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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Also known asPOTR
Origin Venice, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Rock, country rock, roots rock
Years active2008–present
Labels Fantasy
MembersLukas Nelson
Anthony LoGerfo
Tato Melgar
Corey McCormick
Logan Metz
Past membersMerlyn Kelly
Website lukasnelson.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, they toured as 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, they have toured with John Fogerty, BB King, and Willie Nelson (Nelson's father). The band has appeared on every major late night talk show including the Late Show with David Letterman, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. [1]

In 2018, the band opened for The Rolling Stones and The Who. In September 2024, they opened for Tedeschi Trucks Band at Madison Square Garden and TD Garden. They have performed at large music festivals including Stagecoach, Glastonbury Festival (England), Byron Bay Blues Fest (Australia), Lollapalooza, High Sierra Music Festival and Farm Aid.

History

Formation and Early Releases (2008-2012)

In 2007, Lukas Nelson ( Willie Nelson's son) moved from Paia, Hawaii to Los Angeles in 2007 to attend Loyola Marymount University. He met musician Anthony LoGerfo at a Neil Young rock concert in 2008, and their friendship developed through shared interests in rock music and surfing. Nelson left the university and with LoGerfo eventually launched Promise of the Real with band members Tato Melgar and bassist Merlyn Kelly. [2] The band's name was inspired by the lyric "Some get stoned, some get strange, but sooner or later it all gets real" from the Neil Young song Walk On. [3]

In autumn 2008, the band released the EP Live Beginnings, recorded at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California [4] They began touring, playing upwards of 300 shows throughout the next two years. 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. [5] During touring breaks, they recorded and released the studio extended play Brando's Paradise Sessions. The five track release featured bassist John Avila in place of their original bassist, Merlyn Kelly, who was no longer with the band. The album cover is 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. [4]

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 new bassist, appeared on the album having joined the band in 2009, replacing Kelly. McCormick had previously been a bassist with Chris Cornell. [6] The album includes three cover tracks: Peaceful Solution ( Willie Nelson), Pali Gap/Hey Baby ( Jimi Hendrix) and L.A.( Neil Young), that are songs by artists that have heavily influenced members of the band. LoGerfo shares in an interview that album engineer Steve Chadie's 6-year-old daughter provided the cover art for the release. [7]

In 2012, the band released two albums, Wasted and Live Endings, both on the Tone Tide label. Neil Young has greatly influenced the band, in both their music style and production values, and at his suggestion, they decided to record analog live in the studio. Nelson believes doing so “added a lot of magnetism and energy . . . this record [Wasted] sounds more like what you get when you see us perform.” [8] Co-producer Jim "Moose" Brown (G rammy Award-winning session musician/songwriter/producer) increased the music complexity on this album by bringing in additional instrumentation including steel guitar, harmonica, Dobro guitar, Wurtlitzer piano, and Hammond B3 organ. [9]

While the group's fan base continued to expand, the band kept up their relentless road schedule, averaging 250 shows each year, [10] and the young musicians didn't miss valuable opportunities to expand their national exposure. In April 2012, they appeared on Bob Weir's studio TRI Studios broadcast on Yahoo Music. In the fall of that year, they backed John Fogerty on his coast-to-coast tour of Canada, [11] and continued to open shows for Willie Nelson.They performed a cover of Pearl Jam's "Just Breathe" live on Willie's Roadhouse channel on Sirius XM on May 15, 2012. [12] 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. [13]

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 to be an “amazing and varied sonic environment, while its history and location provided the vibe.” [14] The sessions at the mansion were mastered, but album release was put off until 2016. This deliberate delay allowed them to pursue an exciting and extensive new venture with their rocker idol, Neil Young. [15]

Backing and Collaborations with Neil Young (2015-2019)

In January 2015, Neil Young and the band recorded the concept album The Monsanto Years. The album includes " A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee Shop" which targets Starbucks and its use of genetically modified food. The album recording and live rehearsals were filmed by Don Hannah in April 2015 for a film also entitled The Monsanto Years. [16]

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.

