Lukas Nelson followed in the footsteps of his father Willie to become an unpredictable Americana troubadour, roaming the unplowed ground connecting rock and country. Possessing a strong, reedy voice reminiscent of his dad, Nelson is a muscular guitarist, a skill showcased in his band Promise of the Real. POTR became prominent in the mid-2010s thanks to Neil Young hiring the quintet as his backing band. The Monsanto Years, Young's 2015 album, pushed Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real into the big leagues and the group signed to Fantasy for an eponymous 2017 album. The record debuted at two on Billboard's County Album charts, but its 2019 sequel Turn Off the News (Build a Garden) proved that Nelson and Promise of the Real were modern-day hippies, as comfortable with country ballads, rock jams, spacious pop, and slow-simmering grooves. Nelson shored up his country credentials with 2023's Sticks and Stones.