Luke Combs has skyrocketed up the charts with his latest single, a cover of the 1988 Tracy Chapman classic, “Fast Car.” Now a major crossover success, the 33-year-old has high hopes he’ll be able to play the song alongside Chapman one day.
LISTEN NOW: Luke Combs joins Audacy’s Mike Adam for a Check In
“Wherever she would want to do it, I would do it under a bridge if she wanted me to,” Luke said when asked what his dream stage to perform alongside Chapman would be. “I think it would be so cool to do it anywhere. It’s not necessarily about ‘how big of a look can it be?’ Obviously, I’d love to perform it on the halftime at the Super Bowl or on the moon or something, but really just being able to sit down and talk to her for a little bit and hear some of her stories and play some music with her I think would be super cool.”
Combs has introduced the song to an entirely new audience as he gave it his own flair, while keeping the same nostalgic undertones brought to it by Chapman. The cover has helped make history in more ways than one as it earned Chapman a #1 in the Country genre, making her one part of a small group of Black women with writing credits on a #1 Country single. “It’s a pretty crazy stat,” Combs said, admitting he “would’ve got that quiz question wrong.”
“I’m pumped to see Tracy up there, she’s one of the first artists that I remember being a huge fan of when I was a kid and she’s an incredible songwriter and she deserves it. She deserves all the accolades, it’s her song and I’m jut glad that people have loved this cover of it.”
On top of ruling the charts, the song is also one of the most anticipated in Luke’s setlist on his current World Tour, but that’s been the case for a while. Luke added the cover to his set on earlier tours in his career and after stopping many in their tracks throughout various live shows with his soulful rendition, Luke answered fans’ demand for a recorded version on his new album, Gettin’ Old.
Having such a big, cross-genre hit has made Combs’ current tour one of the most popular of the summer. Recently wrapping its U.S. leg, the trek will now head overseas beginning August 9, which Combs admits comes with a little anxiety as he and wife Nicole are expecting baby #2 in September.
“It’s actually kind of getting down to the wire here because I’m going to tour in Australia here in about out a week,” Luke said, admitting he and Nicole still have not picked out a name for their son. “Going to be cutting it close with the due date on getting home, so we have to pick out a name in the next couple of days, in case the baby were to come while I’m gone.”
As far as name ideas go, Luke says they’re “leaning more towards a family name, but open to anything.”
Another thing Luke is open to? Baby #3, but only after settling in with the first two and making sure he still has time for his favorite hobbies. “We’ll see, I think we’re gonna try to figure out how two is,” he responded when asked if he would want to “try for a girl.”
“Maybe if we get in a good enough rhythm… we’ll consider it, but I’d sure love to have some time to go huntin’ or golfin’ too, so…who knows?”
Getting back to the music, Luke spoke on some of the cross-genre success he’s had and weighed in on whether or not he believes some of today’s hottest Pop artists could see similar success in Country music. Kelly Clarkson, Ed Sheeran and Post Malone have all expressed interest in releasing their own Country albums, and according to Combs, they’d all be “welcomed with open arms.”
“Obviously Kelly’s already had some success in our genre on her own anyways,” he commented. “She’s an incredible singer, but I think if we’re writing our own music, I think I’m going with Ed.”
He continued, “I know him pretty well and I think if he was born in Mississippi, I think he would be a Country artist anyways,” he laughed before crediting some of Post Malone’s Country covers.
“I’ve heard some of his covers are just really great and I know he’s a Country fan. I think anybody would be welcomed with open arms here in Nashville. I think everybody in town would be lining up to be a part of that in some way, shape or form.”
To hear Luke’s entire interview from his Audacy Check In with Mike Adam, press play above and be sure to listen for his cover of “Fast Car,” on Audacy stations nationwide.
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