Brett Eldredge Can't Wait to Make St. Louis Glow This Thursday

Country crooner Brett Eldredge returns this week to the Fabulous Fox for Glow, a Christmas show that has become an annual tradition.

Eldredge, who has landed a series of Top 10 albums and singles on country radio since 2013, has carved out a unique place for himself within contemporary country music. Rather than aping the interchangeable army of hat-wearing country bros who dominate the charts, Eldredge makes music that blends cosmopolitan country, singer-songwriter meditations and jazz-vocal-inspired crooning. And while hit singles like “Don’t Ya” and “Drunk on Your Love” contain some sheeny country instrumentation, Eldredge is just as comfortable making like Sinatra, as heard on last year’s Songs About You, an album that finds Eldredge bending his pliant baritone around a distinctive blend of soul, jazz and country tunes.

A native of Paris, Illinois, Eldredge grew up a two-and-a-half-hour drive from St. Louis, and his roots are woven deep into his songs. His 2015 sophomore album was titled Illinois, and 2020’s Sunday Drive is a song series about family and memories of his hometown. Lately, Eldredge has been as associated with Christmas music as anything, donning a tuxedo each year for a winter tour to reprise songs from his swinging 2016 holiday album Glow and its follow-up, 2021’s Mr. Christmas. We chatted with Eldredge between tour stops as he makes his way to St. Louis.

You grew up in Paris, Illinois. Is that Cardinals or Cubs country?

Cubs! Half my family are Cardinals fans though, so the rivalry is incredible.

Did you make a lot of trips to St. Louis as a kid?

Yes, every year growing up. I had a lot of family that lived there.

Do you have any specific memories of performing in St. Louis?

Last year we brought Glow to St. Louis for the first time, and it was awesome. This year, we are going even bigger and ending the tour there.

You’ve been writing songs since you were young. Can you talk about your process when writing? How do the songs come, and has your method changed over the years?

I love to write songs, and the method is always different. I like to let the inspiration hit me whenever it shows its beautiful face. Sometimes it’s on a drive, sometimes it’s in the middle of the night, sometimes it’s on an airplane thousands of feet up in the sky. I try to capture it and see where it goes.

Have you always considered yourself a country artist? How do you fit into the country music ecosystem these days?

Honestly, I just love to make music. I think I’m a lot of things when it comes to style. I prefer to just let the music be whatever it is, and at the end of the day, it will find the right person that needs to hear it.

Your 2021 album is called Mr. Christmas. With your successful Glow tours, that nickname is starting to make sense. How did you come to so thoroughly embrace yourself as an artist associated with Christmas traditions?

I have been a Christmas fanatic since I was a little kid. Christmas traditions and music make me feel connected to myself and to others, and I feel I get the opportunity to spread that everywhere I can by singing and telling my stories. It’s a big heart-opener, and we could all use a little of that right now. We could all use a little of that always.

You have a great voice for crooning. Your last album, Songs About You, was inspired by jazz singers. Do you think you will continue going in that direction and perhaps make purely non-Christmas jazz/torch music?

I think there’s definitely a good chance I could go that direction. My heart feels it so deep. I guess I’m an old soul to the core.

Can we assume that you are always writing and generating new material for an upcoming album? If so, how is that shaping up?

It’s shaping up beautifully. I am exploring new sounds and doing a lot of writing in New York.

What do you do to stay in shape when you’re out on the road?

I have to move every day. My mental health suffers if I don’t. I do a lot of weight training and cardio but also simply going for a long walk helps a ton.

Let’s talk about this year’s Christmas show. What should fans expect?

The show is built around traditions, songs that you’ve always loved and some that I’ve written that will put you in the spirit. Now that this tour has become a tradition for many, I try to keep a common thread in some ways, because that’s what makes it feel like a warm blanket you keep wanting to be wrapped up with.

I want it to feel like we are all sitting around the tree together, telling stories and singing the songs that helped us find a little magic in the world. n

Brett Eldredge plays the Fabulous Fox (527 North Grand Boulevard, metrotix.com) on Thursday, December 21 at 8 p.m.