people. Kind of like, damn, like, trying to be better than them. Like, that is probably not ever going to happen. But, like, how do I just get on the same playing field as these people? You know? I mean, it's like, Laney was always so great. She's been as good as she is now for, like, over 10 years at least, and didn't have success to win, like, four years ago, probably five years ago max. But she's been in town longer than me. And, like, when I met her, I was like, this girl is so good, man.
- [68:05]
Bobby Bones
Were you surprised she wasn't making it for a while?
- [68:08]
Luke Combs
Yeah, truly. Because I'm like, man, what's it take? Like, because I took my stuff took off before hers, and it was like, well, man, like, dude, she's really good. Like, not just singer, performer, but, like, writer, dude. Like, she is a good writer. Really good. Like, really, really good. I don't know if she gets as much credit for that as she deserves to get, but she was one of those people where I'm like, when I heard her stuff, I'm like, man, this is like. Like, if this doesn't get discovered, like, then I got no hope for anybody. If this doesn't work.
- [68:38]
Bobby Bones
There's a fun picture, I think maybe she posted or you posted of you guys together, like, writing. I don't know. It probably. It's over a decade ago.
- [68:43]
Luke Combs
I think we were at, like. I think we were eating burritos, I think, and we had been writing. It's me and her and James McNair, I think, writing together that day and went and had lunch and. But we wrote together a lot, man. I mean, not like all the time. We didn't write together every week, but we wrote together decently, consistently. And never. Whenever I wrote a song that we wrote, I recorded a song that we wrote. Like, when I was still in college, like, I came to Nashville and she was one of the first people I met, and she didn't have it really anything going on. And I didn't have anything going on. So I was like, hey, let's write a song. And we wrote a song called Cheer if you want to. And it's like, still this song that, like, my die hard fans, like, request to hear. And we wrote it together. And I released that when I was still living in Boone because I was making. I would make trips occasionally to Nashville to Try to like kind of meet some people and see if I was, you know, anybody would be interested in writing with me. Am I gonna move here? I don't really know. And she was one of the people I met on those trips and we wrote that some little office like she was living in that camper out like West Nashville somewhere, like behind a preschool or something. It was like, it was wildest spot.
- [69:52]
Bobby Bones
Do you look back at those times and really enjoy it? Looking back at it, it was a really great time.
- [69:56]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [69:57]
Bobby Bones
No idea how great it was.
- [69:58]
Luke Combs
Yeah, you just can't appreciate the greatness in the moment of like how fun it is. You know what I mean? And like you don't realize you would like long for those times back. Kind of like the innocence and like the, the honesty of that time and like your pursuit of your goals were like. There was no monetary goals. Like it was just love of the game, dude. You know what I mean? It was like, it was like, I'm sure there's guys that play in the NBA that would love to go play a pickup trucker park and just play ball. Nobody knows them.
- [70:28]
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
- [70:28]
Luke Combs
And just play. You know what I mean? Like, and once they're gone, you can't ever get them back those days either. So, you know. Yeah, it's. Those were really fun times.
- [70:38]
Podcast Announcer
Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor, cbs. Tonight is NCIS Night. New episodes of ncis, NCIS Origins and NCIS Sydney possible if you production of the Marines.
- [70:52]
Luke Combs
We need to move anybody's potential target.
- [70:55]
Bobby Bones
We're gonna do what we do and we're gonna figure out answers.
- [70:58]
Podcast Announcer
Whatever they're planning, it's going down here. Ncis, NCIS Night is all new.
- [71:03]
Luke Combs
It's a night you've never seen.
