Eddie Kesler Finds Himself Front and Center on 'Wingman'

Wingman, the debut solo album by Eddie Kesler, is a collection of original songs about love and loss, life on the road, and loneliness that explores real-life situations honestly and eloquently. The album begins with the heartland rocker “The Road or You” chronicling the common dilemma artists face before mandolin enters to compliment the emotional “21 and Gone” an ode to a daughter that will touch anyone with a child. While Kesler played the majority of the instruments himself, he brought in Drew de Man on pedal steel and Brendan Held on fiddle to amplify the emotion on “Just Show Up”; then incorporates a Latin flair on “Spanish Girl”, goes acoustic on the ballad “This Store” and brings back the mandolin on the doleful “Too Tired To Drink.”

And while Wingman has much lyrical and emotional depth, there’s also fun to be had including the irresistible “Fish Fry”, the jaunty chorus of “Pile of Rust” and the rollicking “Ain't No Gigs on Monday” before closing out with the bluegrass-gospel stylings of “Suffer No More” which will pull at your heartstrings.

With this effort, Kesler is donating all proceeds from the sale of the album to a fund that he set up in his late father’s name at the American Heart Association. “After losing my Dad in 2010 to heart disease and stroke, it really shook my world. I wrote probably a dozen songs about him and the grief I encountered and could have written many more. It has helped me heal and there’s a couple of them on Wingman. I just felt this was something I needed to do. Some people walk or run to raise money for charity and I decided to make some music for a good cause. I hope I can connect with as many listeners possible in the process.” 

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