Latest news with #Nelson
Time Magazine
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Lukas Nelson Is Ready to Make a Name for Himself
Even if you can't name one song by Lukas Nelson, chances are you've already heard his music. The 36-year-old singer-songwriter (and son of country music mainstay Willie Nelson) has not only been releasing country-roots albums with his band the Promise of the Real since 2010, he and his band have been touring and recording with Neil Young since 2016. Nelson has also written for the screen: In 2020, he won a Grammy for his work on a little film called A Star Is Born, for which he wrote and co-produced several songs, as well as appeared on screen as a member of Bradley Cooper's band. Despite all of these accolades and accomplishments, Nelson has a grander vision for himself. He'd love to graduate from behind-the-scenes player—let's say your favorite country artist's favorite country artist—into a top-billed superstar in his own right. There's no reason to think that he won't meet the moment. Nelson's debut solo album, American Romance (produced by Shooter Jennings, son of Waylon), is brimming with universal observations about love, loss, family, perseverance, and the cycle of birth and death. It's all set against a classic American backdrop of diner counters and truck stops, East Coast turnpike exits and snow-tipped Montana mountains. Led by Nelson's acoustic fingerpicking and aching, reedy vocals, American Romance goes down with the familiar ease of a time-worn Townes Van Zandt record while distinguishing itself enough to stand on its own in the modern-country landscape. Ahead of his album's release on June 20, Nelson spoke to TIME about the long road to American Romance, finding the right way to discuss his lineage, and why he's a 'disciple of Dolly Parton' when it comes to politics. Nelson: Well, Promise of the Real was a band that I started when I was 19. I was always the songwriter, and those guys traveled with me through thick and thin. We became Neil Young's backing band for five years. Then we're trying to do both my songs and Neil's songs and straddle that line. But a lot of the fans that we got were fans of Neil and, of course, my father. Eventually I realized, if I don't establish myself as an artist right now, then I won't be able to. So I just decided to go out and play for my own fans and my own generation and figure out who I am. I had to just become Lukas Nelson. I stopped smoking weed, I became sober. I faced my fear of flying by becoming a pilot. And I sort of let go of a lot of the legacy ideals that I had grown up with and felt pressured by. There's a song on the album—it's the first song I ever wrote, when I was 11, called 'You Were It.' I wrote that before I started telling myself a story of who I was meant to be. That song came to me on a school bus. My dad liked it so much that he recorded it. Then Kris Kristofferson said, "I love that song. Are you going to be a songwriter?" I said, "I don't know." He said, "Well, you don't have a choice." That inspired me to become a musician. But now I'm trying to ask myself: What do I mean musically? How do you feel American Romance might begin to answer that question? I'm working with some of my favorite musicians of our time: Stephen Wilson Jr., Sierra Ferrell, Anderson East. 'God Ain't Done,' I wrote with Aaron Raitiere, who just had a hit with 'You Look Like You Love Me' with Ella Langley and Riley Green. I'm writing a lot with Ernest [Keith Smith], who's written all the number one hits on Morgan Wallen's recent album. I've always believed that I could stand toe-to-toe with anyone as a songwriter. I am a songwriter first and foremost—I play good guitar, and I sing well, and I perform well, but the songs are the most important thing, what brought me to A Star is Born and what really, I think, caused Neil [Young] to take notice. You have artists like Kacey Musgraves, Zach Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers—these are the artists that I respect, and I want to be part of that conversation and musical landscape. I want to have a career that lasts as long as my father's. And when my father played, he played for his generation, and they followed him now up into his nineties. So in order to have that longevity, I have to be smart and play to my own people. I've always known and respected [Shooter] for his musicality. I'd always wanted to work with him. I think now was the perfect moment, because he's established himself separate from his legacy, as an incredible producer. Now I feel like the conversation is less about, 'Oh, isn't it cool that these kids are doing it and their fathers were friends?' That becomes a little bit of icing on the cake. Those who don't know us will probably still look at it that way. And that's something I deal with my whole life. [But] we've