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READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This phrase is often told to those who need to diversify their interests and pursuits in life, and with Pete Muller, it looks like he took that phrase to heart. Muller is a renowned hedge fund manager, having been featured in Forbes and Business Insider among other publications, as he has fostered a successful career founding PDT (Process Driven Trading) inside Morgan Stanley. Aside from this little detail of his life, he’s also a songwriter, semi-professional poker player, board member of Live Music Society, and even authors crosswords for the New York Times and Washington Post. It seems there’s nothing he doesn’t do- and can’t do. The son of immigrants and an alumni of Princeton University, Muller has forged a most unique path most could only dream about. He has performed at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival, the Jazz Open, and the Telluride Jazz Festival, along with a handful of records to his name over the years. Most recently, he released his new album, Spaces. We had the opportunity to to ask him about his business background, new album, and much more. You’re not the average songwriter and musician. You’ve experienced monumental success in the business world, played semi-professional poker, authored crossword puzzles for NYT and the WaPo, and more. Has your love of writing/making music always been there, or did that come later? I’ve always been passionate about music, math, and puzzles. I played in a jazz band in college and spent a year or so after graduating writing pieces to accompany rhythmic gymnasts. One of the women I played for was trying out for the Olympic team, and if she had come first, I would have been the Olympic pianist. She came fourth, so it didn’t happen. I’ve stayed with the piano all this time, but I didn’t start songwriting and singing until the early 2000’s. I put out my first record in 2001. How do the worlds of business/trading and music-making intersect and overlap for you? Do you see parallels in certain aspects? There are quite a few parallels. Both worlds involve deep creativity and being very aware of one’s own and other people’s emotions. Coming up with a solution to a tough problem or writing a great song can take a really long time, or it can happen quickly. In my experience, being in an open, curious, aware but unattached state gives you the best chance of having it happen sooner. While I was intensely building my business, I played music less often, and that eventually left me feeling unfulfilled. But if I only did music and didn’t challenge myself intellectually, I think I’d be just as unfulfilled. The two passions are complementary, not conflicting. I see you recently dropped your newest album, Spaces. What were your primary influences and inspirations behind this collection of songs? The title cut, Spaces, is about a longing to have more free, unstructured time, in particular to spend with my (now) teenage son. Lazy Day similarly is an ode to enjoying doing nothing (a bit aspirational in my case, since I typically get energy from doing as opposed to not doing). I Still Burn is for lack of a better description, my Tangled Up in Blue, a cryptic story of my life so far, tagged with the ever-present sentiment that “I’m not done yet!” There are a few that are about longing for connection – to others, to one’s deepest self (Light Up the Night, Lost and Lonely, Hard to Hold On To). And there are some songs inspired by the challenges of romantic relationships – commitment vs freedom, being seen, acceptance (Afraid of Love, Gone, The Other Side, When She Gives Her Love to Me, and Ready to Go). Finally, there’s Tin Palace, a true story about a secret place that makes me smile (and hopefully the listener too!). What was the toughest part or parts of writing/recording this album? Probably the toughest was deciding which songs to release. We recorded 15 and had to cut three. While those three will be available later in the year, it was hard to let go of some of our work. How might this album differ from your previous album, Dissolve? I’ve continued to evolve as a writer and performer, and I think this record represents my most powerful work to date. Once again I worked with Rob Mathes (who produced Dissolve), and this time around our collaboration flowed even better, as we had gained understanding from working together on the last record. Rob writes amazing string and horn charts and will only use real instruments. He’s a big fan of Abbey Road Studios, where we recorded the strings for the last album, but this time the pandemic restricted travel and we went to Capitol Records instead. What messages or feelings might you be trying to convey to the listener in Spaces? I hope my listeners approach the album without any expectations and see how listening makes them feel. The songs all came from deep places in me, and I hope it touches deep places in them. I see you’re also on the board for Live Music Society. Can you talk about this initiative and what it has achieved since its inception in the Fall of 2020? When I started seriously pursuing music later in my life, I was exposed to the constellation of small music clubs that serve a vital role of our country’s musical eco-system. I was fortunate enough to visit 50 of such venues with my band in 2019, while opening for singer-songwriters Stephen Kellogg and Brendan James. Through that experience, we developed a deep appreciation for these beloved spaces and their owners – true music-lovers who were tirelessly devoted to their community, their staff, and their artists. In return for their efforts, many of these venue owners are faced with dwindling profits and little recognition or appreciation for their work, which seems unfair given how much value they add not only to the communities they serve, but to the larger musical universe. Without small music clubs, so many of our most 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. Many of these clubs were, and still are, fighting to keep their doors open. The focus of Live Music Society shifted to making sure these wonderful spaces stay solvent and independent. It is time to acknowledge and support the great efforts that these venues have made to keep our communities connected and vibrant through the gift of live music. And how do you go about choosing which venues get grants if many do in fact meet the eligibility requirements? Our Executive Director, Cat Henry, selects a panel of industry people (artists, promoters, club owners) to vet the applications. That panel recommends grants to our Board of Directors, and the Board confirms the final list of grantees. As a jack of all trades, how do you keep deciding what you want to do next? And is there anything entirely new you want to explore? I follow my nose, and my heart. Actually, what I really do is what I learned from a couple of whitewater kayaking friends. In the river they said, you follow the energy, and that’s a great way to approach life. Do more of the things that give you energy, and do less of what drains you. What advice might you have for both entrepreneurs and creatives who could only hope to have a similar career path as yours? I would say a few things. Make sure you listen to your deepest longings and choose to focus on things you really enjoy getting better at. When you choose to do something, throw yourself into it fully, not for the rewards (money, fame, etc.), but for the thrill of getting better and growing. The rewards show up when they show up, and that’s out of your control. But continuing to grow and learn is something within your control, and it will eventually bring the rewards. Inspire people to work with you and join your mission by building trust and letting them know that you are committed to helping them grow. I couldn’t have accomplished any of the things I’ve done without devoted, smart people working with me in an environment of trust and caring. Always spend time working out your brain and your body – I do both daily and I don’t miss a day… puzzles, yoga, and cardio workouts. Spending time doing this will make you much more able to make good decisions under stress. What else might you have in store this summer, and the rest of the year for that matter? The band is currently on tour (July) and we have another fun tour planned for September. Later in the year we’ll release a single or two from our new cover album. I’ll also be taking some vacation time in August with my family, and I’m looking forward to that!

