The VizzTone label group has released Keep On Pushing, the powerful new album from internationally renowned guitarist and singer Kirk Fletcher. The title is more than just a phrase, it is a message of resilience from an artist who has overcome personal trials and returned stronger than ever.
In July 2023, Fletcher suffered a stroke onstage at Tennessee’s Eastside Bowl. The incident cast uncertainty over his future, yet two years later he has re-emerged with a record full of positivity, grit and gratitude. “My latest record is called Keep On Pushing, which I feel is a positive message in these uncertain times we live in,” Fletcher explains. “And for me a personal message to myself suffering a stroke just a couple years ago. I’m grateful to share this album with you.”
Capturing the moment in the studio
Recorded at East Nashville’s Wow and Flutter Studio, Keep On Pushing was co-produced by Fletcher and guitarist JD Simo, with Ron Eoff on bass and Jason Smay on drums. Engineers Glenn Nashida and Joe McMahon helped craft a sound that captures the immediacy of a live performance, an approach that nods to some of Fletcher’s favourite classic recordings.
The album blends originals with carefully chosen covers. Fletcher pays tribute to blues greats such as Big Bill Broonzy, Arthur Crudup, Percy Mayfield and Ruth Brown, alongside his own compositions and a collaboration with JD Simo honouring Robert Nighthawk. The first single, “Croke,” is a fiery instrumental steeped in West Coast Jump Blues, showcasing Fletcher’s trademark fluency and feel.
A lifetime in the blues
Fletcher’s story is rooted in Bellflower, California, where he grew up immersed in the sound of church music. His father was a pastor and his older brother a guitarist, setting Kirk on the path that would define his life. Since releasing his debut in 1999, he has earned respect across the international blues world as a solo artist, as part of The Mannish Boys and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and as a collaborator with figures like Joe Bonamassa, Charlie Musselwhite, Josh Smith and Nick Curran. Bonamassa himself has called him “one of the greatest traditional blues players of all time.”
Back on the road
If Keep On Pushing is a testament to Fletcher’s resilience, his tour schedule is proof that his recovery is complete. This summer he has already been performing in Sweden, Portugal and Romania, with North American appearances including the Calgary Blues Festival, Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas, and the Eastside Festival in Austin, Texas. This autumn will see him return to Europe for shows in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Spain, Portugal and France.
With Keep On Pushing, Kirk Fletcher reaffirms his place at the heart of the modern blues scene, a player whose story, skill and spirit continue to inspire audiences around the world.
Keep On Pushing is out now via VizzTone.
