Lukas Nelson on the Bobby Bones Show, July 14, 2023’

Lukas Nelson Shares the Music Advice His Dad Gave Him

Excerpt written by Lauren Smith

Lukas stopped by The Bobby Bones Show to talk about his new record, share how music saved his life and gave him a purpose, and perform his songs “Find Yourself” and “Sticks and Stones.”

Nelson’s new album, Sticks and Stones, is out today (July 14.) He wrote the 12 songs on it and is very proud of this project and feels it represents who he is and where he’s in life right now. Nelson, the son of legend Willie Nelson, grew up surrounded by music and it consumed him. He feels the most comfortable with an acoustic guitar in his hands and said he is really good at sitting down and writing a song in 30 minutes. He said when an idea comes to him, it comes quick, and he writes all his songs with his shows in mind. He usually writes the lyrics first, but the melody very quickly follows. He enjoys writing ballads that people can deeply connect to and his favorite song to play live is “Find Yourself.”

“Find Yourself” was a breakup song that he didn’t write while going through the emotions. He wrote it after he had time to process it. He said his best work comes when he looks back from the darkness and takes the light from it.

Music saved Nelson’s life. It reminded him he has a purpose and it’s why he named his band Promise Of The Real. When he’s performing, he wants to see his band name on the marquee to remind himself why he creates music and that it’s his purpose in life that has brought him out of some very dark places. For Nelson, his art is always about staying true to where perseverance is possible. His unique singing voice closely resembles his father’s. There are all types of voices that exist, but what’s important to him is the soul and passion behind it. His father always told him, “Don’t be afraid to be weird or different. It’s okay if your voice isn’t ‘normal’ because that makes you unique and people will resonate with the uniqueness of who you are.”

Growing up, Nelson got to meet a lot of celebrities while on the road with his dad. He remembers times when Muhammad Ali and Ray Charles came over his house. He recalled when Ray Charles and Leon Russell sang with his dad at his 80th birthday party “A Song For You.” A Few years later, when YouTube became a thing, Nelson showed the video to his dad and he started to cry watching his hero, Charles, sing his song. It was a very special moment that Nelson still gets sentimental about today.

While in studio, Nelson performed his songs “Find Yourself” and “Sticks and Stones” you can watch his performances below! Nelson is currently on tour and announcing more dates soon!

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