The Sit Down with Liam Price
Many fans at The Long Road Festival will recognise Liam Price as the man behind Luke Combs UK, one of the leading tribute acts for the stadium headlining artist, however at last years festival he stepped onto the stage not as Luke Combs but as himself in the Homegrown Talent Contest. After winning the 2025 contest, Liam returned to Stanford Hall this year to perform on the main stage on Sunday afternoon.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
It's probably a little less stressful for you this year, I guess.
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a lot less pressure, but there's never no pressure. You've always got to turn up and make sure the crowd enjoys it. You know, I had pressure just because the sound engineer wasn't there when we were going on stage, so I was like, "Right, now I'm feeling pressure." But no, it's great to be here. I love the feel of the festival and everyone's lovely, so it feels great.
Does it feel like a year ago, though, since you competed in and won the Homegrown Talent Contest?
Well, having a daughter now who just turned one on Thursday, that's made it feel like a year.
It's been a very long year, then!
Oh, yeah, I'm running around after her, but time flies, doesn't it? It's an age-old saying, but it's gone crazy. Great to be back, though. The festival feels great—so awesome—and a little rain won't put us off.
You can't buy tickets to a British festival and complain about the weather.
It's just part of it! This is fine, though. I know you guys can't see, but the ground's holding up pretty well.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
It's probably a little less stressful for you this year, I guess.
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a lot less pressure, but there's never no pressure. You've always got to turn up and make sure the crowd enjoys it. You know, I had pressure just because the sound engineer wasn't there when we were going on stage, so I was like, "Right, now I'm feeling pressure." But no, it's great to be here. I love the feel of the festival and everyone's lovely, so it feels great.
Does it feel like a year ago, though, since you competed in and won the Homegrown Talent Contest?
Well, having a daughter now who just turned one on Thursday, that's made it feel like a year.
It's been a very long year, then!
Oh, yeah, I'm running around after her, but time flies, doesn't it? It's an age-old saying, but it's gone crazy. Great to be back, though. The festival feels great—so awesome—and a little rain won't put us off.
You can't buy tickets to a British festival and complain about the weather.
It's just part of it! This is fine, though. I know you guys can't see, but the ground's holding up pretty well.
Tomorrow you're going to be opening the main stage as part of last year's competition prize.
Yeah, yeah.
Does it feel real yet, or will it be tomorrow when you're standing on the stage?
I was talking to my guitarist on the way here. We're very lucky with the tribute band that we've played with over the years; we've played some huge stages. When I turned up today and saw it there, I was like, "OK, it's going to be me—not Luke Combs and not a tribute act." Turning up to The Long Road, seeing the sign again... it’s great to be here, and it feels very real now.
How does that kind of transition feel, using the Liam Price name and moving away from the Luke Combs tribute act?
It's hard. It's very hard. I was in Nashville and a guy came up to me—he was one of the directors at the Grand Ole Opry—and he recognised me as "the Luke Combs guy." I was like, "Yeah, but I'm here playing my own material!" Of course, it's on your back and it's a hard one to shake, but it also helps me a lot. We've got a big fan base from it, and they've transitioned across.
Has it been great seeing that fan base carry over and immerse themselves in your original music, too?
Well, as you know, country music fans are great; they're supportive and they really have come with me on this individual ride I'm on. They've been amazing.
Yeah, yeah.
Does it feel real yet, or will it be tomorrow when you're standing on the stage?
I was talking to my guitarist on the way here. We're very lucky with the tribute band that we've played with over the years; we've played some huge stages. When I turned up today and saw it there, I was like, "OK, it's going to be me—not Luke Combs and not a tribute act." Turning up to The Long Road, seeing the sign again... it’s great to be here, and it feels very real now.
How does that kind of transition feel, using the Liam Price name and moving away from the Luke Combs tribute act?
It's hard. It's very hard. I was in Nashville and a guy came up to me—he was one of the directors at the Grand Ole Opry—and he recognised me as "the Luke Combs guy." I was like, "Yeah, but I'm here playing my own material!" Of course, it's on your back and it's a hard one to shake, but it also helps me a lot. We've got a big fan base from it, and they've transitioned across.