gotten past the idea that we are only just the sons of [ Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings]. We have our own careers that we've built. I respect [Shooter's] work ethic. When I started playing with the band, we did 250 shows a year for a good part of 10 years, just in order to prove to myself. I knew I was going to have to work twice as hard. People who don't know me are always going to have an opinion on whether I got anything handed to me, but I know how hard I worked, and so at the moment of my death, that's what I'm going to look at. I can see that Shooter has the same approach. I can imagine you having so many different internal conversations with yourself. Like on one hand, when Kris Kristofferson tells you that you were born to be a songwriter, that's amazing. At the same time, like with any family business, did you feel like there was ever even a choice? I'm so grateful that he gave me that inspiration because it lit a fire. And I had the confidence to say, 'OK, put my head down, ignore everything anyone else is saying and just work, and I think I have some sort of innate understanding of this songwriting thing that I can actually nurture.' I'm really grateful to that 11-year-old boy who understood that the time that he put in then would pay off now. And it has. It was about just closing my ears to any of the chatter and playing guitar eight hours a day and through the night, much to the chagrin of my mother, and just obsessing over songwriting, not giving a crap about parties in high school. I never had one sip of a beer until I was in college. I just focused. The greatest part about being the son of my father, and of my mother [Annie D'Angelo] too, was the inspiration and support. Like Colonel Tom Parker seeing Elvis and saying, "I'm going to focus all of my efforts on that man," he invested and made him a star. So somebody has to champion you, and I was lucky to have that growing up. Yeah, it's a double-edged sword. Say you have no industry connections and want to make it as an artist, you're going to need someone to take a chance on you. Meanwhile, as you've described, say you do come from a family with every connection—someone will still have to personally vouch for you, because people will make assumptions. Now I've gotten to this place where I think I'm clear-headed enough to understand how to talk about it. I didn't really know how to describe what I was feeling. I was in my Beatles Hamburg days—just playing show after show after show. And when people would ask me [about my father], I'd be like, 'I don't even have time to answer that. Ask me about my record.' You know what I mean? I love my dad and he's a good man, and I love my mom and she's a good woman. And my brother and sisters. It's a good family. I'm lucky. Not because he's a successful musician, because he's a good person and a kind person and is in touch with his empathy. That's what I'm most grateful for. How did you end up settling on the album name American Romance? The title came from the song, [which is] like a portrait. This whole album is a bunch of different chapters, kind of in a John Steinbeck Travels With Charley, memoir-like [way] about different moments that shaped me growing up in this country that raised me. The loves and the losses and the heartache, and then the elation. There were moments where I've spent Thanksgiving dinners at a truck stop having the turkey special, and then having the kindly waitress feel bad for me, although she was working too. It's the Walmart parking lots. It's the sirens at night, the rendezvous in the night. There's a thousand different stories I have in hundreds of hours of travel, but I tried to just put it into an album of 13 songs. At the same time, it's an album about the future. I've got a song called 'Pretty Much' that talks about how I envision the hour of my death and what I hope is in store for me in terms of love and relationships. I'd love to be surrounded by my family and them desperately wanting all the information about how I met the love of my life, who's right there beside me, and telling all the different stories about when I fell in love. It's about the future and the past and the present. You split your time between Nashville and Hawaii now, and between Hawaii and Texas when you were growing up. When people ask, where do you say you're from? I was raised by America, by the United States. The roads raised me. I may have been born in Texas, and I spent some time there. I spent some time in Hawaii. But most of my life was spent on the road growing up from Walmart parking lot to motel, to hotel to diner to stage. It's easier almost to say the greater United States than it is to say anywhere in specific. Country music has such a legacy of storytelling about America, encapsulating the good, the bad, the mundane. But 2025 is such a unique time to release a body of work about the country, seeing as the country itself has rarely been more divided. As someone who has traveled it so extensively, what are some commonalities that you think everybody living in the U.S. still shares? That's a great question. I believe that we all share the heart. There's a song I have called 'Turn Off the News (Build a Garden).' 