by Andrew Leahey
Before releasing his first solo album in early 2010, Jason Boesel cut his teeth as the drummer for Rilo Kiley and multiple other bands. He joined Rilo Kiley in the late 90s and, several years later, co-founded the Elected with bandmate Blake Sennett. Rilo Kiley began attracting a larger audience with the release of 2004s More Adventurous, and the band spent the following year opening shows for the likes of Bright Eyes and Coldplay. Boesel eventually joined Bright Eyes touring band as well, and his relationship with frontman Conor Oberst later resulted in an invitation to join the Mystic Valley Band. While juggling those responsibilities, he also found time to work on his own album, Hustlers Son, which found him singing and playing guitar in addition to percussion.