Blues titan Kirk Fletcher reveals title track from new album, Heartache By the Pound

Kirk Fletcher
(Image credit: Mitch Conrad)

Blues guitar extraordinaire Kirk Fletcher has released a new single from his much-anticipated seventh studio album, Heartache By the Pound.

Tracked at the storied FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the new LP is slated for release on Friday, 29th July.

Following up the album’s lead single, Afraid to Die, Too Scared to Live, the title track is available now on digital and streaming services.

Evoking a sense of bittersweet nostalgia among smouldering electric guitar chops, Fletcher says the song has “the feeling of a summer barbeque in the South.

“Blues music comforts you. We all go through heartache, but we have people like myself who make music to help us through.”

A lyric video accompanies the single’s release…

Representing Fletcher’s most intimate and compelling work to date, Heartache By the Pound is characterised by the kind of scorching fret work that earned him a reputation as one of today’s greatest blues players.

The five-time Blues Music Award-nominee spent much of the pandemic living in Switzerland where he began writing songs for the new project in partnership with long-time collaborator Richard Cousins (The Robert Cray Band, Van Morrison).

When the lockdown ended, Fletcher made his way to the world-renowned FAME Studios for a three-day recording session with a stellar line-up of musicians.

“FAME is the mother church for soul music,” said Fletcher.

“It’s the same building where all these fantastic people like Otis Rush and Aretha Franklin have recorded.

“I wanted the vibe. I needed to bring these songs there.”

Kirk Fletcher, Heartache By the Pound artwork

(Image credit: Kirk Fletcher)

Pre-order Heartache By the Pound here.

Rod Brakes

Rod Brakes is a music journalist with an expertise in guitars. Having spent many years at the coalface as a guitar dealer and tech, Rod's more recent work as a writer covering artists, industry pros and gear includes contributions for leading publications and websites such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Guitar WorldGuitar Player and MusicRadar in addition to specialist music books, blogs and social media. He is also a lifelong musician.