'I believe that every heart is kind, some are just a little underused' is the first line. I think that when we can connect with our hearts, we can open up empathy inside of ourselves. Now, there are exceptions to the rule. Obviously some people are sociopathic. So barring that, I feel like music has the power to cut through the mind and reach the heart. What we can all relate to is suffering in love and relationships and heartbreak. Those things are really universal. My belief is that I can change people's minds more by doing what I do than by standing and making statements. I can put it in my music. I believe that strongly, and I've seen it work. There's a guy named Daryl Davis who is a Black musician, and he has converted over 200 Klansmen, to the point where they give him their hoods because he sat there and talked to them. This guy has some balls. He somehow reached their hearts. I think the only way to change people's minds, if they have hatred, is to try and reach their hearts. I don't think calling them a monster will do it. Some people are beyond changing, I understand that. But music has the power to open up hearts. I know I'm good at one thing, and I do it. I am not a politician. I have friends that span the aisles, as they say. But kindness and compassion are where I try to live from. I look at someone who's suffering, and I always believe in helping that person out. I'm a disciple of Dolly Parton, let's just say.
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
'Dumb decision' to increase Nelson highway speed limit reversed
Nelson's Clifton Terrace School students protested over the speed limit changes in February. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee A section of highway north of Nelson will remain at 60km/h after a strong community campaign against the government rollback of speed limit reductions. The 1.8-kilometre stretch of State Highway 6, north of Nelson, was set to increase to 80km/h from July, until Waka Kotahi / New Zealand Transport Agency agreed to publicly consult on the proposed change. The stretch of road through Marybank at Atawhai passes Clifton Terrace School and many residential properties. The community launched a strong campaign in opposition to the government's speed limit reversal plan , writing to the transport minister with their concerns. Waka Kotahi said it received strong feedback that people did not want the stretch of road to revert to higher speed limits. Of 1787 submissions, 76 percent wanted the speed limit to remain at 60km/h. Respondents showed a desire to keep children safe on the road, especially those travelling by foot or bike to Clifton Terrace School. Parents for Active Transport's Emily Osborne said it was a relief to learn the speed limit would remain at 60km/h. The group was formed in the hope of achieving safety improvements on the cycleway alongside the state highway so parents felt more comfortable with their kids riding to Clifton Terrace School, but Osborne said they had spent the last six months campaigning to ensure the speed on the highway remained the same. "It just reaffirms that this is a battle that we shouldn't really have had to fight because it was just a dumb decision [the government] made." She said claims the previous government was slowing the country down were not true, when the speed limit was previously reduced from 80km/h on that section of SH6 because it was unsafe. Waka Kotahi said its safety and technical data aligned with submissions said children were safer when travelling by foot or bike to and from school, and residents also reporting it was safer to cross the state highway with the traffic at 60km/h. "There are not many people around who think that going faster through that stretch is a good idea," Osborne said. She said the decision was "a little bit bittersweet" as it came on the back of speed limit increases on SH6 between Nelson and Blenheim, which reverted to their former limits on Monday. She anticipated that there would be more serious crashes and deaths on that section of highway, as was the case before the speeds were reduced in 2020. "We drive over it all the time as do all our family and friends and stuff and it's just not safe." Another "urban connector" section of road on SH6, north of Wakefield, was due to have its speed increased but was consulted on, with the decision also made for it to stay at 60km/h. Of 633 submissions, 49 percent wanted the speed limit to remain