Their new album is out, with this song, and many more.
Archive for the ‘Promise of the Real’ Category
Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, backstage on Late Night with Stephen Colbert
Thursday, September 7th, 2017Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real on Late Night With Stephen Colbert (Tuesday, Sept. 5th)
Monday, September 4th, 2017Lukas Nelson, “I see songs everywhere.”
Wednesday, August 30th, 2017
photo: Gary Miller
www.CMT.com
by: Lauren Tingle
Lukas Nelson talks about Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Working with Neil Young, Lady Gaga and His Musical Lineage
When Lukas Nelson, 28, is asked a question about his creative process, he is reminded of some words of wisdom passed down to him from his father, country icon Willie Nelson.
“I see songs everywhere in everyday life,” Lukas tells CMT.com. “My dad told me a long time ago when you’re a songwriter, you can’t force the song because songwriting is like rain water. If you’ve got a well, and it’s dry, you have to wait for it to rain. Sometimes it rains hard, and you’ve got plenty of water to drink. The songs that you try and write when the well is dry are forced, and that’s not right.”
Lukas’ songwriting well sounds like it’s brimming with ideas at the moment. Although his band Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real just released its self-titled album, he is already sitting on approximately 40 songs to sort through for the next project.
And there was no rushing Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. Recorded over 18 months at Los Angeles’ Village Studios with producer John Alagia, the music is a stunning collection of cosmic country soul that it is full of vivid storytelling inspired by loss, love, friendship, commitment in the country, moving on and living for high times.
Lucius vocalists Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe lend powerful backing vocals throughout the collection, while Lady Gaga appears on “Carolina” and “Find Yourself.” On the rolling “Just Outside of Austin,” Willie offers a stylish jazz guitar solo from his famous acoustic named Trigger, while Lukas’ 86-year-old aunt Bobbie Nelson can be heard on piano.
“My goal is to create a new world and when people come and listen to the music, they feel good,” Lukas says. “I do try and keep the subject somewhat personal to me. I always try to write something I can relate to, even if I bring myself in someone else’s shoes.
“There’s really no subject that’s off limits. Wherever the source of inspiration is in general, you can’t really limit that. You can’t really put chains or bars on that because if you do, you might snuff it out.”
The music kicks listeners in the teeth from the first notes of the mournful opener, “Set Me Down on a Cloud,” a song inspired by a request from a fan who had experienced a family tragedy.
“It’s a sad story actually,” Lukas reveals of the inspiration behind “Set Me Down on a Cloud.” “This lady, her and her husband accidentally somehow ran over and killed their four-year-old daughter. They came to one of my shows, and they said it was the first time they were able to feel happy since that occurrence, and they asked me to write song about it. I was very honored to be able to write about that situation and try and capture it in the art. I felt like a spirit was guiding me.”
One of Lukas’ favorite songs on the album is the philosophical closer, “If I Started Over.” “It’s a matter of what if we have to start over and do the same things until we get it both right and we both learn a lesson,” Lukas says of the song. “It’s a romantic song, too, because there are one or two people I’ve met in this life that I would definitely hope to meet in the next.”
Lukas first connected with Lady Gaga through their work on the upcoming remake of A Star Is Born, which is due sometime in 2018.
“We were writing songs together, and we just became good friends,” he says of his first impression of Gaga. “She’s just a gem of a human being and one of the best musicians of all time.”
That’s high praise coming from a musician like Lukas. His earliest childhood memories are of being around legendary artists like the Highwaymen’s Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and his father Willie (Lukas started touring with his father at age 13, and he started touring with his own band at around 17). When Lukas was 11, Kristofferson told him he should be a songwriter, and as a guitarist, he grew up emulating blues rockers like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
But Lukas believes that Promise of the Real probably wouldn’t be what it is today without Neil Young. He first connected with Promise of the Real drummer Anthony Logerfo at a Young concert a decade ago, and they named the band after a line in Young’s 1973 song, “Walk On.” Years later, Young hired Promise of the Real as his touring and studio band for his two most recent albums, including 2015’s The Mansanto Years.
