IN ADDITION, Lukas Nelson and POTR Have Announced Their Hiatus, and There Is More Music News

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real have announced this week that they will be going their separate ways, at least for the time being, after having been a band for a total of fifteen years. In a post on social media, the band announced that they have “decided to take a well-deserved hiatus, and begin a new creative chapter in all of our lives.” The announcement stated that Nelson intends to continue writing, recording, and performing, and that other members of the band, including percussionists Tato Melgar and Anthony Logerfo, bass player Corey McCormick, and multi-instrumentalist Logan Metz, “will continue to pursue our own projects.” In 2023, Lukas Nelson and POTR released their most recent album, titled Sticks and Stones (ND review). This record has been a mainstay on festival lineups for many years. A gig is scheduled for tonight at KHYI’s 28th Annual Texas Music Revolution in McKinney, which is one of the six remaining show dates that the band has scheduled before going on hiatus. At the end of the year, they will perform at the Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Fest in September. Additionally, they will be performing at the Red Ants Pants Festival in July.

It would appear that Spotify has not been gaining any new users as of late. During the previous week, CEO Daniel Ek shared on X his ideas regarding the longevity of music, particularly in this day and age when there is so much of it. The fact that he began his ideas with the remark that the expense of creating “content” (ha ha, what a beautiful phrase, just like a real human would use!) is “close to zero” was the thing that caused people to take offence, and it is not surprising that this was the case. The actual artists, who are the creators of the “content” that the multibillion-dollar firm Spotify pays out a fraction of a penny for, if it pays out at all, instantly pleaded with Spotify to change its mind. There are some of the more vehement responses that can be found in this article from NME. A few days later, Ek retracted his comment, stating that the way he had said it was “clumsy” and that he had no intention of “devaluing the time, effort, or resources involved in creating meaningful works.” It’s okay if it doesn’t get your goat, but here’s something more to consider: It has been less than a year since Spotify said that it will be increasing the rates of its subscriptions, and this week, the company made the announcement. Beginning July 1, premium plans in the United States will see a monthly increase of one dollar, while family plans will see an increase of three dollars. You may find out more about that by reading this coverage from CNN.

Throughout his career, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and DJ duties on various SiriusXM channels) has been known for his activism in addition to his music. This is true both currently and in the past. On September 25, 2024, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he will be presented with the Woody Guthrie Prize, which is meant to recognise his contributions to the field of social justice as well as his musical accomplishments. Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Chuck D., John Mellencamp, and Mavis Staples are among the artists who have previously been honoured with this award. To learn more, check out this article from Billboard.

Jim Wright took the photograph of Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton, who is no stranger to Broadway after writing music and lyrics for the musical 9 to 5 in the late aughts, has revealed that she will be releasing a new musical that would chronicle the story of her life and career via the songs that she has written. In a statement made on Thursday at CMA Fest, she revealed that the musical Hello, I’m Dolly, which is also the name of her first solo record, will be performed on Broadway in the year 2026. The book will be co-written by Parton, who is also the producer of the play, as well as the composer of the score, which includes a new song for the show. On the website for the musical, you will find the option to sign up for updates regarding the production.

It’s a well-known fact that musicians aren’t always the best at meeting deadlines. For the purpose of ensuring that all those who are interested in applying for the 2024 band, guitar, violin, and banjo awards are able to do so, our friends at the FreshGrass Awards have decided to extend the deadline by a few days. The deadline has been moved to the following Wednesday, June 12; this gives you plenty of time to send in some information and submit a couple of movies. Here you can find out more information about the awards, including the incredible prizes (including cash!) that are involved. No Depression’s nonprofit publisher, the FreshGrass Foundation, is the organisation that is responsible for presenting the FreshGrass Awards.

WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO The following is a selection of the songs, albums, bands, and sounds that various members of the No Depression staff have been listening to this week:

“Rainbow,” a song by Ruthie Foster, will be released in August as part of her upcoming album, Mileage.
“Sweet Critters,” is the title tune of Caleb Caudle’s upcoming album, which is scheduled to be released in August.
This is a cover of “Stage Fright” by The Band, performed by The Lonesome Ace Stringband.
‘Fire Country’ by Skylar Gudasz, which will be released in August as part of her next album titled Country
“Compass,” a song by Maya de Vitry, will be released in July as part of her next album, The Only Moment.
“Misty Miles,” a song by Ben Sollee, will be released in August as part of his next album, Long Haul.
The song “Step Into Your Power” by Ray Lamontagne is going to be released in August as part of his next album, Long Way Home.