(Warner) Heeding a higher calling, rising North Carolina singer and songwriter Wesko extends a hand to his home state with the timely release of a heart-wrenching, hard-hitting, and honest new song entitled "Helene." Giving back to the region in the wake of Hurricane Helene's unfathomable destruction, he pledges a donation of 50% of all proceeds generated by the song to the North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Release Fund.
On the track co-written with JD Williamson, Wesko's voice quakes over softly strummed acoustic guitar chords as he paints an arresting picture of a region in crisis. He sighs, "It's sunshine and roses on the TV screen, those talking heads ain't seen what I seen," going on to recall "a mother standing on top of her house, a baby in her arms as they floated on down." It begins and ends with a harrowing lamentation, "There's violence down on market street, but we didn't know violence till we met Helene."
"'Helene' is a song for the mountains, for all the Western North Carolinians and all the Appalachian people that are struggling to pick up the pieces after the storm. For the community wrestling with the loss of property, homes, and unfortunately in many cases, family members. This song comes from a heavy heart after seeing all that devastation happen, not on a TV screen in a place a thousand miles away, but to my statesmen in the most beautiful place on Earth. Coming from a native Eastern North Carolinian and to all those struggling; I'm praying for all of you. We'll be donating 50% of all the proceeds of 'Helene' after it drops to the North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund. Stay strong and keep the faith, we've got your back," says Wesko.
Hailing from Kenansville, NC, Wesko has quietly emerged as a country maverick with a knack for "real cowboy tunes," as he calls 'em. Inspired by everyone from Neil Young and Eric Church to My Chemical Romance and Green Day, he has architected a raw and real style of his own. No stranger to hard work, he has impressively balanced a full schedule at University of Mount Olive with an intense full-time job as a foreman for an erosion control company-all the while gaining traction on songs such as "Burning House" and "No Surprise." He also notably attracted an audience one fan-at-a-time, gaining traction locally and magnifying his imprint on social media. Inking a deal with underscore works recordings / Warner Records in 2024, Wesko holds nothing back on his debut Lost Boys EP with more to come.
Stream the song below and learn more about the NCCF and donate HERE.
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