Luke Combs knows exactly who his biggest musical influence is: Miranda Lambert. The “Where the Wild Things Are” singer praises Lambert for her impact on him, and country music as a genre.
“I think it’s hard to say that Miranda Lambert hasn’t influenced my music a ton,” Combs tells his record label. “Right around the time that I started playing guitar, she was coming into prominence in this genre, and was putting out really great, really impactful songs she was writing.”
Combs is also inspired by other artists like Lambert, who — like himself — write a lot of their own music.
“Anybody that writes their own stuff and sings great and performs great is someone that truly inspiring to me,” he adds.
Combs and Lambert sang together on “Outrunnin’ Your Memory,” from Combs’ 2022 Growin’ Up album. The pair wrote the song together, along with Dan Isbell, but it wasn’t until Combs was in the studio that he realized he wanted Lambert to join him on the song.
“When I went to record it, I was just like, ‘Hey, I think it would be awesome if you would sing on this thing if that’s something that you’re interested in,’” Combs told Taste of Country Nights. “So, she came and gave it a run and it sounded great. I was really thankful that happened because I think it turned out awesome.”
Arguably one of the biggest artists in country music right now, the father of two still didn’t assume Lambert would want to sing on “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” with him.
“I don’t want anybody to feel pressured when I ask them [to duet],” Combs said. “I don’t want them to feel like, ‘Oh man, I feel like I’ve got to this because they asked,’ kind of thing. When we wrote that day, it wasn’t like, ‘Hey, let’s write a duet’ or ‘Let’s write a song for your album, or your album.’ It was just like, ‘Let’s write a good song.’”
Combs’ Growin’ Up And Gettin’ Old Tour kicks off on March 12. He is also putting the finishing touches on his Category 10 bar and music venue, in the downtown Nashville space where the Wildhorse Saloon was located.
Excited to announce my new honky-tonk will be called Category 10 and open this year!
Follow the venue’s official page (@OfficialCat10) to get the most up-to-date news first. pic.twitter.com/37H6RkhdlC
— Luke Combs 🎤 (@lukecombs) January 30, 2024
“As you know, we’ve been teasing a bar of mine in downtown Nashville,” Combs said, in a video shared on social media. “I’m excited to officially announce the name of that bar. It’s going to be called Category 10. I’m so excited about that. Obviously, as you guys know, the strongest a hurricane can be is Category 5, so we figured we’d double it, and make it Category 10.
“It’s going to be an awesome honky-tonk in downtown Nashville,” he continued. “Food, spirits, you name it. Whatever you want, we’re gonna have it. It’s gonna be so much fun. I can’t wait for this thing to open. I can’t wait to see you guys there.”
Updates on the new space can be found at Category10.com. Find all of Combs’ music and tour dates at LukeCombs.com.