EXCLUSIVE COVER STORY: Carson Lueders

“If you have dreams, chase them”

At just five years old, Carson Lueders began his musical journey when his dad gave him a guitar for his birthday. “I started taking lessons and just kept going,” he smiles. “When I was eight, I started singing and posting covers of my favorite songs.”

In 2013, Carson made his national television debut – not auditioning on American Idol or The X Factor, but strumming his guitar and singing alongside his musical hero, Keith Urban, on The View. And while Carson continued to rack up millions of views on YouTube and followers on social media, he also continued to work hard at his craft, which often meant early mornings with vocal coaches and choreographers, and late nights in the studio creating original music. But he’s done it all with a smile on his face. “It’s really just been a fun, fun road for me,” he says.

Carson’s grown at least a foot since our last cover shoot with him in 2016. But he’s also grown as an artist. “When everything started with music, I was super young,” he explains. “I would just cover my favorite songs. But through the years, I found my true self. I feel like my sound has really evolved and I love the music that I’m putting out.”

However, Carson’s not limiting himself to music. “I’ve discovered my passion for acting as well,” he says. You can watch Carson as Ace in the hugely popular Brat web series, Chicken Girls. “I really enjoy it. It’s a new side of things to experience.”

Over the past decade, through hard work, faith, and the support of his family, Carson’s steadily grown his fanbase and continues to make strides in the industry. Case in point: In 2015, he hobbled down the red carpet at the Radio Disney Music Awards with a broken foot.

But this year, he’ll be strutting down the same carpet as a first-time nominee for Favorite Social Music Artist. “If you have dreams, definitely chase them,” he says. “It’s not gonna come overnight, but hard work really pays off. When you work hard, follow what you love, and be yourself, the sky’s the limit.”

CREDITS:

Photos by Joe Magnani

Styling by Robiat Balogun (assisted by Sinai Robles)

Carson’s Tux by The Black Tux

Watch the previous #YSBnowProm cover stories below!