Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real

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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Also known asPOTR
OriginVenice, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresRock, country rock, roots rock
Years active2008–present
LabelsFantasy
MembersLukas Nelson
Anthony LoGerfo
Tato Melgar
Corey McCormick
Logan Metz
Past membersMerlyn Kelly
Websitelukasnelson.com

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, sometimes referred to as POTR, is a Grammy award-winning American country rock band formed in Los Angeles in 2008. The band consists of Lukas Nelson (lead vocals, songwriter, acoustic and electric guitars, piano), Anthony LoGerfo (drums, percussion), Corey McCormick (bass guitar, upright bass, vocals), Logan Metz (keyboards, lap steel, piano, banjo, harmonica, vocals), and Tato Melgar (percussion). The band has released eight studio albums and two live albums as well as numerous singles and extended plays (EP). From 2015 to 2019, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real were the backing band for Canadian musician Neil Young. With Young, the band recorded two studio albums, The Monsanto Years (2015) and The Visitor (2017), a soundtrack album, Paradox (2018), and two live albums, Earth (2016) and Noise & Flowers (2022).

Headlining hundreds of their own shows, the band has toured with a number of other musicians and bands including B.B. King, John Fogerty, Blackberry Smoke, Whiskey Myers, and Nelson's father, Willie Nelson. In 2018, they opened for The Rolling Stones and The Who, and in September 2024, they opened for Tedeschi Trucks Band at Madison Square Garden and TD Garden. By 2015, the band landed performances on every major late night talk show: Late Show with David Letterman, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live. [1] Over the past decade, they have appeared at a wide variety of music festivals including Merlefest, Stagecoach Festival, Glastonbury Festival (England), Byron Bay Blues Fest (Australia), Lollapalooza, High Sierra Music Festival and Farm Aid.

History[edit]

Formation and Early Releases (2008-2014)[edit]

In 2008, not long after moving from Maui to Los Angeles, Lukas Nelson (Willie Nelson's son) met fellow musician Anthony LoGerfo at a Neil Young concert. LoGerfo and Nelson discovered their shared love of rock music, particularly that of Neil Young. After bonding over surfing, they were soon playing together. Nelson quit school to forming the band, contacted LoGerfo and launched Promise of the Real with Tato Melgar (percussionist), and Merlyn Kelly (bassist) According to Nelson, the band name was inspired by the lyric "Some get stoned, some get strange, but sooner or later it all gets real," from Neil Young's song Walk On. Nelson described in a 2019 interview, "That concept of realness is sort of a Taoist statement: It’s not bad, it’s not good. It’s real." [2]

Their initial touring was supported by sales of their EP, Live Beginnings, recorded in 2008 at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California[3] By January 2009, they were on the road with Willie Nelson, a trip that included five nights of shows at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Later that year, they shared the stage with B. B. King and appeared at festivals including the Waterfront Blues Festival and the Telluride Brews and Blues Festival.[4] Over the next two years, they toured relentlessly, performing over 300 shows.

In 2009, they released the studio EP Brando's Paradise Sessions. The five track release featured bassist John Avila in place of their original bassist, Merlyn Kelly, who left the band that year. The cover art for the album was a painting by Nelson's younger brother, Micah Nelson, an artist, composer and musician whose artwork appears on several of the band's other albums as well.[3]

In March 2010, they released their first studio album, Promise of the Real, recorded at the Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas. Corey McCormick, their long-term bassist that followed Kelly, appears on the album having joined the band in 2009. The 12-track album of original music also includes three cover tracks: Peaceful Solution (Willie Nelson), Pali Gap/Hey Baby (Jimi Hendrix) and L.A.(Neil Young). An interview with LoGerfo revealed that the cover art for the album was created by album engineer Steve Chadie's 6-year-old daughter.[5] The release includes a booklet of Micah Nelson's paintings created on stage during their concerts.

