Today we’d like to introduce you to Luis Rey.
Hi Luis, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been singing since I was a kid. I wrote my first original song somewhere around 4th grade and got in trouble because of its subject matter. Haha
All throughout school, I was in choir and theater, so I’ve also spent quite a bit of time on stage in musical theater. Somewhere around middle school I started wanting to be an artist, and in high school the dream took off. I went to college and at one point, took about 1 year off to live in Nashville because I got a gig working for another artist. In a short time, I went from working in his office to selling merch on tour, to then being his road manager for some tours. After about a year, I returned to Baylor University and finished my degree. Four days after graduating, I packed up my Ford Ranger and moved back to Nashville to pursue the dream.
It’s hard to detail here all that I’ve been through to get me where I am today. Within the first few years of living here, I thought I had a record deal 2xs, and both of them fell through. After a few years of beating my head against the wall, I decided that I was going to pursue other things in life. Long story short, I packed up the dream and moved back to Texas with my then wife, who was pregnant at the time. A lot of life happened during our time there, which I can go into more detail as needed, but I lived a completely different life during that time.
In 2014 I started to ask myself what it is that I really want out of life, as my life just wasn’t going the way I really wanted, and I felt empty and without my soul’s purpose. Everything I had ever wanted since I was a kid was connected to creating, singing, and performing, so we made the decision and moved back to Nashville in September 2015, and basically started over in life, with our 5 kids in tow. Yes, 5 kids! My life story over the last 10 year is one of major re-invention in just about every way imaginable.
I’ve lost a lot, probably more than most people would be willing to take, but I’ve also gained a lot. I’ve learned about who I am and where I want to go. I’ve played in front of crowds of almost 20,000 and how many times here in Nashville have I played for 13 people in a room or bar. I’ve had times with money coming in and plenty of times with more money going out.
I got divorced in 2019 and it has been utter chaos pretty much since then. I’ve been mired in 2 custody court cases since 2021, but in both cases, the court’s gave me sole custody of two of my children, thankfully. I’m including this because my journey just to stay in the game of pursuing my dream has been relentlessly ugly and difficult. The emotional and financial strain of raising 5 kids, working 2 jobs full-time, while trying to create and show up in the world as an artist has at some times felt like an impossible task. But I have held on, moving forward. And most of the time, it has been way slower than I wish and can barely stand, but I’m still standing.
Over the last year, I have found some footing to be able to put together some music for release. I released my first single in 8 years in April 2026 with a song called Borderlands of Ruin…man is that song a true story about my life. I have another single, Got a Hold on Me, coming out Aug. 28, 2026. After that, I have a 4-song EP ready to go, titled The Villain, that will be released this fall.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Wrote some of this in the previous portion…
I’ve been made promises that people didn’t keep. I was promised a well-funded independent record deal in 2019 when a pretty well known artist in town. Covid hit and the project got delayed. We picked it back up in 2021 and then he disappeared, as in, I haven’t seen or heard from him since. He tanked his label, dropped the band he was fronting, and basically burned everything to the ground.
I have had some pretty challenging personal struggles along the way including an extremely volatile divorce that has continued in it’s volatility for 7 years now, even though my ex is re-married. I have been financially drained after having to go through 2 major custody cases since 2021, and that’s not even to speak of the emotional and mental toll.
In 2014 I started asking myself some questions about life that I’ve never really asked myself before. I basically took a jackhammer to the foundation of my life, and anything that didn’t serve me well, I got rid of it. I didn’t just need change, I needed transformation. I didn’t think my marriage would be a part of that, but it ended up being the last thing big thing to go. I have transformed in just about every area of life from spiritual beliefs and practices, to how I make money, how I parent, how I view love, what I’m looking for in love and in a partner, my worldview, and more. Some people who know me today ask me, “how in the world did you get here from where you were?”
Ultimately, I think it has helped me as a songwriter and even as a performer to be able to connect with audience.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In my songwriting and performance I am known for my passion in what I write and the way in which I deliver it. I believe I connect with people emotionally when I’m performing.
Other than being most proud of my children and the people they are and are becoming, I think I’m most proud of the fact that I haven’t quit…I haven’t quit on a lot of things in life, whether it be a music career or finding love. And I believe I still have a fasciation and love for people…even in spite of the many things I’ve experience in life, I still find people to be extraordinary, and I am generally intrigued by what makes them work.
I’m also proud of the fact that I can say I have a Top 30 cut with a song called Comin’ Home from the Desert City Ramblers, who are now defunct.
In terms of my music, I think my content and writing style sets me apart. I can write country songs, but I’m pretty flexible as a writer, and the songs that I perform as an artist place me in a different niche than a lot of Nashville singers and songwriters, and that’s what I’m going for.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Man, this is tricky. The city has changed a lot over the last 10 years. Writer’s rounds used to be really great places to hang out and just meet other writers. I think that has changed over the last 4 years or so, as most writers just show up for their round and then leave after. I’m guilty of that too, but the networking dynamic has definitely changed.
Finding a mentor is also tricky. When I first came back to town in 2015, I had several introductions to people who wanted to partner with me. I had to try to figure out who is really in the game of the music business, and who is from the old days and are just trying to become relevant again.
I think the biggest thing is to just take your time and be consistent. If there is someone you’re trying to meet and they’re not giving you the time of day, move on to the next person who might be ready to connect. There’s a lot of ego in this town, but there are also a lot of really great people who want to partner and make things happen. But like anything, those relationships take time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.luisrey.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theluisrey
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luisrey/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LuisRey
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LcRrE7FssIovdfC7j0xid?si=kFSOa50pRiSpwOeJ7sSa2g
