Country Singer Jerry Schmitt Releases WISHFUL THINKING Album

As a Wisconsin native, Jerry Schmitt has seen more dairy farms than cattle ranches, but his cowboy hat is real and his music is pure country twang.

The singer/songwriter's new album, "Wishful Thinking" (Colt Records) is a tribute to the classic country music he grew up listening to, in his hometown of Stratford.

"I have always loved traditional country music because of the storytelling nature of the music that the everyday man and woman could relate to," he said. "It was the music that my mom and dad always had playing around our home."

When Schmitt plays guitar and sings, he sounds like he belongs in Nashville. In fact, he has spent a lot of time in Music City, USA, performing in some of the popular honkytonks along the famed Broadway strip and near Opryland.

But Schmitt has also become a fixture in the Midwest and Wisconsin's country music scene, regularly performing with his band, The 100 Miles Band, which was named after a song on his debut album in 2008. He later released a gospel project. But the new "Wishful Thinking" is his second secular album, and he couldn't be more excited for fans to hear it.

"This album is a tribute to some of my country music heroes like Buck Owens, Ray Price, Merle Haggard and others," he said.

Most of the songs on the album are classic country covers: "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" (Merle Haggard), "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink" (Haggard), "A Place to Fall Apart" (Haggard), "A-11" (Johnny Paycheck"), "After the Fire is Gone" (Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty), "Same Ol' Me" (Ray Price), "Love's Gonna Live Here Again" (Buck Owens), "Wishful Thinking" (Wynn Stewart), "Walk Out Backwards" (Bill Anderson), "I Never Go Around Mirrors" (Lefty Frizzell) and "Till I Can Make it On My Own" (Tammy Wynette).

"As far as I know, I am the first male singer to cover 'Till I Can Make it On My Own'," Schmitt said. "It's one of those songs that are so true to life for anyone trying to deal with the heartache and loss that go along with a failed relationship. It's much more than just a woman's song as many have viewed it over the years. It has really strong lyrics and is well written."

Though most songs on the album are classic covers, one track, "Please Make Up Your Mind," is a Jerry Schmitt original. He included it because he considers it a tribute to Willie Nelson.

"I wrote it years ago, when my sister was going through a difficult relationship," Schmitt said. "I remember her saying, 'This guy needs to make up his mind.' I was listening to a Willie Nelson record at the time, and I started writing lyrics and music that sounded like Willie could have written them. When I was putting my new album together, I thought 'Please Make Up Your Mind' would be a perfect fit."

Schmitt will celebrate the release of his album with a free concert and party at the Country Aire Ballroom near his hometown of Stratford, Wisconsin, on Sunday, October 2, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. The event will feature limited free beer and hors d'oeuvres. Must be 21.

A week later, on October 9, Schmitt will celebrate his new album with a free concert at Music City Bar & Grill in Nashville, Tennessee, from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Jerry Schmitt is a Colt Records Recording Artist and is represented by Monarch Talent Management (MTM) in Nashville. His music is available on iTunes and Amazon. More information is available at www.TheJerrySchmittBand.com.