- [71:07]
Podcast Announcer
CBS tonight starting 87 Central and streaming on Paramount. Plus support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public. You can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this
- [72:13]
Jacob Goldstein
is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? Business software is expensive, and when you buy software from lots of different companies, it's not only expensive, it gets confusing. Slow to use, hard to integrate. Odoo solves that because all Odoo software is connected on a single affordable platform. Save money without missing out on the features you need. Odoo has no hidden costs and no limit on features or data. Odoo has over 60 apps available for any needs your business might have have, all at no additional charge. Everything from websites to sales to inventory to accounting, all linked and talking to each other. Check out odoo@o d o o.com that's o d o o.com hi, I'm Cindy
- [72:58]
Cindy Crawford
Crawford and I'm the founder of meaningful beauty. When Dr. Sabah and I decided to do a skincare line together, he said to me, we are going to give women meaningful beauty. And I said, that's exactly right. We want to give women meaningful beauty. Which means each and every product is meaningful. It has a reason to exist. It's efficacious. You're going to get results, and then you just go out and live your life. Meaningful beauty Confidence is beautiful. Learn more@meaningfulbeauty.com.
- [73:38]
Podcast Announcer
And we're back on the Bobby cast.
- [73:41]
Bobby Bones
You ever go anywhere and they don't know you're a singer? They don't really listen to country music. And they're like, hey, so what do you do? And you're like, I'm a singer. They really have no clue.
- [73:48]
Luke Combs
Yeah, yeah. Oh, definitely. You know, and like, you kind of like people always when you say you like, oh, I'm play music or I'm in the music business or whatever. Like, people just like, they can't help but, like, pry. Like, then they get really curious, you know? And a lot of times I don't tell them I'm not like, yeah, I'm Luke Combs. I'm this guy or whatever, like certified diamond.
- [74:09]
Bobby Bones
You don't throw that at him.
- [74:10]
Luke Combs
No, don't ever hit them with it. But then they ultimately, like, because If I'm in that situation, we're probably like, in a suite at a basketball game or something. Like, someone's invited us to something and word hasn't got out like, that I'm going to be there to the people that we're with, besides maybe the people that invited us, and they're like, well, we're not going to tell anybody. And just. It'll be chill. And ultimately, like, they find out while I'm in there, but, like, from someone else, like, they've already talked to me about. They're like, hey, man, what are you doing? They just have no idea. And, like, a lot of people will, like, apologize about it afterwards. And I'm like, you don't have to, like, I don't expect you to, like, know who I am. That's not something that I have in my head. Like, there's a lot of people that I don't know who they are and that are probably a lot more famous than me. So it's like, so whatever, you know, it's not a big. It's not like a. I'm not like I feel disrespected by that or anything. It's just. Just can't expect everybody to know who you are, you know, it's just if they do, great. If they don't, that's great, you know?
- [75:13]
Bobby Bones
You ever get, like, a really cool
- [75:14]
Luke Combs
DM from somebody trying to think some of the, like, John Mayer was one was like, the coolest one I feel like I got.
- [75:23]
Bobby Bones
Is that just an appreciation dm, like, love what you're doing?
- [75:25]
Luke Combs
Actually, it was like I was wearing, like, a really cool watch in a picture. He's like a super watch guy. Yeah. And he sent me. He just sent me a dm and it was like. It was the name of the watch I was wearing in the picture. And that was what he said and
- [75:40]
Bobby Bones
was like, there's a recognition dm. Like, basically he was like, yep, see it.
- [75:44]
Luke Combs
I see it.
- [75:44]
Bobby Bones
Respect it.
- [75:45]
Luke Combs
Yeah. He's like, that's a cool, cool watch. And I was like. And then we kind of have had a dialogue ever since after that, and there's been a few over the years. But, like, it's hard. I'd have to almost go through and look. But there's been a bunch come in over the years, you know, where I'm like, man, that's cool. I never thought that person would be. Think I was cool. And I mean, I'm not cool, but they think I'm cool, but, you know. Yeah, it's neat. It's neat to get to meet some of those people. And you know, I mean, they say the don't meet your heroes thing and that can be true to some extent. It's not always true. Obviously, everybody's. You've had those experiences. I'm sure anybody who ends up doing something like we do, you, you ultimately have those experiences and you just kind of.
- [76:27]
Bobby Bones
Good and bad. Yeah, yeah.
- [76:29]
Luke Combs
So, like sometimes you meet them, you're like, they're even cooler than I would have ever imagined. Like, they're the coolest guy ever. Like, guy would have been friends with in high school if we went to high school together, you know?
