Luke Grimes knows what people think about Yellowstone. Some viewers see ranchers and cowboy hats and think the neo-Western has certain political leanings. In some ways, it does buy into an image of hardworking rural men that is essentially tired and overdone. This idea of machismo and violence being the only way to settle scores—though it does make for riveting television. Yellowstone may have its flaws. Yet, Grimes wants people to know that it doesn’t have to be overtly political one way or another.
Videos by American Songwriter
Speaking recently with The Independent, Grimes addressed the critics who describe the show as a “conservative fantasy.” He shared his thoughts about how characters are portrayed in other shows.
“I think a lot of people see a cowboy hat and a horse and they think, ‘Oh, that’s not for me, those people believe differently,'” he began. “And it’s almost like they take these flawed characters in the show and chalk it up to some sort of weird belief that they’ve put on them.”
Essentially, Grimes claims that the characters on Yellowstone may be flawed on purpose, but some critics aren’t picking up on that fact. He then called attention to a character on Succession who is also flawed on purpose, calling out the double standard.
“Meanwhile, you can have a terrible person like [Succession’s] Logan Roy, who lives in an apartment in Manhattan, and that’s fine. That guy’s a total piece of s–t. But that’s okay,” said Grimes. He added, “I just don’t understand why that has to immediately equal some political belief. And I don’t think it does.”
Luke Grimes on How He Approached Making Country Music
Luke Grimes also talked about his country music and how he doesn’t feel the need to get political. He recently released his debut full-length self-titled album and is performing at Stagecoach this weekend (April 26). His music is mostly personal, with songs like “Oh, Ohio” exploring his relationship with his hometown of Dayton.
“It doesn’t concern me personally because I don’t feel the need to get super political with my own music,” said Grimes. “If listening to music was like looking at the news, then I would never f—ing do it.”
Featured Image by Emerson Miller for Paramount Network