at 60km/h. Labour MP Rachel Boyack. Photo: Max Frethey / LDR Nelson's Labour MP Rachel Boyack said there had been a huge pushback from the community when the government announced the speed increases and she was delighted that their views had been taken into account. She said the blanket decision to reverse all of the speed limit changes had been made without looking at the evidence. "People have been advocating for lower speed limits in some of these areas for years and years off the back of fatal crashes, lots of incidents where children have been unsafe getting to school." She said the decision to retain the lower speed limit was a result of the hard work done by many to ensure Waka Kotahi heard the views of the community. "This didn't have to happen. If the government's rule had been written in a more flexible way at the very beginning, we wouldn't have had to go through this long-winded and expensive consultation process." Boyack said there was another section of SH6, further north at Hira, where the road ran past a school and the speed had been increased, despite strong community feedback against it. "The indication is that future speed management reviews could be made there, but it's just such a waste of time and money to be going back and forth between different speed limits. We need a robust system that looks at both the evidence and the views of the local community." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Nostalgic 60s shopping centre set to be DEMOLISHED to make way for new retail complex and car park for over 150 motors
AN ICONIC 60s shopping centre is to be demolished to make way for a new retail centre and car park for more than 150 vehicles. It comes as Pendle Borough Council aims to revitalise the Lancashire town of Nelson after receiving £25 million of government funding. 1 One of the council's projects is the demolition and rebuilding of nostalgic shopping centre Pendle Rise in the town. But a row is brewing after reports several retailers are still trading in in the centre, which is due to for demolition later this year. Demolition work is due to be completed by March 2026, with building work on the new centre due to start shortly after. Richard Savory, a consultant from the RAISE Partnership, which is overseeing the project, sought to reassure the Nelson Town Deal board at its latest meeting. The town board includes property-linked businesses involved commercially with the projects, a small number of elected councillors, private businesses and voluntary sector representatives. This is required under town deal rules. Mr Savory said some key phases of the compulsory purchase order process to buy it had been completed. Issues were raised by Specsavers, regarding finding an alternative shop, and Lancashire County Council, he said, but these had been resolved. Birmingham give update on new £3billion stadium as they announce major development Specsavers was accused of "lacking vision" but is now due to move to a shop on Manchester Road, Lancs Live reported. Mr Savory said: "We still expect to be on-site at Pendle Rise in October, with five months to demolish. "Once the strip-out including asbestos is done, it will be about six weeks to bring the shell down. It's a tight deadline but achievable." 'We can turf them out if we need to' He added: "Before we can demolish, we have to vacate it. But that won't be problem because all the powers will rest with Pendle Council. All people will have to leave. "We anticipate that all businesses there will be gone by then. But if need be, we can turf them out on November 3. "We will write to the five remaining retailers who have not yet reached a relocation deal. But we are running out of time to do walk-away offers." At the meeting, David Rothwell, deputy principal of Nelson and Colne College, asked what the implications were if the deadline was not met. Mr Savory replied: "We're in regular talks with the government ministry. "I think it accepts some projects may finish between 2026 and 2027. "We send monitoring updates and there will be one in September. We'll have a much clearer view by then." Lib-Dem Councillor David Whipp, the new leader of Pendle Council, said: "Can I thank everybody involved with resolving these things. "It was quite bizarre that Lancashire County Council was objecting. And Specsavers seemed to lack vision and be very short-sighted with this. But the objections have been withdrawn. "Vacating Pendle Rise and getting it demolished is a key project. It cannot be delayed. " Conservative Coun Nadeem Ahmed added: "The public want to see action. I know there's a of work involved but I think people are asking when is this going to happen? They want to see work. " Independent Coun Asjad Mahmood, the deputy council leader, said: "The legal requirement to give notice to shops is three months. But we