There has been much romantic lure for the road since Jack Kerouac’s On the Road was published in 1957. The hypnotic white lines, the motory rhythm of music from the radio and the surreal light of the late night diner on desolate stretches of landscape all combine to create a crispy poetic prose. For more than 50 years now, people from all walks of life have crossed America, searching for something that may be missing in their everyday life and taking whatever the road gives them. All of this imagery and allure spiritually bonds many of us forever with Kerouac, but especially musicians whose trade requires them to seek new audiences and inspiration out there.

"There is something hypnotic about riding in a car for long stretches of time," reflects Wilmington songwriter Sean Gerard. Gerard, a native of Pittsburgh, has traveled the north-south lanes of Interstate 77 enough times to know first hand. To him, there is no better place to listen to music than from the driver’s seat, looking out from behind the windshield of his late-model car. When driving long distances, exhaustion and the faceless landscapes can fade quickly when accompanied by the perfect piece of music.

"The road is where I listen and get inspired to write a lot of my music," he explains.

Gerard grew up in a house full of music lovers. Although his mother tried for years to get him to take piano lessons, Sean had other ideas. Although initially drawn to the electric guitar and punk rock, by his mid-teens Gerard had developed a deep love for acoustic music. At the age of 16, he gained in-depth exposure to a variety of different musical styles when he joined and started performing at the Pittsburgh songwriters’ guild showcases. "I was terrified when I started playing at those showcases," he remembers. "But it was good. I was exposed to a lot of older musicians and different music, especial country blues. I learned a lot about songwriting and what not to do with my songs."

In 2005, after graduating from high school, Gerard chose to attend UNCW and enroll in the marine biology program. "We use to take family vacations to the Florida Keys, and I love the water and all that it represented, so it made perfect sense for me to follow this path and move to Wilmington," he states.

But college life introduced him to much more than an academic future; it presented him the opportunity to explore his songwriting and performance in another town. "I began playing open mic nights and meeting other like-minded artists and soon became a bit distracted with ‘higher learning’," he says with a smile. For Gerard exploring his musical path was more important.

Returning to Pittsburgh, Gerard immersed himself into his songwriting and a few classes at a community college but soon returned to Wilmington in 2007. Following his instincts, he felt there was a sense of unfinished business here. Performing his songs whenever he could, Gerard soon gained the attention of musician Kevin Rhodes.

"His roommate approached me with a disc that Sean had recorded in his bedroom," recalls Rhodes. "I like the passion that I heard from his songs and thought I could assist him with arrangements and such. I got him to perform at the monthly unplugged and immediately knew from his powerful vocal delivery and confident guitar playing that I wanted to work with him and record his songs."

Ghost in This Town is the result: A nine-song collection recorded at Rhodes studio with a host of local players. The CD, which took four months to track, was a great learning process for Gerard. A prolific writer, he now could immerse himself in the recording process to create the imagery of the road that so inspired his songs.

"To me, writing songs and recording them is as much about finding the right tones for the instruments as good lyrics," he confesses. "I believe this enables the listener to separate the moods in the music."

They say you never really know someone until you travel with them, and there’s nothing like a road trip to reveal someone’s true nature. Sean Gerard has nothing to hide. Like an old traveling companion, his music and life are right there on his sleeve. Both are full of texture and tempo. Never editing his lyrics once they are committed to paper, Gerard likens the process to that of a being on the road discovering the world and in turn, the world discovering him. Like the glow of lights from a distant town, his music is giving all who travel with him an anticipation of the future coming into focus.

www.myspace.com/onwardsoldiers