Country Music finds 28-year-old Lukas Nelson in philosophical mood as he ponders life, love and the wider fame that is surely coming his way. He may be young in country terms, but Lukas Nelson has already cultivated a rich and compelling resume at age 28. Son of legend Willie Nelson, Lukas has played with his father, both live and on his album Heroes. He’s played and collaborated – alongside his own seasoned band Promise Of The Real – with fellow elder Neil Young on The Monsanto Years. Touring with the venerable Young throughout 2015-16 to showcase that album, Nelson was away from the microphone, but his searing guitar still impacted audiences on a cellular level. As a singer-songwriter in his own right, he’s now back with Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real and it’s fair to say this is the album that will make Nelson a star in his own right. If Lukas was usually seen as “Willie Nelson’s son”, it’s very possible a new generation of music fans will soon know ol’ Shotgun Willie as “Lukas Nelson’s dad.” Lukas Nelson & POTR is steeped in soulful blues, and punctuated by soft rock, but with its yearning vocals, and universally-relatable storytelling it is, at heart, a collection of songs that are authentically country. It’s got its feet firmly in 2017, though, with Lady Gaga (a genuine country fan, incidentally) guesting on Find Yourself and a cross-genre appeal to music fans of all stripes. Just to get comparisons out of the way: Lukas’ voice may be redolent of his father’s as they share some similar phrasing plus a hint of that delicious, nasal twang. However Lucas possesses a big powerful voice of distinction. LN & POTR proves that the apprentice who learnt much from the master has now defined himself as a unique artist of depth, potency and integrity. And in conversation Lukas is passionate, philosophical and frank, and it’s sometimes best to leave his expansive musings speak for themselves… CM: Ostensibly, your charmed life on the road with Neil Young, surfing at home in Maui and living part-time in Austin, Texas, would appear to be one of luxury. Is there a struggle which helped inspire these visceral, soul-baring songs? LN: Right now I’m a pretty happy person. But I think the one thing that everybody can relate to no matter where they come from is that heartbreak hurts just as bad no matter the walls that you have that surround you or the quality of the mattress you sleep on. Lost love still hurts hard, across the board. So, love and death are the great levellers? Love is as human as needing to breathe and it comes in many forms: your first major dose comes from your parents, which can also fuck you up depending on your parents. I got lucky in that because I have great parents, but we have our issues too. The teenage years are a critical point of reckoning and the preface to becoming an adult. It’s about: ‘When do I take ownership of my heart? When am I an adult?’ It sounds like you’ve thought a lot about your own growing up? As a younger kid I did a lot of inward exploring because I wasn’t very happy, and I didn’t really like myself as a youngster. I felt a little bit angry because we had so much privilege yet so many other people had so little. Plus I wanted to just stay in one place so I could have friends like other kids. There are certain things I was unable to do because I felt we were sheltered and felt imprisoned by my situation even though the experiences around me were great plus we were surrounded by really conscious, aware, artistic people who were ultimately helpful to me. But I felt I didn’t get a chance to have friends because I never lived any where longer than three months, ever. Mom raised me mostly because my dad was on the road constantly. I love my dad because luckily he’s such a good-hearted person and I learnt much from him – watching him interact with other people. My mother did the best she could because there’s no manual on parenting and I had to unlearn some things and try to love myself and become a more well-rounded human being. That for me took breaking free of the confines of my own mind. The irony I became very aware of is that many rich people who have ‘everything’ are the least happy people. I’m a big reader and read voraciously both fiction and self help books as a teenager. I recognised I was privileged, but I wasn’t happy. I was always a searcher for happiness. I read many self help books like The Power Of Now, The Four Agreements and I read fiction like Joseph Campbell and [Herman Hesse novel] Siddhartha. Hesse’s theme of rebirth really touched me. So regardless of what’s around you what you feel is a choice, as is suffering. So for me, the real heart of my music is not suffering but the epiphany I get when I’ve been searching and then discover the right thought or answer that has a lot of energy and opens a new pathway. Those thoughts can make great songs. Don’t Lose Your Mind is an old song of my mine which is a mantra I tell myself to not let my thoughts control me. Gratefulness is something you’ve spoken about in the past and how crucial it is to your well-being… If you can’t live in perpetual gratitude then you’ve missed the point. I’m just grateful to be alive. I’m learning and understanding more where I now feel a bit more informed for my age. But I’ve lived a long life for a 20-something. I’ve been to a lot of places, had some unusual experiences and I’m so lucky to be here. I have to keep moving which helps me. You think you are
