Carrying only a backpack, guitar, an iBook covered in duct tape and a modern protest song, Levitt’s initial six-week journey across the country included singing in rallies and volunteer meetings, bus stations and college campuses. On the road, he chronicles the stories of people struggling to get by in a time that is exceptionally hard for the working poor in America. The result of multiple separate Greyhound Bus tours is a multi-faceted look at America and the socio-economic issues facing the country through songs, stories and photographs.

Produced by David Henry (Guster, Josh Rouse), Greyhound Diaries captures the encounters of a lone traveler, his thoughts and emotions through melodic arrangements and poignant lyrics. Along with Henry (bass, keys, cello), the album features Craig Wright (drums), Olivia Mack (piano, backing vocals), Stephanie Wise (backing vocals) and Adrianne Bond (backing vocals), providing the soundtrack to an unforgettable cross-country journey.

“For many who travel by Greyhound, the itinerant, the laborers, the single parents, the elderly, the veterans, the reservists, the working students, the afflicted, much of daily life is triage,” says Levitt. “And when you’re struggling to get by, politics can seem a world away, white people yelling on cable, a spectator sport of, by, and for others.”

A graduate of the DC public schools and Cornell University, Levitt went on to earn his masters in International Relations from the London School of Economics. Prior to his career in music, he was a journalist overseas and filed dispatches from such places as Iran, Rwanda and Bosnia. His travels and reports from around the world gave him a new perspective on American socio-economics and politics, Levitt has recently been a surrogate for Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, performing and speaking on the senator’s behalf.