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images“I pictured myself playing with him ever since I was a little kid,” Lukas says. “The first show we did with him with the band was in Nebraska, and it was like we had been playing together for years. Working with Neil has added a lot of weight, and the energy that we absorb from being around Neil carries over into the music that we put down afterwards.”
Promise of the Real’s current six-piece lineup includes longtime bandmates Tato Melgar (percussion), Anthony LoGerfo (drums) and Corey McCormick (bass, vocals), along with new members Jesse Siebenberg (steel guitars, Farfisa organ, vocals) and Alberto Bof (piano, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3).
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real is on tour through November. The band will continue the Outlaw Music Festival tour Sept. 8 in Holmdel, New Jersey.
New Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Available Now
Friday, August 25th, 2017
Anthony Lo
“It’s midnight on the West Coast and our record Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real is officially released. The vinyl sounds amazing. Hope everyone enjoys. Thanks for the support! I’m grateful for my band family” @lukasnelsonofficial @coreymccormickmusic @tatomelgar @jessebergometer @zoobof #vinyl #promiseofthereal #lukasnelson @fantasyrecordsofficial
New album from Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real
Wednesday, August 16th, 2017
The new album from Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real will be released on August 25th. From their website:
We are excited to announce that our new, self-titled album, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, will be released on August 25th, 2017 via Fantasy Records!
Pre-order Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real beginning July 6th and receive three tracks from the album automatically.
All three tracks are available now via streaming sites such as
Spotify, Amazon Prime and Apple Music.Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, recorded over the past year at Los Angeles’ famed Village Studios, was produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer) and features 12 tracks, all written by Lukas Nelson.
Lukas Nelson created a short film about his life and the making of his band’s new self-titled album, and you can see it on his facebook page.
For tour information, and how to pre-order new album, follow them on facebook, and visit their website:
www.PromiseoftheReal.com.
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Release “Just Outside of Austin” With Willie Nelson
Thursday, August 10th, 2017
www.TexasMonthly.com
by: Abby Johnston
A love story, city blues, and a little bit of weed—it’s a tried-and-true songwriting formula many have followed, but for Lukas Nelson it comes second nature. Still, Nelson manages to wrangle these tropes—made mainstream by his father—into something fresh on “Just Outside of Austin,” which premieres below.
The first moments of the song are an aural double-take. Nelson carries much of his father’s nasally affect—not to mention Aunt Bobbi’s intro on the keys—but as the song winds its way to the chorus, he opens up into a falsetto sweetness that sounds more Nilsson than Nelson. And though the themes and conversational tones of the song could have easily found their way onto Phases and Stages, the younger Nelson’s songwriting embraces its sentimentality more wholly.
The nimble, dancing fretwork, too, sounds familiar at first blush. But it’s clear when Willie lays down a brief solo toward the end of the song that Lukas has managed to carve out his own style—abandoning the blues-inspired licks for elevated country pop. It’s the kind of dreamy track that makes you want to grab someone’s hand, stare at a country sky, and, well, maybe add a few clouds of your own. His daddy must be proud.
Anthony LoGerfo, of Promise of the Real, in Modern Drummer
Sunday, August 6th, 2017
On the Beat with Anthony LoGerfo of Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real: Talks Albums, Artists, and Upcoming Movie
www.moderndrummer.com
Hi, Modern Drummer readers, Anthony LoGerfo here. I’m a Los Angeles native who’s been drumming for twenty-nine years. I cut my teeth on the Sunset Strip in LA playing in bands at the ripe old age of twelve. I’ve played a lot of cool gigs in my day and have worked with legendary artists such as Neil Young, Gwen Stefani, Jackson Brown, Willie Nelson, Lady Gaga, Steven Tyler, Bob Weir, Les Claypool, UB40, and Jurassic 5.
Currently, I have been working with Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real. We have a new record coming out August 25 that we recorded at the Village in Santa Monica. It features Willie Nelson, Lady Gaga, and Lucius. Here is a link to three songs from the album: www.promiseofthereal.com. Lukas Nelson and POTR will be on tour all summer in support of the record.
I’m also working on a record with Neil Young. Here is a link to a new song, “Children of Destiny,” that we recently cut with a seventy-piece orchestra at Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA:
It was a lot of fun! I love working with Neil; he keeps me on my toes. You never know what he will throw at you. Over the past two years we’ve made a couple of records together, Monsanto Years and Earth, and have toured the world. Check out the records here: neilyoung.warnerbrosrecords.com/newmusic.
Here’s a video from our Rebel Content tour with Neil. Enjoy!
Finally, I just wrapped working on the soundtrack for the movie A Star Is Born with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Bradley is the director of the film and decided to use the musicians that played on the soundtrack as actors in the movie to keep it authentic. It was a totally different sweet experience. The movie will come out fall 2018 so be on the look out for it. I’m grateful I get to play drums everyday and travel the world meeting cool people. Thanks for reading a little about me. Peace.
For tour dates and more, go to: www.promiseofthereal.com/tour-dates/.
Lukas Nelson & Promis of the Real on Tour
Tuesday, August 1st, 2017
STAGECOACH SPOTLIGHT ANNOUNCES TOUR FEATURING LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL AND NIKKI LANE
Stagecoach Festival’s Stagecoach Spotlight Tour returns with festival standouts Lukas Nelson & Nikki Lane
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 31, 2017) – Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Nikki Lane will embark on a thirteen date Stagecoach Spotlight Tour kicking off November 1 in Chicago, and including a stop November 18 at the iconic Levon Helm Studios. Both artists performed at the 11th annual Stagecoach Country Music Festival this past April.
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have quietly developed into one of America’s most dazzling new live acts, playing hundreds of shows and major festivals all over the world, attracting a deeply devoted underground following.
Still, with a bounty of invaluable experience under their belts, nothing foretold the artistic leap of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s new, self-titled album; a mesmerizing, emotionally genuine, endlessly rewarding work of cosmic country soul set for release on August 25 via Fantasy Records. The new album includes twelve Lukas Nelson originals that draw on his country and rock lineage, including literate Texas songsmiths like his father, Willie Nelson and ‘uncles’ Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings, along with the enduring influence of J.J. Cale, The Band, Clapton-era Delaney & Bonnie and of course, his mentor Neil Young. Jess Wolfe and Holly Lessig of the indie-pop group Lucius contribute background vocals on five tracks evoking Exile on Main St.’s ecstatic, gospel-rooted harmonies, and Lady Gaga added stirring background vocals to “Carolina” and “Find Yourself.” Listen to “Find Yourself,” “Forget About Georgia,” and “Set Me Down On A Cloud” HERE.
Nikki Lane’s critically acclaimed third album, Highway Queen, is out now via New West Records. Highway Queen sees the young Nashville singer emerge as one of country and rock’s most gifted songwriters. Blending potent lyrics, unbridled blues guitars and vintage Sixties country-pop swagger, Lane’s music resonates as easily with Lana Del Rey and Jenny Lewis fans as those of Neil Young and Tom Petty. Noisey praised, “Highway Queen is a forceful, rollicking collection of fiery country tunes that places [Lane] toe-to-toe with any outlaw in Nashville,” adding, “it’s her best yet.” The album has garnered mid-year “Best Of” accolades from Rolling Stone Country, UPROXX, Wide Open Country, and The Boot. Watch Lane perform the first single “Jackpot” from Loretta Lynn’s historic home in Hurricane Mills during her recent appearance on CBS This Morning Saturday HERE.
“We have seen some incredible strides by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real over the past year and this new record seems to be something truly special. We have been discussing doing something together for a long time and we have decided now is the time,” said Stacy Vee, talent buyer for Stagecoach and the Stagecoach Spotlight Tour. “We also decided our work with Nikki Lane was far from done so we asked her to come along. This tour will be one for the storybooks!”
Tickets for the Stagecoach Spotlight Tour go on sale this Friday, August 4 at 10AM local time.
