Singled Out: Frank Viele's Against The Wind (Bob Seger)

Frank Viele just released his new "The Silo" EP and to celebrate we asked him to tell us about the EP's new single, which is his cover of the Bob Seger classic "Against the Wind". Here is the story:

I first sang "Against the Wind" completely on a whim. I've always been a huge Bob Seger fan, and this is one of those songs where - to me - the slower you play it, the more the lyrics hit home. They carry a different kind of weight when you let them breathe, both for me as a performer and, I think, for the listener, too.

I was flying to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to open for Zach Myers of Shinedown and his group Allen, Mack, Myers, Moore. During my layover at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, my connecting flight kept getting delayed. The airline crew eventually asked if I'd sing a song while everyone was waiting. I pulled out my guitar, honestly stalling a bit because I wasn't exactly eager to perform for a bunch of strangers in an airport at 10:45 a.m.

So, to buy some time, I asked what was causing the delay - and they told me it was heavy winds. A light bulb went off. I started strumming "Against the Wind." Halfway through the first verse, I looked up and saw hundreds of people gathered around, many filming on their phones.

By the time I landed in Wisconsin, the video had already spread online - it even ended up in a publication out of Bob Seger's home state of Michigan (here) and was viewed tens of thousands of times. From that moment, the song took on a deeper meaning for me. I started performing it live from time to time on tour, and it always seemed to connect with people. On that tour, I actually played it at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan, and the whole crowd sang along. It's one of the most magical experiences of my career in all honesty.

When I was working on this EP with Lee DeWyze - who's seen me play "Against the Wind" live many times after sharing the road together for over a hundred shows - he pointed out that I'd never actually recorded it. He told me how much he loved my live take on the song, so we decided to capture that same energy. We set up a few mics, turned on some cameras, and hit record.

Maybe one day I'll do a more fully-produced version, because I truly love this song. But there's something special about the simplicity of the stripped down version - just me, the guitar, and a song that's followed me through hundreds of shows across the country over the last seven years. It's become part of my story.

"Against the Wind" is simply a masterpiece, and I'm humbled that people connect with my version of it.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here

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