Sheryl Crow, Kesha Guest On Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real’s Upcoming Album

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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s upcoming effort, Turn Off The News (Build A Garden), their second album for Fantasy Records, features a host of special guests and collaborators including Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Micah Nelson, Kesha, Shooter Jennings, Randy Houser, Lucius, Madison Ryann Ward, Hunter Elizabeth and Neil Young.

Due June 14, the album was recorded at Shangri-La in Malibu and the Village Studios in West L.A. and was co-produced by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and John Alagia, who helmed the group’s previous effort in 2017. The band churned out the project quickly, recording 30 original songs during brief breaks between tours and tracking straight to analog tape, keeping overdubs to a minimum while focusing on the live performances.

“We wanted these songs to be fun and upbeat,” says Nelson, “but we also wanted to have something to say. Rock & roll began as a countercultural movement, so in the true spirit of rock & roll, we’re trying to encourage a lifestyle where people can be active in their local communities, rather than glued to a device. We listen to so many artists – the Byrds, Tom Petty, Al Green, Neil Young, Little Feat, J.J. Cale – and this album carries forth something they all represented, the idea of turning off the news and doing something constructive. It’s a statement about how you can live your life with your heart leading the way.”

Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) arrives on the heels of the group’s high-profile collaboration with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper on 2018’s blockbuster film and soundtrack, A Star Is Born. Lukas not only co-wrote and co-produced much of the film’s multi-platinum, Oscar-winning soundtrack, he also worked closely with Cooper in crafting the lead character’s (Jackson Maine) musical persona. And in a classic case of art imitating life, Nelson and Promise of the Real appear in the movie too, performing as Maine’s backing band just as they’ve performed with Neil Young for years. Just recently, Lukas, Gaga and Cooper won the BAFTA Award for Film Music, one of the many accolades bestowed on the acclaimed project since its release.

On May 16, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real will open for The Who at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and the following day will headline their first-ever performance at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, which sold out in a matter of days. Upcoming tour highlights include two sold-out shows at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, multiple gigs on the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, a return engagement at the Newport Folk Festival, domestic and international dates with Neil Young, and summer stadium shows opening for the Zac Brown Band.

Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) Track List:
  • Bad Case
  • Turn Off The News (Build A Garden)
  • Where Does Love Go
  • Save A Little Heartache
  • Lotta Fun
  • Civilized Hell
  • Mystery
  • Simple Life
  • Out In LA
  • Something Real
  • Stars Made Of You
  • Turn Off The News (Build a Garden) [Acoustic]
  • Consider It Heaven
Lorie Hollabaugh
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