Watch: Willie Nelson And His Sons Detail Their Unbreakable Family Bond

But Willie’s sons Lukas and Micah – plus their mom Annie D’Angelo Nelson – disagree with that notion. In Rolling Stone’s new mini-documentary Willie and the Boys (their new album Willie Nelson and the Boys is out on Friday) the Nelson sons discuss how playing onstage with their dad inspired them to forge their own careers: Lukas with his country-rock band Promise of the Real, and Micah with his psychedelic-folk projects Insects Vs. Robots and Particle Kid. While those projects drift far from their dad’s unique mix of country and gypsy-jazz, the Nelson boys point to Willie’s freewheeling philosophy as their guiding light. Micah uses his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger as an example of how his dad influenced him: “To me, that’s a punk record, in the context of what country music was supposed to be back then: overproduced and shiny and rhinestones and strings. He was breaking down barriers and fearlessly doing his thing … For me, to fearlessly do my thing and be myself, I can’t think of any other way to respect and honor my dad’s legacy.”

Willie calls playing music with his kids “as good as it gets.” He’s been doing a lot of it lately: Lukas and Micah opened for their dad on last summer’s Outlaw Music Festival tour, and they are gearing up to release Willie Nelson and the Boys, a set made up of the classic country songs that Willie played for his kids growing up. Most of the artists they cover, it turns out, are named Hank: Hank Williams (“Mind Your Own Business”), Hank Cochran (“Can I Sleep in Your Arms”), Hank Locklin (“Send Me the Pillow You Dream On”) and Hank Snow (“I’m Movin’ On”). “We do a lot of traditional country stuff that I think a lot of Luke’s fans and Micah’s fans will be introduced to,” Willie says, comparing it to Stardust, his 1978 breakthrough album of American standards.

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