- [76:38]
Bobby Bones
Who's that name? A really cool one.
- [76:40]
Luke Combs
Oh, gosh. I always come back to Jordan Davis. I love Jordan Davis. He's such a cool dude. We get along really well. The guys from Good Charlotte, Benji and Joel Madden, like, like, like those guys are some of the nicest guys on the face of the earth, man. Like, like. And it's like, I don't know that there's many people that I expected to meet that I thought would be cool that turned out to be cool. It's more people that maybe I never thought I would meet where I'm like, I never thought I would meet this guy. And he's like mega chill, you know, like super cool.
- [77:18]
Bobby Bones
Cat is like the coolest, most normal dude.
- [77:22]
Luke Combs
It's 100.
- [77:23]
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
- [77:23]
Luke Combs
Yeah. And like just, just wants to be a dad and like, is like really aware of the situation that he's in, but he just doesn't let it affect him. Like, he lives the life he wants to live with, no apologies. But he also doesn't have to apologize because he's just a super nice guy. Like, he's really kind everyone. Like, he's always doing stuff for his fans. So. Yeah, I really admire people like that. You know, I try to, I try to emulate that and, and be like that. Whether it works or not. I don't know. I hope that it does.
- [77:54]
Bobby Bones
But you have the reputation that it does.
- [77:56]
Luke Combs
I hope so. You know, I like, you never really know, I guess, what people think about you. But you know, I always heard this too. Like, if you're worried about being, if you're worried about being a bad parent, it means you're a good parent because you care. Yeah. Like, if you're like, I think I'm a bad dad, dude, and then like that means you're a good dad because bad dads aren't sitting around thinking about how bad of a dad they are.
- [78:19]
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
- [78:20]
Luke Combs
For the most part, until maybe later in their life or something, you know. But, like, at the time, they're like, oh, I'm kid's fine, or whatever. I'm a good dad, you know.
- [78:28]
Bobby Bones
Final thing, I was looking at your tour, and I was looking at the sport acts you have, and it's everybody from Thomas Rhett to. And where I. My eyes popped out. I love the script. Yeah, I know they're doing some of the European.
- [78:41]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [78:41]
Bobby Bones
How did those guys end up with you?
- [78:43]
Luke Combs
Yeah, it was like we, you know, when we talked about, like, Europe is not, you know, it's not. Not obviously the same as the States. That's blatantly obvious. And so when we go over there, like, normally when I do, you know, when you do shows in the States and you're thinking about it from, well, who will my fans in the States want to see? Like, who. Who are my fans here? And what do they like and what are the things that they like? Like, there's not much correlation between my fan base and the Scripps fan base here, but in Europe, the crossover is huge. You know what I mean? Like, people that love them also love me there for whatever reason, because, you know, they don't have, like, they don't have terrestrial, like, country radio there. Like, so it's all just fans that have found your music and fallen in love with your whole catalog. And so when we were putting together the European tour, I'm like, well, let's get some acts that are like, like, you know, country adjacent. Like, or maybe that touch on one side. Like, they don't have to fully overlap, but, like, there's similarities to some extent. And they were one of the bands that I think, you know, obviously, is really great and that we landed on. We're like, well, this would be cool if they would do it, you know, And I'm thankful that they. That they want to do it, you know. And Teskey Brothers, they're from Australia, but, yeah, they're so good. Dude. I heard somebody. They scoff at that one. They're awesome, dude. Yeah, yeah. Scoff's the wrong word. That has a negative connotation.
- [80:12]
Bobby Bones
Gas. So it's gas and positive disbelief.