On November 3, 2017, Young announced a new album with Promise of the Real. The album, entitled The Visitor, was released December 1 and included a song called "Already Great". [17]

The album Paradox (2018) is the soundtrack to Daryl Hannah's film Paradox released on March 23, 2018. [18]

Noise & Flowers is a live album of selected songs from Young's tour of Europe in 2019, which was released on August 5, 2022. [19] The tour commenced just two weeks after the passing of Young's long time manager and friend Elliot Roberts and served as a memorial to their 50 plus years of collaboration. [20] [21]

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (2017)

The band signed with Fantasy Records and released the self-titled album Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real on August 25, 2017. [22] The album hit No. 1 on the Americana Radio Chart the week of November 10, 2017 [23] 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. [24]

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

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. [25]

A Star Is Born (2018)

A Star Is Born, directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Cooper and Lady Gaga, was released in October 2018. [26] 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. [27]

Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) (2019)

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, [28] peaking at No. 19 on Billboard's US Top Country Albums chart [29] and 31 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart. [30]

Naked Garden (2020)

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). [31] [32] 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. [32]

A Few Stars Apart (2021)

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. [33]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
US
[34] 		US
Country
[35] 		US
Heat.
[36] 		US
Taste
[37] 		US
Folk
[38]
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 [40]
  • 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

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[42] 		AUS
[43] 		GER
[44] 		ITA
[45] 		NED
[46] 		NOR
[47] 		SWE
[48] 		UK
[49]
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

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

Live recordings

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

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

  1. ^ "Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real". There San Diego. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link)
  2. ^ Harward, Randy. "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". Salt Lake City Weekly. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  3. ^ "Lukas Nelson". Playing For Change. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "The Nelson Family Comes to Town". San Diego Troubador. April 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2024.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link)
  5. ^ "concertarchives.org". Concert Archives. Retrieved April 4, 2024.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link)
  6. ^ "A conversation with Chris Cornell by Clare O'Brien". June 22, 2007. Archived from the original on June 22, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  7. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Anthony LoGerfo of Promise of the Real - Interview". February 14, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2024.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link)
  8. ^ "Lukas Nelson, Son of Willie Nelson, to Perform at Helsinki Hudson". The Rogovoy Report. August 29, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2024.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link)
  9. ^ ""Lukas Nelson: Wasted"". Glide Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2024.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link)
  10. ^ Curtin, Kevin (August 25, 2017). "Playback – Lukas Nelson: Real as Promised". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 23, 2024.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link)
  11. ^ "John Fogerty / Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". Concert Archives. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status ( link)
  12. ^ "Watch Willie Nelson and Sons Cover Pearl Jam's 'Just Breathe'". Spin. May 15, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". metacritic.com. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  14. ^ Gluckin, Tzvi (June 9, 2016). "Lukas Nelson: The Genuine Article". Premier Guitar. Retrieved April 23, 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 April 23, 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. ^ Cush, Andy (March 13, 2018). "Neil Young Announces New Album 'Paradox' to Soundtrack Daryl Hannah Western". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  19. ^ Greene, Andy (June 24, 2022). "Neil Young Announces 'Noise & Flowers' Live Album Capturing 'Amazing' 2019 Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  20. ^ Greene, Andy (June 24, 2022). "Neil Young Announces 'Noise & Flowers' Live Album Capturing 'Amazing' 2019 Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  21. ^ Robinson, Ellie (June 25, 2022). "Neil Young to immortalise 2019 tour on 'Noise & Flowers' live album and film". NME. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  22. ^ "Hear Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real's Soulful Songs From New LP". Rolling Stone. July 6, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  23. ^ "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.
  24. ^ "Americana Announces 2018 Honors & Awards Nominees - AmericanaMusic.org". americanamusic.org. May 14, 2018.
  25. ^ "'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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real are fulfilling all their promise". Austin360. July 25, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  29. ^ "Chart History - Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  30. ^ "Chart History - Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real". May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  31. ^ "Lukas Nelson on the Underlying Messages Behind 'Naked Garden' and 'Turn Off the News'". Variety. March 25, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  32. ^ a b "Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real Announce New Album 'Naked Garden' & Share Single". Jambase. February 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  33. ^ "Lukas Nelson Previews New Album With Optimistic Track 'Perennial Bloom'". Rolling Stone. April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  34. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  35. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real - Chart history (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  36. ^ "Lukas Nelson - Chart history (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  37. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real - Chart history (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  38. ^ "Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Chart history (Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  39. ^ Bjorke, Matt (January 14, 2019). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: January 14, 2019". Roughstock. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  40. ^ "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.
  41. ^ Bjorke, Matt (March 3, 2020). "Top 10 Country Albums In Pure Sales: March 2, 2020". Roughstock. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  42. ^ "Neil Young - Chart history (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  43. ^ "Australian Albums". Australian-charts.com Hung Medien.
  44. ^ "Neil Young - The Monsanto Years" (in German). GfK Entertainment.
  45. ^ "All chart peaks from 2000-present". FIMI.
  46. ^ "Dutch Albums". Dutchcharts.nl.
  47. ^ "Norwegian Albums". Norwegiancharts.com.
  48. ^ "Swedish Albums". Swedishcharts.com.
  49. ^ "UK Albums". Officialcharts.com.

External links

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