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About the Music

In his songs, Jeff Nesbit meanders through life's most cherished and painful memories. He tells stories that can only come from perspective and the passage of time. Yet, on his journey, Jeff realizes the volatility of it all; time goes, so we must cherish each day and value the things that are always nearby. Jeff's arresting melodies and gentle baritone float effortlessly above finger picked acoustic guitar and sparse, full-band arrangements. His songs bring hope and encouragement to aching hearts. 


In addition to being a seasoned songwriter, Jeff Nesbit has been the public affairs chief for a U.S. Vice President and five federal agencies or departments under four different presidents. He's written 27 books, and has been a contributing writer for The New York Times, Time magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Axios, WIRED and Quartz.

In his debut album, Wishaway, Jeff Nesbit delves deeper into songwriting, production, and collaboration than ever before. Wishaway opens with a heavy hitter, America, where Jeff observes the division and chaos all around us. In a world where it seems we have forgotten that a kind word turns away anger, Nesbit rightly wonders “if the best we had is in our past?” As quickly as he points out the relational carnage of our present time, Nesbit admonishes the listener to leave their anger in the dust in his song, Days. “This is the only life we’ve got,” he says, “and our time is far too precious.”

On it goes like this throughout the album. Nesbit openly points out the pain we are all trying to avoid. He observes an audience, overworked and over-stimulated, feigning confidence to hide the fear, anger, and weariness that drive them. Gently he points to an easier yoke, and urges listeners to chase after that which brings life, and not death (see the song, There).

For his first three albums, Jeff Nesbit partners with songwriter and producer, Kevin Embleton (@SlowHeart) to create music beds that capture his vision. The collaborative nature of this project even included scratching a fully recorded track and re-writing it to suit the vision of the album better. The track in question, Afraid, ended up being the album closer, and sums up much of what Jeff has been trying to convey throughout Wishaway. We are all afraid of something, and we often misplace our hope. We often call out for help, yet it feels like no one is there. In the end, however, we look back to realize we were carried through. If only we could just yield control, maybe we would see it sooner.