Dates for the Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Nikki Lane Stagecoach Spotlight Tour are as follows:
11/1/2017 Chicago, IL Park West
11/2/2017 Champaign, IL Canopy Club
11/3/2017 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Café
11/4/2017 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
11/5/2017 Detroit, MI The Majestic
11/10/2017 Birmingham, AL Saturn
11/11/2017 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
11/12/2017 Raleigh, NC Motorco Music Hall
11/14/2017 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
11/15/2017 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
11/17/2017 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall
11/18/2017 Woodstock, NY Levon Helm Studios
11/19/2017 Rutland, VT Paramount
For more information about Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real visit http://www.lukasnelson.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/lukasnelsonofficial/ or follow him on Twitter @lukasnelson and Instagram @lukasnelsonofficial.
For more information about Nikki Lane visit www.nikkilane.com and www.facebook.com/nikkilanemusic or follow her on Twitter @nikkilanemusic and Instagram @nikkilane77.
About Stagecoach: Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival consistently draws thousands of music fans to Indio, California, each year for performances from renowned artists like Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, George Straight, Emmylou Harris, Nikki Lane, Cam and more. Produced by Goldenvoice, creators of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, the festival has sold out the last three years in a row, won ACM’s Festival of the Year award in 2016 and continues to deliver lineups that feature both veteran and rising talent alike. The 2017 lineup featured Dierks Bentley, Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney and more.
New Neil Young and Promise of the Real video
Saturday, July 1st, 2017www.RollingStone.com
by: Daniel Kreps
Neil Young and Promise of the Real have unveiled the video for their surprise new song “Children of Destiny.”
The video, directed by Young’s Shakey Pictures, combines footage of recent large-scale protests alongside patriotic imagery like children waving American flags and Fourth of July cookouts.
“Preserve the land and save the seas for the children of destiny / The children of you and me,” Young sings on the track. “Stand up for what you believe / Resist the powers that be / Preserve the ways of democracy so the children can be free.”
Young recorded the song at Hollywood, California’s famed Capitol Studios alongside his frequent collaborators Promise of the Real – featuring Willie Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah Nelson – and a 56-piece orchestra; in total, 62 musicians played on the track.
The rocker and Micah Nelson announced “Children of Destiny” in a celebratory Facebook Live video.
“Children of Destiny” is available to purchase or stream at all major digital retailers and streaming sites. It’s unclear whether the song is a one-off single or part of a larger project.
Willie Nelson & Family at Ravania, in Highland Park, IL last night
Saturday, June 17th, 2017
Thanks so much to Willie Nelson fan and music lover Paul Martell, for sharing pictures from the WN&F show at Ravinia, in Highland Park, Illinois last night. Paul is one of those many fans (Janis Tillerson and everyone you know who you are), who share their photos from shows they go to. All us fans who weren’t there appreciate when someone takes pictures, then goes home and uploads them and sends them to me to share.
Linda,
I just wanted to share a few pictures and a quick note about Willie’s and Lukas’s performances at Ravinia in Highland Park Illinois last night. This was my 46th concert following Willie and I am looking forward to #47 – July 9th at the Outlaw Festival in Milwaukee at the Summerfest grounds.
Lukas and the Promise of the Real opened up with a very energetic set. Some new songs from last I had heard from him as well as a few new members. A keyboard and the steel guitar. Really set the stage for dad.
Willie’s show was great as well. He was highly energized from start to finish and looked very healthy, happy and on top of his game. With the usual tossing of bandanas into the crowd during and after the show, making many fans ecstatic. But to top it off, one lucky fan received his hat, as at the end of the show as he was to walk off stage, he grabbed his hat, held it out and threw it into the center seats. Someone in row 4 or 5 went home flying high. Above the rest of us.
Great show.
Paul
Lukas Nelson & Promise of Real in Vail (August 18, 2017)
Monday, May 8th, 2017
Twenty-nine summers ago, President Gerald R. Ford and Willie Nelson led the way for the opening ceremonies of a fledgling performing arts space alongside Gore Creek in the Vail Village.
Three decades later, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater will celebrate in style all summer long, culminating in the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater 30th Anniversary Concerts featuring Rodrigo y Gabriela and Third Eye Blind on Aug. 18 to 19.
