Luke Combs: nearly destitute, this one early career move changed his entire life | Music City Minute

Have you heard the story about the starving artist on the verge of desperation and down to their last few bucks who then catch their big break? It is a tale as old as time and a key component of many artists’ origin story. Luke Combs recently opened up about this very specific era in his career. The North Carolina native described arriving in Nashville with stars in his eyes and eager to record songs for a demo tape. Unfortunately, professional studio time is very expensive, especially for a struggling artist. With only $200 left to his name, Combs was at a crossroads. In order to release any of the songs for public consumption, they would need to be professionally mastered (essentially the last step in audio production when a full final song is polished) before distribution could begin. Not only that, the mastering process was going to cost him $200 per song! Armed with the confidence of a 25-year-old, Combs put all his chips on the line to master one song: “Hurricane.” Thankfully, it was a gamble that paid off and ultimately launched him into superstardom.

I’m Sheena, and that’s your Music City Minute.