California country-rock band Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have released a new song from their upcoming album, titled “Leave ‘em Behind.” The anticipated album, A Few Stars Apart, is set to be released on June 11, 2021 via Fantasy Records. “Leave ‘em Behind” is the second single from the album to be unveiled, with “Perennial Bloom” having been released in April. A Few Stars Apart is available for preorder now, both digitally and on vinyl.

Nelson shared about the new song, “Leave ‘Em Behind is one of my favorite tracks on the album.” He goes on to say, “I wrote it about a friend who was in an abusive relationship…and as we saw the domestic abuse numbers climb during the pandemic, I was moved to write this song.”

Listen to “Leave ‘em Behind” here: 

Bittersweet and cautionary, the track encourages listeners to let go of harmful or abusive relationships with powerful lyrics like “Let him know the love he stands to lose” and “If you really love yourself you gotta leave him behind.” Twangy guitars and steady percussion take listeners from beginning to end, forging a warm and comforting tone.

The group announced their previous album, Turn Off The News (Build A Garden), in May of 2019. The LP features the song “Bad Case” as well as a title track that features Sheryl Crow, which was released later in the month. 

The band participated in Farm Aid in 2019, which featured artists like Neil Young, Margo Price, and the frontman of the group’s father, Willie Nelson.

Photo Credit: Stephen Hoffmeister