Lucas Nelson and the Promise of the Real will open on Friday night, Aug. 18, for Rodrigo y Gabriela and Dead Man Winter featuring Dave Simonett, of Trampled by Turtles, will open on Saturday night, Aug. 19, for Third Eye Blind. Two more opening acts are expected to be announced soon.
Tickets, passes and weekend-long VIP experiences for the celebration are on sale today and expected to sell quickly at http://www.grfavail.com.
“Great music, great experiences, a beautiful structure and an incredible mountain backdrop have made the Ford Amphitheater a special place for everyone who has a connection to Vail,”Dave ChapinVail Mayor
Cultural centerpiece
In the 30 years since its opening ceremony, the Ford Amphitheater has grown to play an iconic role in regional and local art and culture. It has welcomed top-tier orchestras via Bravo! Vail, international dancers and dance companies via the Vail Dance Festival, the GoPro Mountains of Music free concerts in June and hundreds of pop-rock icons to its now-storied stage.
“If you’ve been to Vail in the summertime, then you almost certainly have a wonderful memory from the Ford Amphitheater, whether it’s from a major performance from a marquee artist like Bob Dylan, a lawn picnic Hot Summer Nights free concert, an evening out at the Vail Dance Festival or a moment of inspiration at a Bravo! Vail orchestral concert,” said Jen Mason, director of the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater for the Vail Valley Foundation. “We’ve even had hundreds of young people graduate here and held weddings — it really is a cultural centerpiece of life here in the Vail Valley.”
Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real in San Francisco (May 18, 2017)
Thursday, April 20th, 2017
and
Willie Nelson’s 4th of July PIcnic Concert in Austin 2017
Monday, April 17th, 2017
www.austin360amphitheater.com
Tickets for Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic are open to the public starting at 10 a.m. on April 21. It’s the third year for the annual event to be held at the Circuit of the Americas and the 44th edition of the picnic overall.
This year’s all-day event features performances from artists on two stages, including Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves, Jamey Johnson, Steve Earle, Margo Price, Asleep At The Wheel, Turnpike Troubadours, Hayes Carll, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Johnny Bush, Billy Joe Shaver, David Allan Coe, Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real, Insects vs. Robots, Raelyn Nelson Band, Folk Uke.
Tickets are priced at $89.50 for the GA Pit Section and Reserved Seat Section in front of the stage. Reserved bowl tickets are $69.50-$89.50 and $39.50 for H-E-B General Admission Lawn. There are also a limited number of special VIP packages available for sale including the “Outlaw” hospitality package for $350, the “Trigger” package for $450, and “Shotgun” hospitality for $550.
All tickets will be available at ticketmaster.com, thecircuit.com, all Ticketmaster outlets throughout Texas, or they can be charged by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Standard parking lots at Circuit of The Americas open at 10 a.m. and gates to the Austin360 Amphitheater will open at 11:00 a.m. Standard Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Premium Parking, Bus Parking, RV Parking, as well as campsites are also available for purchase at the time tickets are purchased.
Live Nation, C3 Presents and Circuit of The Americas (COTA) are proud to announce the return of Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic to Circuit of The Americas. The legendary Willie Nelson plays host to one of America’s most celebrated festivals, and the 4th of July Picnic returns to COTA for the third year. Joining Willie at this year’s party is a star-studded cavalcade of his friends.
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real at the Arroyo Seco Wekand (Sat, June 25, 2017)
Sunday, March 19th, 2017
www.PromiseoftheReal.com
Win Tickets to see Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real at the Belly Up, Solana Beach (March 2, 2017)
Friday, February 10th, 2017
www.sandiegoreader.com
When you back Neil Young as his band and Willie Nelson is your dad, you have instant cred. But Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real don’t rest on their laurels. Check out this fantastic band while you can!
Enter to win a pair of tickets to see Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real on Thursday, March 2, 8pm at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. This is a 21+ show.
For more information on Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real at the Belly Up, click here.
Deadline for submission: Monday, February 27 at 1PM. Limit one entry per person or you will be disqualified. Reader employees and their families are not eligible. Winner will win a pair of tickets to see Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real at the Belly Up. Must be 21+ years to enter. Winner will be notified via ej-mail.
See their entire schedule at their website:
www.PromiseoftheReal.com