- [80:15]
Luke Combs
Yeah, like, oh, my gosh. Yeah, like, there's. Those guys are so good, you know, and. And TR's coming over there, doing the Wembley stuff with me. And so there is like. I don't know. It's like the fan base there is very similar. Like, they like a lot of the same stuff that my fans here like, but I Feel like the fans there, they like more stuff. They like more music. Almost like some of the fans here can be a little bit like. Well, they mostly just like country stuff, but over there, it's kind of like, if they like country stuff, they also like a lot of other stuff, too. And it's not that you can group any individual into one category, but from a sociological standpoint, for the most part, you know, you have to kind of funnel it into that thing. So Europe just allows you a little more freedom with your support acts without people being like, well, maybe I won't go to that show, because who's that? You know what I mean? Like, they're just maybe more. A little bit more open to. To other acts.
- [81:12]
Bobby Bones
You know, the way I am out March 20th. And then the. And you're doing shows other than just Saturday nights on the. My kind of Saturday night, yes. Was it all just Saturday nights at first, and then you had to double up? Because
- [81:26]
Luke Combs
we always like to start with just the one, you know, and these are, you know, they're 360 shows. So the stage is in the middle, except for maybe, like, Lambeau. There's one or two that we can't do 360 in because the stadium doesn't want us to do it or whatever. And so, yeah, like, the bigs, like, if we're doing one night, you know, in Knoxville, I mean, that's bigger than two nights in the stadium on my last tour.
- [81:52]
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
- [81:53]
Luke Combs
You know, so it's like you almost don't have to do the two nights nights, and you get the same amount of folks, maybe even more in certain places. So, yeah, it starts as one. And then if we feel like there's an opportunity to go to go for another one, we would go for it.
- [82:06]
Bobby Bones
That's awesome. Hey, appreciate the time. Dirks is also doing the shows with you.
- [82:09]
Luke Combs
Yeah.
- [82:10]
Bobby Bones
That's pretty. That's pretty gigantic. He is the best. Speaking of great guys. Speaking of great, he's on the Mount Rushmore. A great guy.
- [82:16]
Luke Combs
Great dude.
- [82:16]
Bobby Bones
Yeah, that's awesome.
- [82:18]
Luke Combs
And TR, too, man. We mentioned him, though.
- [82:20]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. Oh, let's do that. Mount Rushmore. Great dudes.
- [82:23]
Luke Combs
Great guys. And I'm gonna keep country music.
- [82:25]
Bobby Bones
I'm gonna keep women out for me.
- [82:27]
Cindy Crawford
Okay.
- [82:28]
Bobby Bones
I think we should, as a rule, because I don't want any headlines to
- [82:31]
Luke Combs
be like, right, there's only guys in it.
- [82:33]
Bobby Bones
Yeah, we're only putting dudes in it.
- [82:35]
Luke Combs
Okay. Mount Rushmore Great dudes. We could do Mount Rushmore Great gals, too.
- [82:39]
Bobby Bones
That. Okay. I don't want to steal. Okay, so you want to do dudes first.
- [82:44]
Luke Combs
Yeah. Do we pick two each? Okay, we can do that Collaborative. Mount Rushmore.
- [82:49]
Bobby Bones
But then we're going to.
- [82:50]
Luke Combs
You're going to.
- [82:50]
Bobby Bones
You're going to have to pick Durocks and tr. Because they're on your tour.
- [82:54]
Luke Combs
Okay.
- [82:54]
Bobby Bones
Are they grandfathered in, since we already mentioned them?
- [82:57]
Luke Combs
Oh, so a new one.
- [82:58]
Bobby Bones
So it has to be. Yeah.
- [82:59]
Luke Combs
Oh, so those guys are.
- [83:01]
Bobby Bones
They're. They're in the hall of Fame.
- [83:02]
Luke Combs
They're the Ring of Honor.
- [83:03]
Bobby Bones
They're Ring of Honor.
- [83:04]
Luke Combs
Their jerseys retired. The good guy.
- [83:07]
Jacob Goldstein
Yes.
- [83:07]
Bobby Bones
§ Mount Rushmore. Great
- [83:09]
Luke Combs
dudes. Okay, I'll go first. I'm. I already said Jordan Davis. Jordan
- [83:13]
Bobby Bones
Davis. Okay. Keith
- [83:15]
Luke Combs
Urban. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Solid cat. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm gonna go. Vinnie Gill. Vince Gill. Solid
- [83:24]
Bobby Bones
guy. That's a really good
- [83:26]
Luke Combs
one. That's a solid
- [83:27]
Bobby Bones
guy. The
- [83:28]
Luke Combs
kindest.
