Today, Jon Weisberger and Justin Hiltner release their first album together, Watch It Burn. The pair had long been friends and songwriting partners, but it took the spark of a Station Inn show in August 2017 for them to realize that they had unwittingly written an album.
Watch It Burn is both modern and classic. Rooted in the shared deep love of the genre of both Weisberger and Hiltner and their desire for true emotional honesty in their art, the composition of the songs hew closely to tradition but the songwriting explores bold new themes for the genre.
We here at Bluegrass Pride are thrilled to share with you one such song off of the album. A driving old-time flavored tune composed by Brandon Godman, "General Kuster" is the sole instrumental on the album, shining a spotlight on the true picking talent of all of the musicians featured. It was written in honor of Bluegrass Pride and the leader of the 2017 Bluegrass Pride season, Ted Kuster. Both Weisberger and Hiltner are supporters of BGP and have been since day one, both having performed in our 2017 Pride Week Diversity Showcase and marched in the award-winning 2017 BGP SF Pride Parade contingent.
Says Justin Hiltner, "Having our little nod to Bluegrass Pride and Ted Kuster on our album means the world to me, not only because of mine and Jon's connection to Bluegrass Pride but also our friendship with and love for Brandon Godman – and his playing and writing! I'm so proud to be a member of this growing, vibrant, open community in bluegrass and so thankful for the support we've received from all of you."