Dan McCoy

Austin Lucas is both critically-acclaimed and a songwriter’s songwriter. A true road warrior having circled the globe for nearly 20 years, he’s shared stages and tours with the likes of Willie Nelson, John Moreland, Dawes, Langhorne Slim, Joe Pug and countless others.

“A beautiful slice of Americana, crafted in the shadows of dying factories and institutional neglect—a compelling, brutal snapshot of what happens when the American dream turns to ashes.” That’s what Noisey says of Immortal Americans, Austin Lucas’ new album, out Friday August 17 on Cornelius Chapel Records.

Co-produced by Austin and Will Johnson (Centro-matic), and mixed/engineered by Steve Albini, it’s a clear-eyed record for murkier times, rooted in stripped-down, gothic heartland rock songs that find Austin reflecting upon the changes in both his hometown and himself.

Written after a tumultuous period that found Austin getting sober, supporting his partner through a battle with cancer, and breaking up with his longtime record label, Immortal Americans was captured in a series of live, full-band performances. It’s the triumph of a man hitting bottom in myriad ways and finding the strength and sense of purpose to rise again.

Wide Open Country has labeled Austin an “artist to watch,” and American Songwritersays of the title track, “’Immortal Americans’ begins as a slow lament for outsiders and underdogs, before eventually building to a melodic anthem that celebrates those who transcended their outsider statuses to find community with like-minded, compassionate folks.”

The album release is part of a busy Fall for Austin. He’s in the middle of a headlining tour, and will showcase at AmericanaFest in Nashville in September. After that, Austin will head out as an opener on Face to Face’s “Hold Fast Acoustic Tour.”