- [83:28]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. Oh, you put me on the last one, though. Like, there's a lot
- [83:32]
Luke Combs
of. There's a lot of pressure because you feel like maybe I'm leaving somewhere
- [83:35]
Bobby Bones
off. Yeah, yeah,
- [83:36]
Luke Combs
yeah. You know. Oh, gosh. Let's think. It's tough,
- [83:41]
Bobby Bones
man. Yeah. I have, like, four, because there are people that I
- [83:45]
Luke Combs
really.
- [83:47]
Bobby Bones
Also. It's like, I love
- [83:48]
Luke Combs
Luke.
- [83:49]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. Not you. Yes. I love you, but you're not. You can't be on the list. Like, Luke Bryan and I spent a lot of time together in American Idol, and he's
- [83:56]
Luke Combs
great. He's great.
- [83:57]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. I think I'm just gonna go with Luke
- [83:59]
Luke Combs
Bryan. He's. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that answer, man. He's a great
- [84:03]
Bobby Bones
dude. Great guy. Are we doing junior
- [84:05]
Luke Combs
varsity? And it's also. It's also like. It's. The list is a little skewed because there's probably a lot of artists you spent time around a lot more people than I have.
- [84:13]
Bobby Bones
Really. Like, I almost put Clint Black on
- [84:15]
Luke Combs
there. There. Ooh,
- [84:16]
Bobby Bones
great. Because he's so
- [84:18]
Luke Combs
funny. He's really
- [84:19]
Bobby Bones
funny. I just have,
- [84:20]
Luke Combs
like.
- [84:21]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. With. With Urban and Luke Bryan. I've spent literal days at a time with them, so I. They get that benefit. All right, let's do the Mount Rushmore of women. Awesome
- [84:30]
Luke Combs
Women.
- [84:30]
Bobby Bones
Laney. Okay. Oh, this is going to be cheating. But she's the best
- [84:36]
Luke Combs
Dolly. That.
- [84:37]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. Is she in the hall of Fame,
- [84:39]
Luke Combs
though? She's in.
- [84:40]
Bobby Bones
Yeah. She's
- [84:40]
Luke Combs
like. The Ring of Honor is, like, named after
- [84:42]
Bobby Bones
her.
- [84:43]
Luke Combs
Yeah. Of
- [84:45]
Bobby Bones
honor. Dolly and Reba should be in the hall of
- [84:47]
Luke Combs
Fame. Oh, Reba, too. She's so
- [84:49]
Bobby Bones
good. They're in the hall of Fame. They're hall of Fame. Love them both.
- [84:51]
Luke Combs
Okay. Dolly and Reba. Ring of
- [84:52]
Bobby Bones
honor. We named it after
- [84:53]
Luke Combs
them. It's named after them. And then everyone else hangs in that
- [84:57]
Bobby Bones
raft. Fair enough. I'm going to go. And I don't think this is cheating because they're the same band, but I'm going to go. Little Big Town. Kimberly and Karen. They're. They're
- [85:05]
Luke Combs
together. They're both
- [85:06]
Bobby Bones
great. They're together in one
- [85:07]
Luke Combs
head. Yeah. Ashley McBride.
- [85:09]
Bobby Bones
Dang. That's a good
- [85:10]
Luke Combs
one. Gosh. He's great,
- [85:11]
Bobby Bones
dude. That's a good
- [85:12]
Luke Combs
one. So
- [85:12]
Bobby Bones
great. I always have to go fourth. All right. And the final
- [85:15]
Luke Combs
person. There's a
- [85:20]
Podcast Announcer
lot. I think
- [85:21]
Bobby Bones
it's. There's a lot. I know you don't want
- [85:22]
Jacob Goldstein
to.
