Lukas Autry Nelson
Lukas Nelson was born on December 25, 1988 in Austin, Texas and raised in Maui, Hawaii. He began his professional music career in the early 2000s, but has been touring with his dad all his life. He wrote his first song at age 11, and at 13 he begin playing rhythm guitar with his father’s band. It’s during these early years he and his brother Jacob learned the art of stage performance. Later, while attending Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Lukas met Anthony LoGerfo. In 2008 they formed the band, Promise of the Real (POTR) and began touring with Willie as his opening act.
In 2009, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real released Brando’s Paradise Sessions EP album, featuring his brother, Jacob’s artwork. He describes the group’s music as “cowboy hippie surfer rock”. To date, the band has released six studio albums. In addition, Lukas joined Willie on his 2012 album, Heroes. In 2015, Lukas, Jacob, and Promise of the Real joined Neil Young on his album, The Monsanto Years. They also serve as Young’s regular backing band. Lukas describes performing as a rush. He recently shared with Austin Man Magazine, “When the energy is flowing back and forth and everybody’s jumping up and down and dancin’… It’s like riding a big wave.”