Every week, the Milwaukee Music Premiere sponsored by Density Studios connects the city’s artists with our listening audience. If you’re an artist with a track you’d like us to debut exclusively on Radio Milwaukee, head over to our Music Submission page to learn how.
Living in “Midwest Nice” country can also mean living in a culture of avoidance. We don’t want to rock the boat, or maybe we think it’s not our place to say something. Externally, that sometimes comes with consequences. Internally, it almost always does.
We all know that reflexive response of, “It’ll all work out in the end.” But how much will it cost us along the way? Local singer-songwriter (and math teacher) Dan Kolesari points toward a different, more proactive path on “Get Right,” the new single getting its Milwaukee Music Premiere today.
Propelled by piano and featuring guitar from Pat Dermody, the track has a sneaky dark quality that fits the cautionary tale laid out in the lyrics:
You lie once in a while
You feel like you’re hiding and fine
And you’re showing your smile
You’re free; It’s what you believe
You’re carrying all of the weight
Of the world that you need
This is a person who either needs to get out from under their burden or get crushed by it. Based on how the rest of the song unspools, the outcome is very much in question. Kolesari keeps going back to those phrases and actions that are so easy to deploy. Insisting you’re fine. Sweeping things under the rug. Storms on the horizon. In the end, he issues one final plea:
It’s still part of the will
That’s filling you over the line
And it’s starting to spill
You need to listen to me
I’m showing you all of the things
You’ve been needing to see
While the story doesn’t get a resolution, you can follow along with the drama by listening to “Get Right” via the player at the top of the page or catching it on 88Nine throughout today (6:30 and 10:30 a.m., 2:30 and 6:30 p.m.). The single gets its official release to streaming services and Bandcamp this Friday, May 29, and Kolesari will make his Summerfest debut on the Johnsonville Summerville stage at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20.