- [85:23]
Luke Combs
Like. This is not the list of, like, the
- [85:25]
Bobby Bones
only. Yeah. Yeah. There's just so many.
- [85:28]
Luke Combs
Great. There's so many. Yeah. There's so many. It's hard to, like, narrow it down. This is. Yeah. See, this is tough for you because now you may get
- [85:38]
Bobby Bones
some. You know who I think is so funny? Cuz funny's big to
- [85:43]
Luke Combs
me. Cuz it's funny nice, though. Can you be funny and not be nice? You
- [85:48]
Bobby Bones
can. I'm not. If you're not nice, though and you're funny, that's never gonna get to
- [85:51]
Luke Combs
me. That's
- [85:52]
Bobby Bones
true. And to be fun, like, you
- [85:54]
Luke Combs
almost have to kind of be nice to be funny. Have to be smart, at least in a conversational
- [85:59]
Bobby Bones
way. Mike. Who am I forgetting? Cuz I have somebody I'm gonna say. But who would. Because I. You know, it's really funny. Who I really like being around is Megan
- [86:08]
Luke Combs
Maroney. I don't know her that
- [86:10]
Bobby Bones
well. She's so freaking
- [86:12]
Luke Combs
funny. We're on the same. Like, we might actually be both at the same imprint of Sony. Maybe not. I'm on Columbia. I don't know where she's
- [86:20]
Bobby Bones
at.
- [86:21]
Luke Combs
Yeah. But just like, never cross paths or these things where, like, you barely. She's Shifts in the night, like, kind of LOL
- [86:28]
Bobby Bones
funny. She's
- [86:28]
Luke Combs
lol.
- [86:29]
Bobby Bones
Really?
- [86:29]
Luke Combs
Yep.
- [86:29]
Bobby Bones
Okay. And you do not expect
- [86:31]
Luke Combs
it.
- [86:31]
Bobby Bones
Okay. So I'm gonna put
- [86:32]
Luke Combs
her. I like funny people a
- [86:33]
Bobby Bones
lot. I'm gonna put her there at
- [86:34]
Luke Combs
4. I like funny people a
- [86:35]
Bobby Bones
lot. What a. What an exercise we just
- [86:38]
Luke Combs
did. Yes. And
- [86:38]
Bobby Bones
tough. And how many people did we offend? That's the other thing. Oh, yeah. It's like when you do a
- [86:42]
Luke Combs
speech and you didn't thank
- [86:43]
Bobby Bones
everybody. Thanks,
- [86:46]
Luke Combs
buddy. I really appreciate you coming thank you man. That's
- [86:48]
Bobby Bones
awesome. Best of luck on the record in the tour. You don't need your luck. You put the work in. So I really appreciate the time. There he is, the great Luke
- [86:55]
Luke Combs
Combs. Thank you guys man. Appreciate
- [86:57]
Podcast Announcer
it. Thanks for listening to a Bobby Cast production. CBS Tonight is NCIS Night. New episodes of ncis, NCIS Origins and NCIS
- [87:11]
Luke Combs
Sydney. Possible abduction of the Marines. We need to move anybody's potential
- [87:17]
Bobby Bones
target. We're going to do what we do and we're going to figure out
- [87:19]
Podcast Announcer
answers. Whatever they're planning, it's going down here. NCAA NCIS Night is all
- [87:25]
Luke Combs
new. It's a night you've never
- [87:27]
Podcast Announcer
seen. CBS tonight starting 8, 7 Central and streaming on Paramount. Plus, are you a fraud paying American? One in four tax paying Americans has been a victim of identity fraud. With Lifelock, if your identity is stolen, they fix it guaranteed or your money back. Last year billions in refunds were stolen. Could be from your salary, salary, overtime or second job gone. But this year you don't need to stay a victim because this tax season fraud paying American is something no American should have to claim. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com iheart Terms
- [88:05]
Jacob Goldstein
apply. This is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves the problem this It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out Odoo at o d o o.com that's o d o o.com
- [88:38]
Cindy Crawford
at CVS, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night. And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit us@cvs.com or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed