Lukas Nelson has followed in the giant footsteps of his father Willie to become an unpredictable Americana troubadour in his own right, roaming the unplowed ground between rock and country. Possessing a reedy, strong voice reminiscent of his dad, Nelson is also a muscular guitarist, a skill first 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 group signed to Fantasy for an eponymous 2017 album. The record debuted at two on Billboard's Country Album charts, but its 2019 sequel Turn Off the News (Build a Garden), along with 2021's A Few Stars Apart, proved that Nelson and Promise of the Real were modern-day hippies, just as comfortable with country ballads as rock jams. When Promise of the Real disbanded, Nelson released his debut solo album, American Romance, in 2025.