20 | Rolling Stone | July 2019
The Mix
PHOTOGRAPHS BY David McClisterL
UKAS NELSON AND HIS BAND, Promise of the Real, are on a winning streak: Not
only have they been performing to massive crowds, backing their mentor Neil
Young, but they also recently opened for the Who at Bridgestone Arena in Nash-
ville. “It was one of the highlights in all of our lives,” says Nelson, 30. “I think that we’re
going to be able to do a lot more with them.” He and Promise of the Real are currently
on tour in support of their fifth studio album, Turn Off the News (Build a Garden), a rec-
ord that urges listeners to embrace the natural world. “I feel very aligned with the con-
cept of this record, more than I have been with any piece of art I’ve ever put out,” the
singer-guitarist says. “We want it to reach into the world and spread that message as
far and wide as we can.” The band is doing just that, play-
ing theaters and festivals throughout the summer. “I be-
lieve it’s a masterpiece — what we’ve been able to accom-
plish, and the ability to connect with a real issue in a way
that doesn’t alienate anybody and brings people together,”
Nelson adds. “A rising tide lifts all ships.” ANGIE MARTOCCIOHanging out backstage with Promise of the Real
Lukas Nelson’s
Ragged Glory
MAD HATTER Nelson
backstage in a hat he
wears in honor of Tom
Petty and Leon Russell.
“It’s a reminder of my heroes
who came before,” he says.ON THE ROAD