In 2012, the band released two albums, Wasted and Live Endings, both on the Tidal Tone label. By the time they were in the studio to record Wasted, they made significant changes in their production process. Neil Young has greatly influenced them, in both their music style and production values. Young has been known for his dislike of digital audio formats, believing analog recording results in higher quality sound. At his urging, they chose analog recording, and Nelson believes doing so “added a lot of magnetism and energy [and] sounds more like what you get when you see us perform.”[6] Wasted co-producer, Jim "Moose" Brown (musician/songwriter/producer), arranged addition of steel guitar, harmonica, Dobro guitar, Wurtlitzer piano, and Hammond B3 organ bringing a wider range of instrumentation than their previous studio recordings.[7]

In April 2012, they appeared on Bob Weir's TRI Studios broadcast on Yahoo Music.[8] Later that year, they backed John Fogerty on his coast-to-coast tour of Canada[9] The band continued to open shows for Willie Nelson, and performed a cover of Pearl Jam's "Just Breathe" live on Willie's Roadhouse channel on Sirius XM on May 15, 2012.[8] They consistently performed at the annually televised Farm Aid fundraising concerts, and by 2013, the band had appeared on a number of major late night talk shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman.[10]

The band completed their 2014 tour and moved into an old Victorian mansion, the William Westerfield House, a historic landmark in San Francisco. They found the space suitable for their recording studio, considering it an “amazing and varied sonic environment, while its history and location provided the vibe.”[11] After they completed the sessions at the mansion they chose to delay album release until 2016 to pursue a venture with their rocker idol, Neil Young.[12]

With Neil Young 2014-2019[edit]

Nelson's connection with Neil Young is deeply rooted in the Farm Aid festival. His father Willie, together with Neil Young, and John Mellencamp, launched the Farm Aid music festival in 1985. Lukas and Promise of the Real were regularly appearing at the event by 2009, the year Young remarked to them ,“I heard you guys earlier, I liked it. You sound pretty cool.”[13] At the 2014 Farm Aid event, Young spontaneously called the band up to play along with him on a jam of Rockin' in the Free World and he was so impressed that he recruited them to be his recording and touring band, bringing his previous work with Willie Nelson full circle to work with the next generation. [14]

In 2015, Neil brought the young band into his studio to record his next album, The Monsanto Years, released in 2016. “We spent six weeks in the studio together,” Nelson happily declares. “We did it at Teatro in Oxnard, California, where my dad had done a record with Daniel Lanois. It’s actually an old theatre, just a beautiful little building that we set up as a studio.” [15] The production was filmed by Don Hannah for a documentary also entitled The Monsanto Years.[16]

After an April 2015 concert with Young at San Luis Obispo, they accompanied him on his Rebel Content Tour to promote the new album. Following the tour, they appeared with Young at Farm Aid, and the annual Bridge School Benefit. The following year was a whirlwind with Young, featuring appearances at the Beale Street Music Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival soon followed by his expansive European tour. Upon their return, they appeared with him at the Desert Trip show in Indio, CA with an impressive lineup including Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The Who, and Roger Waters. On June 17, 2016, the live album Earth was released. It was recorded during the Rebel Content Tour in 2015 and featured live performances augmented by studio overdubs and nature and animal sounds.

They continued working with Neil Young, releasing another album, entitled The Visitor, released December 1, 2017.[17] Young and the band starred in the 2018 musical film Paradox, (directed by Daryl Hannah) and recorded the film's soundtrack released in 2018. In 2019, they embarked on their second European tour with Young and backed him as he co-headlined with Bob Dylan at an historic event at London’s Hyde Park. [18] At that event, they performed with Young for an excited audience of over 65,000 people.[19] Noise & Flowers is a live album of selected songs from Young's tour of Europe in 2019, which was released on August 5, 2022.[20]

Since that 2008 meeting of Nelson and LoGerfo at Young's concert, Nelson says “We’ve come full circle, because [now] years later we’re playing with Neil. It’s kind of a dream come true.”[21] Young has been an important mentor for the band, sharing wisdom and influencing everything from their production techniques to their distinctive stage presence. Their collaboration led to a rich and long-lasting relationship of mutual respect and admiration. Nelson described playing with Neil as "like being in a masterclass, seeing how he works. I mean, it has really been an incredible experience for me that I have taken in and put towards our own projects, our own music in terms of what we have learned from him. Dynamics, and when not to play, and the idea of how to create more emotion with your dynamics onstage and your performance.”[22] And Young has nothing but praise for the band, saying, “Playing with these guys was a gift. Such positivity, pure energy and no fear.”[23]

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (2017)[edit]

