After more than a decade of leading his band Promise of the Real, Lukas Nelson is going solo with the more personal writing that emerges on his official debut, American Romance. A collection of love songs to the roads that raised him as a young adult constantly on tour, and to the mentors and loved ones that shaped him, American Romance finds Nelson reflecting on how far he’s come and his relationship with himself. The weight of legacy and identity, the ephemeral life of a traveling artist desperate for roots, and of course, mortality can be felt across soulful country tunes that showcase Nelson’s impressive command of his belt and the hard-won wisdom of a true road dog.
Nelson still has plenty of gas left in the tank, so American Romance operates as more of spiritual check-in than a finale. But he starts this new chapter at the end, looking at the way his experience thus far has molded him on songs like the swaggering “Ain’t Done” and the frolicking “Born Runnin’ Outta Time.” Nelson contends with the restless spirit that’s been at his core since childhood, fueling his desire to keep at it and keep getting better. “Road life took my better days/I've tried living in better ways/You might say it’s kinda late to start,” he sings on the latter.
