Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real Preview New Album With Restless ‘Civilized Hell’

On March 27th, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real will release Naked Garden, a companion album to 2019’s Turn Off the News (Build a Garden) featuring previously unreleased tracks and alternate versions of songs from the same sessions. The lead offering from Naked Garden is a blistering alternate take on “Civilized Hell,” out today.

Where the original version of “Civilized Hell” rode a sunshiny groove and Allmans-style harmonized guitars, this new version feels far more restless and intense. The drums are pushed up in the mix and keeping a brisk tempo, while a slide player and a second electric guitar trade off licks. It’s also a more freewheeling, jam-friendly version of the song, stretching out past five minutes in length and culminating in an extended guitar-solo coda.

Captured during their sessions at Shangri-La and Village Studios, Naked Garden features 10 previously unreleased songs and five alternate takes from Turn off the News (Build a Garden). As the title suggests, some of them are raw and unvarnished, but still show off the band’s connection during the creative process. The upcoming album is available for preorder now.

“Some strings are out of tune. Some lyrics are inconsistent. There’s microphone bleed, tape machine buzz, conversations and laughter between takes…that’s how we like it,” say the band in a release. “Our hope is that Naked Garden offers a glimpse behind the curtain, at POTR in our most raw, honest, and naked state.”

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real also just announced the Naked Garden Tour 2020, which gets underway March 21st in Plano, Texas, with dates running through May 3rd. They’ll also perform at the Luck Reunion, March 19th, at Willie Nelson’s Luck Ranch outside of Austin.

Naked Garden – track list

1. “Entirely Different Stars”
2. “Civilized Hell (Alternate Version)”
3. “Back When I Cared”
4. “Movie in My Mind”
5. “Focus on the Music”
6. “My Own Wave”
7. “Fade to Black”
8. “Out in L.A. (Extended Version)”
9. “Couldn’t Break Your Heart”
10. “Speak the Truth”
11. “Civilized Hell (Acoustic Version)”
12. “Bad Case (Alternate Version)”
13. “Stars Made of You (Alternate Version)”
14. “Where Does Love Go (Alternate Version)”
15. “The Way You Say Goodbye (Alternate Version)”

Naked Garden Tour 2020 dates:

March 21 – Plano, TX @ Oak Point Amphitheatre
March 22 – Springfield, MO @ Gillioz Theatre
March 24 – Wichita, KS @ the Cotillion
March 25 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
March 27 – Lincoln, NE @ the Bourbon Theatre
March 28 – Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place
March 29 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
March 31 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
April 1 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre
April 3 – Grand Rapids, MI @ the Intersection
April 4 – Detroit, MI @ St Andrews Hall
April 5 – Covington, KY @ Madison Theater
April 6 – McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Live, LLC
April 9 – Athens, OH @ Templeton Blackburn Alumni Memorial AD- OU
April 10 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
April 11 – Boston, MA @ Royale
April 13 – Northampton, MA @ the Academy of Music
April 14 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre
April 15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
April 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
April 18 – Port Chester, NY @ Capitol Theater
April 19 – Washington, DC @ the 9:30 Club
April 20 – Richmond, VA @ the National
April 22 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
April 23 – Wilkesboro, NC @ Wilkes Community College
April 25 – Charlotte, NC @ US National Whitewater Center
April 26 – Knoxville, TN @ the Mill & Mine
April 27 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
April 29 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
April 30 – Lubbock, TX @ Lubbock Civic Center
May 2 – Phoenix, AZ @ the Van Buren
May 3 – Redondo Beach, CA @ Seaside Lagoon