are giving them four months. "We've made good progress with the CPO and this scheme will have lasting benefits for the community." Demolition day Pendle Rise is just one nostalgic shopping centre in the UK that is past its sell-by date. The Grafton Centre in Cambridge is also set to be demolished after years of decline. As we reported recently, it housed just 11 retailers after years of neglect. Built in 1983, the shopping hub has undergone significant changes in the 40 years since it was built. An expansion took place in the 1990s, in addition to a recent refurbishment in 2017. Despite attempts to revive the struggling centre, Cambridge City Council approved plans to partially demolish the building in February 2024. Led by the Pioneer Group, the demolished site will be replaced by science laboratories, plus a hotel and a gym. It hopes to be a more productive use of the space, as the shopping centre had become run down with lots of empty units. Over the last few years retailers like Debenhams, River Island and New Look all closed down their Grafton-Centre sites, leaving it feeling increasingly empty.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
'I'm not through with it yet': Willie Nelson at 92
When Willie Nelson celebrated his 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl two years ago, it could have been mistaken for a retirement party. But at 92, he's working as much as ever. Nelson will be on the road again with Bob Dylan when the Outlaw Music Festival resumes for the second leg of its 10th year starting on June 20 in Clarkston, Michigan. Asked if he'd ever like his life to get the feature film treatment that Dylan did last year with "A Complete Unknown, " Nelson said, "I've heard some talk about it. But I'm not through with it yet." The tour is one part of a loaded year. This spring, Nelson released his 77th studio album, a collection of songs by his friend Rodney Crowell. And he's added a new THC tonic, Willie's Remedy+, to his wide world of weed products. The album comes on the 50th anniversary of "Red Headed Stranger," the album that many consider Nelson's masterpiece. A breakthrough for him at age 42, it took him from respected journeyman to beloved superstar. As Nelson returns to the road, the only surviving member of the classic lineup of his Family band is Mickey Raphael, 73, whose harmonica has duetted for decades with the Willie warble. Bassist Bee Spears died in 2011. Guitarist and backup singer Jody Payne died in 2013. Drummer Paul English died in 2020. And Nelson's sister Bobbie Nelson, his only sibling and his piano player, died in 2022. But the band he takes on the road now is just as familial in its own way. It often includes his sons Lukas and Micah. English's brother Billy plays the drums. The son of Payne and singer Sammi Smith, Waylon Payne, plays guitar September will bring the 40th anniversary addition of Farm Aid, the annual festival to support family farmers, which Nelson founded with Neil Young and John Mellencamp, He performs there annually. It was inspired by one-off charity concerts like "Live Aid," but became an annual institution, rotating each year to a different farm-adjacent city. It's in Minneapolis this year. When Willie Nelson celebrated his 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl two years ago, it could have been mistaken for a retirement party. But at 92, he's working as much as ever. Nelson will be on the road again with Bob Dylan when the Outlaw Music Festival resumes for the second leg of its 10th year starting on June 20 in Clarkston, Michigan. Asked if he'd ever like his life to get the feature film treatment that Dylan did last year with "A Complete Unknown, " Nelson said, "I've heard some talk about it. But I'm not through with it yet." The tour is one part of a loaded year. This spring, Nelson released his 77th studio album, a collection of songs by his friend Rodney Crowell. And he's added a new THC tonic, Willie's Remedy+, to his wide world of weed products. The album comes on the 50th anniversary of "Red Headed Stranger," the album that many consider Nelson's masterpiece. A breakthrough for him at age 42, it took him from respected journeyman to beloved superstar. As Nelson returns to the road, the only surviving member of the classic lineup of his Family band is Mickey Raphael, 73, whose harmonica has duetted for decades with the Willie warble. Bassist Bee Spears died in 2011. Guitarist and backup singer Jody Payne died in 2013. Drummer Paul English died in 2020. And Nelson's sister Bobbie Nelson, his only sibling and his piano player, died in 2022. But the band he takes on the road now is just as familial in its own way. It often includes his sons Lukas and Micah. English's brother Billy plays the drums. The son of Payne and singer Sammi Smith, Waylon Payne, plays guitar September will