You may remember him from Season 12 of ABC’s hit television series “The Bachelorette,” but Luke Pell is now back on tour focusing on his country music. The Texan and Army veteran, who released his hit single “Pretty Close, which garnered over 200,000 streams on Spotify, now lives in Nashville.
We caught up yesterday with Pell, who was at Boston’s Lenox Hotel to talk about his country music career, being on The Bachelorette and if he has found love.
How did you go from America’s favorite bachelor to country music star?
A lot of people think I went from one to another, but I have been a country artist for a while. After “The Bachelorette,” I went back to Nashville and started back where I left off. This year, we are going to be performing more than 100 shows. It has been a lot of fun.
How has being on “The Bachelorette” affected your musical career?
I think it’s like a double edge sword. There is good and bad associated with it. After the show, I was quickly able to build and reach new fans from Orlando to Sacramento, from coast to coast, where I had a fan base from the show and some from my music career. I had a great time connecting those two worlds together. It was a good experience and I would do it again. I think something positive comes out of every experience and I am happy I was able to go through that experience and travel to new places.
Tell us about “The Bachelor Winter Games,” which debuted last night on ABC.
That experience was so different than any show they have done in the past. They brought in people from 12 different countries for a winter sports competition, which was extremely new on all fronts. It was filmed in December at a resort in Vermont. I was immediately on board when the opportunity was presented to me.
Being from Texas, have you always had a love of country music?
Country music has always had a lot of nostalgic value and been a part of my life. I grew up in a small town in Texas, so it is kind of my roots. I always wanted to chase that dream. It was something I was always passionate about. I had tried the 9 to 5 job and quickly realized I didn’t want a job that I had to wear a suit and tie to every day.
Do you think your experience in the military prepared you for the structure of a country music career?
The nine years I spent in the military certainly laid the foundation for who I would become from a business and relationship standpoint. There are so many different aspects of the military that has been the underlying foundation for everything I have done in my life. In the military, I got a new perspective on life and the world. I have learned to appreciate everything in life and make the best out of every situation and for that I am thankful.
Who are some of your favorite musicians?
Garth Brooks for me was the guy who made me want to get into country music. There were so many artists along the way who I looked up to for years. I always liked the trendsetters or the ones who looked out of the box. When you look at the last 100 years in music, whether it’s the Beatles, Michael Jackson or Garth Brooks making a show, it was more of an entertainment show. They were all doing something new, being creative and changing the landscape of the industry they were in, always looking for an opportunity to be unique.
Photo Credit: Luke Pell/Ring PR
What’s up next for you?
We go back out on tour February 23 and are scheduled to play 100 shows coast to coast. We have been off for a month so I am really looking forward to getting back out there.
For all the single ladies out there who want to know, have you found love?
I have found love, but it might not be the love that has lasted forever.
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