Drake Milligan has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young voices in modern country music, blending a deep respect for classic honky-tonk with a fresh, contemporary energy. Hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, he first gained national attention through his portrayal of Elvis Presley on the CMT series Sun Records, before stepping fully into his own spotlight as an artist. His breakout success came with a standout run on America’s Got Talent, where his charismatic performances and authentic sound introduced him to a global audience. He carried that momentum into his debut album ‘Dallas/Fort Worth' and continued to build on it with his follow-up release ‘Tumbleweed', both of which showcase his knack for sharp songwriting, rich vocals, and a timeless country sound inspired by legends like Buck Owens, Bob Wills, George Strait and Elvis.
By the time he took the stage at London’s C2C Festival, Milligan was no longer just a rising act—he was a performer fully coming into his own. Playing direct support to country icons Brooks & Dunn, he delivered a set that felt both reverent of the genre’s roots and confidently forward-looking. It was the kind of performance that turns first-time listeners into lifelong fans, highlighting not only his growth across two well-received albums but also his ability to command a major stage. Catching up with him in London, it was clear that this is an artist on the cusp of something much bigger, with the drive and authenticity to carry country music’s tradition into a new era.
Welcome back to the UK, Drake!
Thank you! We've been over quite a few times now! This is our third time at C2C, which seems like a lifetime ago now.
We love you over here, you get that, right?
I guess so! (laughing) You haven't kicked me out just yet.
Were you surprised, at first, that the crowds were so receptive and so into your music?
It was a big surprise. But it's great because the fans here are so energetic and it feels like everybody is so proud to be a Country music fan, which is really, really cool. They don't take moments or artists for granted, which is awesome. I think fans over here really appreciate it when artists take the time to come over and they love discovering new artists too, so there's always an opportunity for people like me to build a fan base if you put the time in.
Oh, and you all do love a live show, too!
Artists' reputations are built on live shows here. We do have radio, and they are good at what they do, but they don't carry the same hold (maybe make that stranglehold) that American radio does.
The first time I came over I saw that and thought, ‘They get it!' I realised I could have fun with it and be who I wanted to be over here and people would appreciate that.
You're playing tonight with Brooks and Dunn. I could stop there! (laughing) Have you played with them before?
I haven't and I also haven't been able to see their show, really, either. I don't get to go and hang out and watch a lot of live music these days. I did see them in Vegas one year but that's it! It's so awesome because I get to go and play my set, play to all these people and have a great time and then stand at the side, crack a beer open and watch one of the greatest country duos of all time!
What would the Drake Milligan of five years ago have thought about where you are now?
He'd be pretty amazed. I think back to five years ago and I had no music out. I was just thinking about putting out as little EP of music that I had recorded pre-COVID and was itching to get out there on the road and do this thing. Man, it seems like a lifetime ago because so much has happened in the last five years.
‘Tumbleweed' has been out for a little while now. How is it a step on or evolution for you as an artist and creator from ‘Dallas / Fort Worth?'
It's cool because it was the first time making an album where I kinda knew what I was doing! (laughing) Part of the excitement with ‘Dallas / Fort Worth' was that I didn't know what I was doing, honestly! There was a kinda naivety in that album that makes it work but on ‘Tumbleweed' I made a record where I knew what my fan base looked like, I knew what my live show looked like and it was the first time I put out music where I knew that I wasn't going to be able to play all the songs live.
So I recorded songs for this album based on what I wanted it to sound like and not what I thought I needed for my live shows. There were some I recorded that I knew would be great for the live show and others that I thought I wouldn't necessarily play live that rounded out the journey of the album. They may just live on this record forever.
Is there a song on ‘Tumbleweed' that has resonated with fans in a way that you weren't expecting?
Yes, ‘Like the Moon' has been one of those tracks. People over here have been talking about that song a lot. It wasn't originally in my set but people kept on bringing up that song and I was, like, ‘I guess we gotta put it into the headliner shows then!' (laughing) It's got this Orbison kinda vibe which I guess people are really enjoying.
Which song on this project pushed you creatively the most as a writer?
I would say ‘Hard Headed Cowboy' was one that I kinda wrote just for fun, you know? I'd had a few drinks at the house one night and was listening to Marty Robbins records and I came up with the first part of it and I thought, ‘Oh my god, this is it! This is going to be THE song.' I went in the next day and wrote it with Neil Medley and Aaron Eshuis and I told Neil that I almost called him at midnight the night before and wanted him to hear the idea I'd had!
Writing a story song like that is really hard to tell a story like simply and somehow relate to it. You, obviously, can't touch what Marty Robbins did, the imagery and all that but I think we did a good job of bringing it to a place where people can relate to it without it being cheesy.
When the ‘Tumbleweed' era comes to an end what do you hope your fans will have got from it and which version of Drake Milligan will they have seen?
There's been an evolution and growth. Especially in our live shows, which is what I pride myself on. On this tour we are kinda doing some different moments, some broken down moments. People have known me as this very energetic performer so far but we get to take a step back and play some more acoustic-style songs too now. We can show a little more musicianship……. and then get back to rocking! (laughing)
I hope they will have seen an all round performer and not just go-go-go all the time.
When you are putting an album together are you one of those artists who has 70 songs to choose from or someone who just works on making the 15 you have the best that they can be?
As far as I'm concerned, every song I've ever written is always in contention. I've written so many songs over these past five years. I've got notes, songs that I go back to and listen to when I'm travelling, push some back up to the top of the list and keep working on some others.
I've got to the point where I'll cut outside songs too, songs I didn't write, which is really fun. It's tough because I do feel like I have great songs that have been left out so far but you have to trust your instincts as to what you think works on any given project at any given time. ‘Old Flames, Old Whiskey' was a song that Jim Beavers sent me years ago, probably even before the first record and I just held onto it all this time. I showed it to Trent Willmon when making this last record and he was, like, ‘Heck yeah, let's do it!' (laughing) ‘Slow Dancing to a Fast Song' I wrote eight years ago, so you never know what song is going to be right for what version of you that you are at that time.
What goals are setting yourself for this phase of your career?
I'm just kinda hoping to get a little bit of a grasp on things, honestly. I want to get settled in as an artist and get my feet on the ground. I want to build this up from what it is right now to be able to keep it going in the long term. That's a tough thing to do, it's tough to keep working on music when you are out on the road as much as I am but, luckily, I've written enough songs where I feel like I have a few albums worth stored away right now – although you always need to be writing new ones as well.
I want to do more writing in my off times this year and head back to Nashville later in the year to be ready to go on album number three.
Check out Drake Milligan's ‘Tumbleweed' album in all the usual places and read our review of his performance at the C2C festival in London right here.