bring the 40th anniversary addition of Farm Aid, the annual festival to support family farmers, which Nelson founded with Neil Young and John Mellencamp, He performs there annually. It was inspired by one-off charity concerts like "Live Aid," but became an annual institution, rotating each year to a different farm-adjacent city. It's in Minneapolis this year. When Willie Nelson celebrated his 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl two years ago, it could have been mistaken for a retirement party. But at 92, he's working as much as ever. Nelson will be on the road again with Bob Dylan when the Outlaw Music Festival resumes for the second leg of its 10th year starting on June 20 in Clarkston, Michigan. Asked if he'd ever like his life to get the feature film treatment that Dylan did last year with "A Complete Unknown, " Nelson said, "I've heard some talk about it. But I'm not through with it yet." The tour is one part of a loaded year. This spring, Nelson released his 77th studio album, a collection of songs by his friend Rodney Crowell. And he's added a new THC tonic, Willie's Remedy+, to his wide world of weed products. The album comes on the 50th anniversary of "Red Headed Stranger," the album that many consider Nelson's masterpiece. A breakthrough for him at age 42, it took him from respected journeyman to beloved superstar. As Nelson returns to the road, the only surviving member of the classic lineup of his Family band is Mickey Raphael, 73, whose harmonica has duetted for decades with the Willie warble. Bassist Bee Spears died in 2011. Guitarist and backup singer Jody Payne died in 2013. Drummer Paul English died in 2020. And Nelson's sister Bobbie Nelson, his only sibling and his piano player, died in 2022. But the band he takes on the road now is just as familial in its own way. It often includes his sons Lukas and Micah. English's brother Billy plays the drums. The son of Payne and singer Sammi Smith, Waylon Payne, plays guitar September will bring the 40th anniversary addition of Farm Aid, the annual festival to support family farmers, which Nelson founded with Neil Young and John Mellencamp, He performs there annually. It was inspired by one-off charity concerts like "Live Aid," but became an annual institution, rotating each year to a different farm-adjacent city. It's in Minneapolis this year. When Willie Nelson celebrated his 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl two years ago, it could have been mistaken for a retirement party. But at 92, he's working as much as ever. Nelson will be on the road again with Bob Dylan when the Outlaw Music Festival resumes for the second leg of its 10th year starting on June 20 in Clarkston, Michigan. Asked if he'd ever like his life to get the feature film treatment that Dylan did last year with "A Complete Unknown, " Nelson said, "I've heard some talk about it. But I'm not through with it yet." The tour is one part of a loaded year. This spring, Nelson released his 77th studio album, a collection of songs by his friend Rodney Crowell. And he's added a new THC tonic, Willie's Remedy+, to his wide world of weed products. The album comes on the 50th anniversary of "Red Headed Stranger," the album that many consider Nelson's masterpiece. A breakthrough for him at age 42, it took him from respected journeyman to beloved superstar. As Nelson returns to the road, the only surviving member of the classic lineup of his Family band is Mickey Raphael, 73, whose harmonica has duetted for decades with the Willie warble. Bassist Bee Spears died in 2011. Guitarist and backup singer Jody Payne died in 2013. Drummer Paul English died in 2020. And Nelson's sister Bobbie Nelson, his only sibling and his piano player, died in 2022. But the band he takes on the road now is just as familial in its own way. It often includes his sons Lukas and Micah. English's brother Billy plays the drums. The son of Payne and singer Sammi Smith, Waylon Payne, plays guitar September will bring the 40th anniversary addition of Farm Aid, the annual festival to support family farmers, which Nelson founded with Neil Young and John Mellencamp, He performs there annually. It was inspired by one-off charity concerts like "Live Aid," but became an annual institution, rotating each year to a different farm-adjacent city. It's in Minneapolis this year.
Canberra Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Canberra Times
'I'm not through with it yet': Willie Nelson at 92
September will bring the 40th anniversary addition of Farm Aid, the annual festival to support family farmers, which Nelson founded with Neil Young and John Mellencamp, He performs there annually. It was inspired by one-off charity concerts like "Live Aid," but became an annual institution, rotating each year to a different farm-adjacent city. It's in Minneapolis this year.
