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When Lukas Nelson issued his album American Romance earlier this summer, it marked the first release under his own name. Up until then, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist fronted the group Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, which eventually went on to back Neil Young for nearly five years.
The band announced they were going their separate ways, at least for a little while, in 2024. “After 15 unforgettable years, Promise of the Real has decided to take a well-earned hiatus, and begin a new creative chapter in all of our lives,” a statement read.
In a new interview on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Nelson spoke at length about his decision to press pause on the band and make his solo debut with American Romance.
“It’d been a long time of hundreds of shows a year with the same guys, the same musicians. I think growth is important,” he says. “I felt that that band had become Neil Young’s band. It started off as my band and then when Neil heard us, we all loved Neil, and we all went and became disciples and students of him … We went off and had adventures with him.”
Nelson says he’s committed to prioritizing his own music. “I wanted to keep playing my own songs … I wanted to focus on that completely. And a lot of those guys are still playing with Neil, so that’s great, but I wanted to be able to do my own thing,” he says, “and to put most of my focus on that and building my own crowd.”
American Romance was produced by Shooter Jennings, who as the son of outlaw country pioneer Waylon Jennings shares a unique perspective with Nelson — the son of Willie Nelson. In his Nashville Now appearance, Nelson talks about his bond with Jennings, quitting weed, and why he tries to spend every moment he can with his father.
Download and subscribe toRolling Stone’s weekly country-music podcast,Nashville Now, hosted by senior music editor Joseph Hudak, on Apple PodcastsorSpotify(or wherever you get your podcasts). New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature interviews with everyone from songwriter Margo Price to comedian Dusty Slay.