The band signed with Fantasy Records and released the self-titled album Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real on August 25, 2017.[24] The album hit No. 1 on the Americana Radio Chart the week of November 10, 2017[25] Lady Gaga, with whom Nelson was collaborating on A Star Is Born, provided backing vocals on two tracks. The album earned the band its first Americana Music Awards nomination for Duo/Group of the Year.[26]

Willie Nelson & The Boys (Willie's Stash, Vol. 2) (2017)[edit]

On October 20, 2017, Legacy Recordings released "Willie Nelson and the Boys (Willie's Stash, Vol. 2)", a family collaboration showcasing Willie, Lukas, and Micah performing a selection of American country music classics, including seven penned by Hank Williams, Sr.[27]

A Star Is Born (2018)[edit]

A Star Is Born, directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Cooper and Lady Gaga, was released in October 2018.[28] Nelson co-produced the music for the film, writing songs with Gaga, after being hired as an authenticity consultant to Cooper. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real appear in the film as Cooper's band. Nelson won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Music and Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for his work.[29]

Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) (2019)[edit]

Turn Off the News (Build a Garden) marked the band's fifth studio album release and second studio album release for Fantasy Records. The album was released on June 14, 2019,[30] peaking at No. 19 on Billboard's US Top Country Albums chart [31] and 31 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart.[32]

Naked Garden (2020)[edit]

On March 27, 2020, the band released Naked Garden, a 15-track collection that is a companion piece to 2019's Turn Off the News (Build a Garden).[33][34] Naked Garden includes previously unreleased versions and alternate takes of songs that were recorded during the Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) sessions at Shangri-La and Village Studios.[34]

A Few Stars Apart (2021)[edit]

On April 28, 2021, the band announced their next studio album release on Fantasy Records, A Few Stars Apart, accompanied by the first single released from the album, "Perennial Bloom (Back To You)". Available June 11, 2021, the album was recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville and Produced by Dave Cobb.[35]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
US
[36] 		US
Country
[37] 		US
Heat.
[38] 		US
Taste
[39] 		US
Folk
[40]
Promise of the Real — — — — —
Wasted
  • Release date: April 3, 2012
  • Label: Tone Tide Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 — — — — —
Something Real — — 19 — 16
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
  • Release date: August 25, 2017
  • Label: Fantasy
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 — 2 35 19 10
Turn Off the News (Build a Garden)
  • Release date: June 14, 2019[42]
  • Label: Fantasy
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 151 19 — 9 4
Naked Garden
  • Release date: March 27, 2020
  • Label: Fantasy
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 — — — — —
A Few Stars Apart
  • Release date: June 11, 2021
  • Label: Fantasy
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 — — — — —
Sticks and Stones
  • Release date: July 14, 2023
  • Label: 6ACE / Thirty Tigers
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Collaborations[edit]

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[44] 		AUS
[45] 		GER
[46] 		ITA
[47] 		NED
[48] 		NOR
[49] 		SWE
[50] 		UK
[51]
The Monsanto Years
(with Neil Young)
  • Released: June 29, 2015
  • Label: Reprise
 21 23 13 27 14 38 47 24
The Visitor
(with Neil Young)
  • Released: December 1, 2017
  • Label: Reprise
 167 85 25 — 39 36 32 65

EPs[edit]

Album Release date
Brando's Paradise Sessions EP September 30, 2010

Live recordings[edit]

Album Release date
Live Beginnings October 2008
Live Endings December 2012
Earth (with Neil Young) June 2016
Noise & Flowers (with Neil Young) August 2022

Other appearances[edit]

Album Release date
Dumb and Dumber To November 7, 2014
The Ranch April 1, 2016
My Little Pony: The Movie September 22, 2017

Music videos

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real". There San Diego. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  2. ^ Lindquist, David (September 17, 2019). "For Lukas Nelson, Neil Young was musical hero who became onstage mentor". IndyStar. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b "The Nelson Family Comes to Town". San Diego Troubador. April 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  4. ^ "concertarchives.org". Concert Archives. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  5. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Anthony LoGerfo of Promise of the Real - Interview". YouTube. February 14, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  6. ^ "Lukas Nelson, Son of Willie Nelson, to Perform at Helsinki Hudson". The Rogovoy Report. August 29, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  7. ^ ""Lukas Nelson: Wasted"". Glide Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Watch Willie Nelson and Sons Cover Pearl Jam's 'Just Breathe'". Spin. May 15, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "John Fogerty / Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". Concert Archives. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  10. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". metacritic.com. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  11. ^ Gluckin, Tzvi (June 9, 2016). "Lukas Nelson: The Genuine Article". Premier Guitar. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  12. ^ Newton, Steve (May 6, 2015). "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have connections to legends". Straight. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  13. ^ Budnick, Dean (September 20, 2019). ""I Didn't Bring a Band": The Origins of Neil Young & Promise of the Real". Relix. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Manning, Erin (September 15, 2014). "Farm Aid 2014's 8 Biggest Surprises". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Newton, Steve (May 6, 2015). "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have connections to legends". Straight. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Gensler, Andy (June 16, 2015). "Neil Young's Corporate Targets Respond to Him Calling Them Out on New Album". Billboard.
  17. ^ "Neil Young Announces New Album The Visitor, Shares "Already Great": Listen | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. November 3, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  18. ^ Petridis, Alexis (July 13, 2019). "Bob Dylan and Neil Young review – age has not withered them". The Guardian. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ Zemler, Emily (July 13, 2019). "Concert Review: Bob Dylan, Neil Young Present a Study in Contrasts at London's Hyde Park". Variety. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Greene, Andy (June 24, 2022). "Neil Young Announces 'Noise & Flowers' Live Album Capturing 'Amazing' 2019 Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  21. ^ Cahill, Greg (March 10, 2016). "Acoustic Guitar Sessions Presents: Lukas Nelson of the Promise of the Real". Acoustic Guitar. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Horsley, Jonathon (August 11, 2020). "Lukas Nelson interview: "It's like being in a masterclass, seeing how Neil Young works"". Music Radar. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ Derrough, Leslie Michele (March 7, 2016). "Lukas Nelson and Promise Of The Real Take Cowboy Hippie Surf Rock To Next Level On 'Something Real' LP (Lukas Nelson INTERVIEW)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  24. ^ "Hear Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real's Soulful Songs From New LP". Rolling Stone. July 6, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  25. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real Hit #1 On Americana Radio Chart - Lukas Nelson". Lukas Nelson. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  26. ^ "Americana Announces 2018 Honors & Awards Nominees - AmericanaMusic.org". americanamusic.org. May 14, 2018.
  27. ^ "'Willie Nelson and the Boys (Willie's Stash, Vol. 2)' Set To Release on October 20". Legacy Recordings. September 19, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  28. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 22, 2017). "Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper's 'A Star Is Born' Moves Up To Next Summer". Deadline. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  29. ^ Nordine, Michael (February 10, 2019). "BAFTA Awards 2019: 'Roma' Wins Best Film as 'The Favourite' Takes Home the Most Prizes". IndieWire. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  30. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real are fulfilling all their promise". Austin360. July 25, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  31. ^ "Chart History - Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  32. ^ "Chart History - Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  33. ^ "Lukas Nelson on the Underlying Messages Behind 'Naked Garden' and 'Turn Off the News'". Variety. March 25, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  34. ^ a b "Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real Announce New Album 'Naked Garden' & Share Single". Jambase. February 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  35. ^ "Lukas Nelson Previews New Album With Optimistic Track 'Perennial Bloom'". Rolling Stone. April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  36. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  37. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real - Chart history (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  38. ^ "Lukas Nelson - Chart history (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  39. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real - Chart history (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  40. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Chart history (Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  41. ^ Bjorke, Matt (January 14, 2019). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: January 14, 2019". Roughstock. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  42. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real to release new album Turn Off the News (Build a Garden) in June". Entertainment-focus.com. May 1, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  43. ^ Bjorke, Matt (March 3, 2020). "Top 10 Country Albums In Pure Sales: March 2, 2020". Roughstock. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  44. ^ "Neil Young - Chart history (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  45. ^ "Australian Albums". Australian-charts.com Hung Medien.
  46. ^ "Neil Young - The Monsanto Years" (in German). GfK Entertainment.
  47. ^ "All chart peaks from 2000-present". FIMI.
  48. ^ "Dutch Albums". Dutchcharts.nl.
  49. ^ "Norwegian Albums". Norwegiancharts.com.
  50. ^ "Swedish Albums". Swedishcharts.com.
  51. ^ "UK Albums". Officialcharts.com.

External links[edit]

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