By Carli Johnson SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson credits the Montana’s mountains with more than just a view–they helped shape the heart of his latest album.
During a brief break from signing posters at the Wildlands auction dinner on July 31, Nelson spoke about the origins of the album, his relationship with conservation and the personal journey behind the music he writes.
“I wrote ‘American Romance’ and a song called ‘Montana’ there in that house,” Nelson said, pointing south toward a friend’s house, referencing time spent writing in their home. “So you can really blame Montana for the whole thing,” he added with a laugh.
The album, a perhaps more personal reflection than previous ones, explores themes of love, loss and perseverance. Nelson weaves these together through the lens of a life spent on the road and a childhood shaped by long-distance love.
“In my short time on this earth, I’ve been a lot of places and seen a lot of things. I’ve been on the road, did 250 shows a year for 15 years,” he said. “I’ve spent more than one Thanksgiving at a truck stop.”
That lifestyle, he said, demands letting go of people and places. “You have to learn how to love people from far away and trust that they love you back,” he said. “I grew up that way with my dad being gone a lot and understanding that he loved me, even though he wasn’t around. That taught me how to love in a more complete and unconditional way.”
The album concludes with the first song Nelson ever wrote, titled “You Were It,” which he wrote as a kid. His father, country music legend Willie Nelson, later included it on one of his own albums, a moment that gave Lukas the confidence to pursue songwriting.
“It kind of goes to show that songwriting isn’t a linear thing where you get better over time,” Nelson said. “It’s something you’re either open or closed to at different times in your life.”
He approached this album with a sense of freedom and a focus on storytelling.
“It’s a great album to put on while you’re driving, on the road,” he said. “I hope that it inspires people to think about things in their life in a positive way, or it brings up questions they need to ask.”
Nelson’s Montana memories stretch beyond songwriting. “The first time we played here was at Music on the Mountains at a Fourth of July show,” he recalled. “That was amazing. I just kept coming back.”
Nelson has since played at numerous Outlaw events, including the inaugural Wildlands in 2022, then subsequently in 2024 as well as this year with Dave Matthews and Molly Tuttle.
Wildlands benefits conservation organizations that protect the wild and scenic places in southwestern Montana and beyond. This year’s event supported the organizations American Rivers and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, causes that align closely with Nelson’s values.
“I’ve always been very, very, very connected to the Earth and the planet,” he said. “I love it like my own mother, and I believe in taking care of your mother. This planet provides for us, and I really feel like we have a responsibility to provide for it in return.”
As he prepared to perform against the alpine backdrop of Big Sky, Nelson said the beauty of the place only deepens his desire to protect it.
“It’s such a great feeling to be able to share music with the world,” he said. “Especially in one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
Montana in my mind
That beauty, along with Nelson’s connection to Montana, resonated through his three performances throughout the weekend.
On Thursday evening, under the soft percussion of rain tapping the tent, Nelson performed an acoustic set for the attendees of the charity auction. With only his guitar and the quiet sound of rain, he opened with “You Were It,” the first song he ever wrote.
Nelson’s raw, gravelly voice with his signature Austin twang echoed through the tent as the audience listened in awe to the spellbinding lyrics he wrote as a kid.
“And I am fine
All the pain is gone
I once had a heart
Now I have a song.”
Written when he was just 11 years old, the song carried a timeless weight. Nelson would return to it throughout the weekend, introducing it during later sets with the story of how it launched his songwriting journey and how his father’s belief in the tune helped spark his passion and career.
On Saturday evening, as golden light spilled through cracks in the cloud cover, Nelson returned to a larger stage at the Big Sky Events Arena, this time in front of a full Wildlands crowd over thousands gathered under Montana’s endless sky. As he plucked the first notes of “Montana,” a song born in Big Sky itself, the setting sun emerged, illuminating the arena. The lyrics mirrored the moment, and the audience sang along.
“I’m still in Montana in my mind
Mountains and memories I can’t leave behind
I never quite let the evenin’ sun set in Montana.”
It was a reminder of the emotional draw of this place, and how eloquently Nelson translates it into song.
