Kirk Fletcher plugs in his guitar and lets out the weight of the world. With every string bend and sustained vocal, the Los Angeles-born and Nashville-based singer, guitarist, and producer summons the spirit of classic Blues spun with his own fresh fire. It’s why he’s been tapped to complement everyone from Joe Bonamassa to The Fabulous Thunderbirds on stage or in the studio. It’s why he’s received several nominations for the Blues Music Award. It’s why he’s covered Living Blues Magazine and incited the applause of Guitar World, Guitar Player, Guitar and more.

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It’s also why his seventh full-length album, Heartache By The Pound, scorches as much as it does. “Every time I pick up a guitar, I get down to business and play with a whole lot of soul,” he notes. “I’ve been doing it my whole life, so it’s an extension of who I am. It’s like a personal PA system to make things louder and put that soul out there. Every note is a continuation of my childhood, growing up in church, and all of the things I love. That’s what’s most important to me about guitar playing. At the end of the day, I’m just a Blues man.”

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Born and raised in Bellflower, CA, he built a foundation for the Blues in the Compton church where his father served as pastor. Inspired by his older brother Walter (seventeen years Kirk’s senior), he cut his teeth in front of the congregation, playing guitar regularly in the church until his early twenties. He eventually wound up touring as a guitarist in KimWilson’s Blues Revue and recording on Wilson’s Smokin’ Joint [2001], which garnered a GRAMMY® Award nomination. In between live guest spots for Cyndi Lauper and Michelle Branch, he performed on The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ Painted On. Other various highlights spanned a stint in The Mannish Boys and handling lead guitar for Eros Ramazzotti. He joined Bonamassa for legendary performances and live records, including Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks and Live at the Greek Theater. The latter notably bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart.

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Meanwhile, Kirk’s solo offering, Hold On, cracked the Top 15 of the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart and garnered a nod in the category of “Best Contemporary Blues Album” at the 2019 Blues Music Awards. The follow-up My Blues Pathway arrived to widespread acclaim. Guitar World put it best, “there’s a sweetness and authenticity to his approach that screams class.” For Heartache By The Pound, he collaborated with friend and legendary bassist Richard Cousins, as a primary co-writer. “When you hear this, I hope you think, ‘Man, somebody understands me’,” he leaves off. “If I can do that for one person, it’s worth it. I want you to put this on and feel like someone relates to you. We’re all in this together.”