Has it been great seeing that fan base carry over and immerse themselves in your original music, too?
Well, as you know, country music fans are great; they're supportive and they really have come with me on this individual ride I'm on. They've been amazing.
As we close out festival season this weekend, obviously the year doesn't end here for you, because you're heading out to the States with Larry Fleet. How big of a deal is that for you to do under your own name, and not under the Luke Combs tribute name?
People don't know this, but when I went in and recorded my single, The Grass Ain't Green, you have to give a reference track for how you want the feel of the song to sound in the mix. I used a Larry Fleet song because I've always been inspired by him. Then, I played a writer's round in Nashville and a guy said, "If that ain't a Larry Fleet song, I don't know what is! It feels made for Larry Fleet." So, when the call came to open for him, it felt friggin' incredible. I can't wait, and it’s just a couple of weeks away.
Was that call one of those "pinch me" moments?
In three and a half years of being in this genre, I've had so many pinch-me moments. They seem to keep coming along, so I'm really happy about that. I'll take all the pinch-me moments I can get.
Getting on Larry’s tour is not just huge for you, but also a potential stepping stone for other UK artists. We've had so many American artists come over here, and UK support acts are becoming more of the norm, but to go Stateside and do it is surely going to give everyone a boost that they can do it, too.
Yeah. I was talking to Kezia Gill earlier, and I said, "Kezia, you know, you're kind of the beacon of light, really, for us UK country artists to have something to believe in—that we're not just going to keep playing bars and cover sets, that actually there's a market in this, and we can break through the wall." We can try to work together with the Americans, work in partnership, and make the whole UK scene better for everyone, yourself included. So it's great.
I always say the first act on stage on Sunday has got the hardest job, because Saturday night is always the big night at any festival. It means you've got to go loud, wake up the entire campsite, and get everyone there at one o'clock.
I'll tell our engineer to turn it up in the morning! We'll probably be hungover ourselves, but we'll smash through it, don't you worry.
Good luck tomorrow.
Thank you so much.
The Long Road Festival will return to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire in 2027 between Thursday 26th and Sunday 29th August, with early bird tickets on sale now. You can find ticket details and further information on their WEBSITE and you can be the first to know all updates ahead of next year’s event as well as looking back on this years by checking out their socials on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK.
People don't know this, but when I went in and recorded my single, The Grass Ain't Green, you have to give a reference track for how you want the feel of the song to sound in the mix. I used a Larry Fleet song because I've always been inspired by him. Then, I played a writer's round in Nashville and a guy said, "If that ain't a Larry Fleet song, I don't know what is! It feels made for Larry Fleet." So, when the call came to open for him, it felt friggin' incredible. I can't wait, and it’s just a couple of weeks away.
Was that call one of those "pinch me" moments?
In three and a half years of being in this genre, I've had so many pinch-me moments. They seem to keep coming along, so I'm really happy about that. I'll take all the pinch-me moments I can get.
Getting on Larry’s tour is not just huge for you, but also a potential stepping stone for other UK artists. We've had so many American artists come over here, and UK support acts are becoming more of the norm, but to go Stateside and do it is surely going to give everyone a boost that they can do it, too.
Yeah. I was talking to Kezia Gill earlier, and I said, "Kezia, you know, you're kind of the beacon of light, really, for us UK country artists to have something to believe in—that we're not just going to keep playing bars and cover sets, that actually there's a market in this, and we can break through the wall." We can try to work together with the Americans, work in partnership, and make the whole UK scene better for everyone, yourself included. So it's great.
I always say the first act on stage on Sunday has got the hardest job, because Saturday night is always the big night at any festival. It means you've got to go loud, wake up the entire campsite, and get everyone there at one o'clock.
I'll tell our engineer to turn it up in the morning! We'll probably be hungover ourselves, but we'll smash through it, don't you worry.
Good luck tomorrow.
Thank you so much.
The Long Road Festival will return to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire in 2027 between Thursday 26th and Sunday 29th August, with early bird tickets on sale now. You can find ticket details and further information on their WEBSITE and you can be the first to know all updates ahead of next year’s event as well as looking back on this years by checking out their socials on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK.