B-Side Guys

From the cattle fields of Lathemtown to the North Georgia singer-songwriter circuit, Kurt Lee Wheeler’s journey mirrors the winding path of redemption traced in his latest duet “First Choice.” Featuring Jesse Williams, whose Billie Holiday-influenced vocals arrive midway through like a revelation, this collaboration transforms individual struggles into universal resonance.

The track’s narrative structure cleverly mirrors its themes of transformation. Wheeler opens with imagery of determination – “Can’t stop now, she’s got the finish line in sight” – before Williams enters at the 1:49 mark, elevating the conversation from observation to intimate confession. Their voices work in counterpoint, much like the dual perspectives of past and present self that the lyrics explore.

Wheeler’s stripped-down acoustic arrangement serves the story rather than overshadowing it. This restraint feels earned, coming from an artist who’s moved through various sonic incarnations – from the college radio sounds of his Air Force band Hint of Insurgence to his current folk-centered approach. The sparse production allows every detail to land, from references to “justice in her pocket” to the vivid “rain on a tin roof rocking us to sleep.”

The lyrics track a journey from isolation to connection, with repeated phrases like “I never felt like the first choice” transforming from lament to reflection as the perspectives shift. By the final verses, these personal struggles resolve into shared experience: “Praying to God our souls and love to keep.” It’s the kind of writing that could only come from someone who, like Wheeler, has lived multiple lives – cattleman’s son, airman, teacher, musician – and learned to find meaning in each chapter.

This is storytelling that carries the weight of experience without being burdened by it. Wheeler and Williams have crafted a duet that doesn’t just tell a story of redemption – it embodies it in every carefully chosen note and word.