Multi-GRAMMY®-Nominated Lukas Graham Reconnects With His Roots on GOOD TIMES
“It’s an album that sounds like a writer taking his time, retracing his roots, honoring his sonic heroes and inspos, a confident declaration of both time passing and the nuanced emotions it renders."
— Ones To Watch
Lukas Graham is getting back to where it all began on Good Times, his new 13-track album that trades some of the polished pop sheen for something warmer, earthier and deeply personal. Drawing from the Celtic and folk music that surrounded him growing up in Copenhagen, Graham leans into acoustic instrumentation, Irish musical traditions and the kind of storytelling that has always been his greatest strength. Recorded with a remarkable group of musicians in Nashville, New York and Ireland—including Michael McGoldrick, Sam Grisman, Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, Brian Sutton and Berklee banjo professor, Greg Liszt—the album feels both fresh and familiar. The buoyant title track opens the door with an infectious, communal spirit, while “Second Chance” tackles mistakes, redemption and the possibility of becoming a better version of yourself. And “To Know A Girl,” driven by banjo and Graham’s unmistakable soaring vocal, proves that returning to your roots doesn’t mean standing still.
But the emotional heart of Good Times may be “Before You Go,” a song Graham wrote in 2019 for his longtime friend Thomas, who lived with chronic illness throughout their nearly two-decade friendship. Graham held onto the song for years at Thomas’ request, eventually performing it publicly for the first time at his friend’s funeral—the same church where Graham had previously buried his father. That history gives the song an emotional weight that can’t be manufactured, and it captures what Graham does particularly well: taking intensely personal experiences and finding the universal feeling inside them. Memory, friendship, grief, family and gratitude weave their way through Good Times, but this isn’t a melancholy record. There’s a sense of celebration running underneath it all—a reminder that the good times matter precisely because they don’t last forever.
Three-time GRAMMY®-nominated Danish singer-songwriter Lukas Graham became a global name with his 2015 breakout “7 Years,” which topped charts in more than 15 countries, earned three GRAMMY® nominations and eventually placed him among Spotify’s Billions Club artists. Since then, he has built a multi-platinum international career with songs including “Love Someone,” while developing a sound that moves comfortably between soul, pop and deeply personal storytelling. Raised in Copenhagen’s free-spirited Christiania community, Graham was introduced to folk music early through his late father, Eugene, a Donegal-born music lover who brought musicians from around the world into the family’s orbit. That influence comes full circle on Good Times.
For more information on Lukas, and Good Times, visit LukasGraham.com.
REVIEWS
"On Good Times, the OTW alumni commands from a perspective of fatherhood, success and happiness while still delivering that seeking lyricism he's been famous for for over a decade. It's an album that sounds like a writer taking his time, retracing his roots, honoring his sonic heroes and inspos, a confident declaration of both time passing and the nuanced emotions it renders."
"from the first track, it is a certified heart-wrenching masterpiece focused on traveling through grief and appreciating the time you have now, without dwelling solely on what the future holds. Good Times is a walk down memory lane, a reflection on the arc of grief and finding acceptance, and, ultimately, forward motion while remembering the 'good times."
ABC News' Linsey Davis spoke with singer-songwriter Lukas Graham about tapping into his folk roots, touring with Ed Sheeran and one song that is a personal tribute to a friend.
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