In addition to filming in Clarksdale, MS, THE SOURCE: LIVE traveled to Nashville and converted a genuine whiskey distillery, the GreenBrier Whiskey Distillery into a bonafide performance space and filmed several acts; Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and Luke Preston (see below).
As the series rolls out, we will continue to feature compelling musical performances and intimate behind-the-scenes profiles of musicians of the highest caliber. Whether they’re well-known or unknown, all acts will be chosen based on their sense of respect and passion for their musical lineage and heritage as it relates to the history and evolution of popular music in America. We will continue to shoot in different locales with the highest of production values. Future episodes could include a virtuoso female guitarist from the “bourbon basement” of a 150- year-old Victorian mansion in Owensboro, Kentucky, or a young, poetic singer/songwriter’s acoustic performance from an old stone barn sitting on the edge of scenic Lake Champlain in Vermont.
“I don't know what they mean by country music... I just make music the way I know how." Hank Williams
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Rarely does a young musician get to meet or know the legends that have molded the landscape of music and its elaborate history. Enter Lukas Nelson, the son of American music icon Willie Nelson, who has had the rare opportunity to experience playing with such legends as Neil Young, Kris Kristoferson and Bob Dylan before he was 25. These influences played a natural role in the development of his musical foundation.
Born in Austin, Texas and raised in Maui, Hawaii, his initial style of Southern Blues and Texas Folk Rock went a step further and the band now calls their unique brand of music “Cowboy, Hippie, Surf Rock”. And so it’s no surprise that the great Neil Young tapped these four guys to be his current bandmates and feature them on two world tours. But band leader Lukas’s uncanny resemblance to his father’s distinctive tone is where the similarities stop. Their rock roots run deep, channeling sounds more similar to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, but with a strong blues base, Promise of the Real (POTR) throws in a little reggae, punk, and country to create colorful textures and a musical mash-up that’s uniquely their own. Lukas Nelson & POTR’s talent has been recognized by legendary performers such as as B.B. King and Willie Nelson, with whom the band has toured, as well as Neil, who also recently featured them on his politically charged collaborative album, “The Monsanto Years.” These collaborations, in combination with appearances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Conan, The Late Show with David Letterman have helped the band win the hearts of millions. Their performance on The Source: LIVE featured a blend of hard driving rock, country and some tasty acoustic numbers complete with stand-up bass, and the sweet sounds of Willie Nelson’s great harmonica man, Mickey Raphael.
Luke Preston who had barely turned 18, made the pilgrimage from his home is Southern Florida up to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue his first love: songwriting. Once firmly on the ground in Music City (which is still 10 feet in the air for Luke) he formed the Luke Preston Band and began playing a bunch of gigs in and around Nashville, and slowly but surely began collecting many dedicated fans. Citing influences in Southern Rock, Blues and Country, Luke creates a soulful and refreshingly organic blend of original sounds. In April of 2012, the Luke Preston Band released their debut EP, “When You're Lost”, a collection of songs that demonstrate the band's talent and passion in a heartfelt and powerful manner. Today, at the ripe old age of 23, he is currently settling in on Nashville’s Music Row and plugging his original songs for some of country music’s high profile artists, and he continues to draw from some of his favorite writers such as Guy Clark, Bruce Springsteen, and Jackson Browne. His clear, crisp and heartfelt live performance on The Source: LIVE featured a group of young, but top-shelf Nashville session cats who cleverly supported Luke’s original tunes, as well as delivering a smooth and powerful rendition of the legendary Paul McCartney’s tune “Let em In”, which featured Luke on guitar and vocals, with artful solos from his bandmates on fiddle and piano.
WAGES Wages is a country band based in Nashville, TN. Front members/writers include brother/sister duo Houston and Cyrena Wages of Memphis. Two of the three children of a small town judge, raised in a neighborhood north of the city along the Mississippi river, the WAGES elicit a colorful story and an unapologetic thumbprint.
After a stint of writing and recording various projects in Nashville with some of the town's elite, Vance Powell, Marshall Altman, and Chad Brown, the band is currently writing for the next project. With core influences including The Band, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Dwight Yoakam, two Memphis kids turned out a little West Coast Country and a lot South East grit. As part of their former band Friends of Lola, they were the only country band to make it in the top 3 for the Nashville Scene's "Best Local Band 2015," and they scored their first movie placement with "Kissed Me Like Thunder" in 2015's "A Walk in the Woods" starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte.