Pete Muller, a Santa Barbara-based songwriter and innovator, chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his new music.
He will be releasing his new album “Spaces” in May and heading on a national tour, even as he continues to manage his highly successful business (PDT Partners) and leading roles with impactful music organizations.
Your latest video for ‘Tin Palace’ looks very tranquil and sunny. What are you hoping listeners will take away from it?
The video was shot on a cold day in NYC (where I was) and also at the Tin Palace (I’m not allowed to tell you where it is, but it’s definitely somewhere sunny) – in both locations by my good friend and cinematographer Chris Morgan.
The video is about remembering a moving experience and letting the memory lift you up when you need it. I imagine most listeners have memories of at least one place like that – where the cares of the world are gone and you feel acceptance, peace, and joy. The Tin Palace is a real place, but it’s more a state of mind.
Why did you choose to name your upcoming album “Spaces”?
Spaces is the title track on the album – a song I wrote about my relationship with my son and wanting to make sure I spend enough time with him. “I’m going to put more spaces in my days / Run less ragged, act less crazed / Take more time just to be amazed / I’m going to put more spaces in my days.”
I thought those lyrics song captured the spirit of the album – trying as much as possible to perceive the world and my experience in it through wonder – being connected instead of trying to control.
How does ‘Spaces’ compare to your last album, ‘Dissolve’? Did you take a different approach to writing and recording these new songs?
When I am ready to write songs for a new album, I get together some of my songwriting peeps and we commit to writing a new song every week for a five or seven-week stretch.
The discipline of having to show up with something new and share it with people I respect is really helpful to me (and to them I think!). Most of the songs on the album came from those sessions. Four of the songs on the record were co-written with my Kindred Souls bandmates, John Whooley and Missy Soltero. Writing with them is always a blast!
The process for Dissolve was similar, and I worked with the great Rob Mathes (Sting, Panic at the Disco!) on both. We recorded both albums at Power Station in NYC. For Dissolve, we added strings at Abbey Road, and for Spaces we went to Capitol Records in LA – both incredible experiences.
Tell me a bit about your work with the Live Music Society. How are venue owners handling the current post-covid landscape, after two years?
When I first started touring around the country (just before the pandemic), I played with my band at a lot of small venues. Through that experience, we developed a deep appreciation for these beloved spaces and their owners – true music-lovers who are tirelessly devoted to their community, their staff, and their artists. Without small music clubs, so many promising artists wouldn’t have a place to share their work, hone their craft, and build their audiences.
With the help of some talented friends, I decided to start a charity that would offer small venues the support they need to thrive – extending financial and technical assistance in areas like audience outreach, sound design, fundraising, etc. We had no idea how timely this effort would be when a few months later, the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the live music industry.
Since 2019, we’ve invested (in a philanthropic sense) more than $2 million, and we’re just getting started! As we reach the other side of the pandemic, many of these clubs are re-opening and getting ready to fill the pent-up demand for great live music. There are a few that probably wouldn’t have made it without the help of LMS, and I’m grateful to have been part of that.
If you could perform alongside any musician, living or dead, who would it be?
Wow – how unfair to ask me to name just one! I would love to have Emmylou Harris singing next to me. I’d love to jam on stage with The Boss (Bruce Springsteen). Sharing a stage with Brandi Carlile would be the experience of a lifetime.
To learn more about Pete Muller, visit his official website.