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE It’s a perfect day in Santa Barbara. “There are some clouds in the sky, but that just makes it more beautiful,” says Pete Muller. “We live in paradise out here.” On this day, Muller, who left the East Coast and has called California home since 2007, is basking in more than the rays following the release of Spaces, an album written within the past two years after the singer-songwriter, and businessman, decided to refocus on his other dream: music. Produced by collaborator Rob Mathes, who also worked on Dissolve—Muller’s 2019 debut, Spaces is a collection of songs reflecting Muller’s life, family, and varied states within a period of time, filled with stories sparked from a songwriting circle that Muller first started right out of his New York City apartment. “I would make a big bowl of pasta and a salad for people and they would bring wine, and everybody had to bring a new song,” Muller shares with American Songwriter. “Then we would play your song twice, and the second time people would get to look at the lyrics. Then everybody would critique everybody else.” Re-instituting the writing group prior to the new album Muller shared songs with four or five other songwriters over several weeks, which he says pushed him to write, which is something that doesn’t come naturally, at first. “I’m not a Nashville writer,” says Muller. “I don’t have to produce, but having a song circle forced me to essentially write every day for that week, and to perfect the song.” He adds, “For me that impetus to have to write a song really helps me produce a lot more than I would otherwise. I exercise every day. I play the piano every day. I sing every day, but I don’t write every day.” Working in finance most of his career, Muller, who also periodically produces monthly crossword puzzles for The Washington Post and occasionally for New York Times, wanted to keep the musical momentum following the release of Dissolve. “I was unbelievably successful in my career, and then I was incredibly unhappy because I had stopped playing music,” shares Muller, who at one point entered into a Master’s program in music at the Tisch School of Arts at New York University before meeting his wife. The couple had two children and relocated to California, where Muller would continue playing at clubs on a monthly basis but still wasn’t writing. Throughout, Spaces reveals poignant marks within Muller’s life in the block of two years, working around narratives of coming home—to family, love, music—from the piano- and drum-paced march of “Tin Palace” and the Americana-tipped “Light Up the Night” to the more emotive “Gone,” which Muller says was written during a particularly emotional time in his life. “I spend so much time in the writing process and editing the lyrics, that I’m pretty clear on the meaning, but what shifts is how I feel playing it,” shares Muller. “‘Gone’ was written during a very traumatic time, and it’s harder to play without actually getting in that place.” There are two tensions explored on the album, he says, the first between what he calls a “zen Pete” and an “intense, obsessive Pete.” “There’s the guy that’s super happy staring at a tree—which is what I’m doing right now—and then there’s the guy that knows how to run a company or create crossword puzzles or push themselves to the absolute limit and encourage others and coach them and can hold that energy for a long period of time,” shares Muller. Closing track “Spaces” addresses the desire to slow down and enjoy the simpler things in life without a “productive” mindset, while “Lazy Day” shares the same sentiment but was initially written when Muller decided to cancel meetings and have a lazier day in, and ending up spending the day writing the track. Photos: Gus Black The second tension is around relationships. “I’ve been married now for 12 or 13 years, and there’s a tension in relationships where if you get too close, it doesn’t feel right, and if you get too far away, it doesn’t feel right—there’s that push and pull,” says Muller. “How do you do that dance while both of you achieve what you want in life but also find a way to collaborate, cooperate and love deeply. That’s not something most people learned growing up or had examples of, and it leads to all the songs in the world—the falling in love songs, the breakup songs, the missing people songs, and obviously the getting back together songs.” There’s even a third theme, says Muller, and it’s “fear and desire, and how all humans have both of those in strong measure.” He adds, “The more you want something, the more uncertain it is, and the more you’re afraid of not getting it. It’s this dance in life.” Referencing a quote a friend in business once shared with him, Muller says it applies to music. “Having grown is wonderful,” he said. “Growing is painful.” Now performing more regularly, Muller—backed by his Spaces band of violinist, guitarist and vocalists Aubrey Richmond, saxophonist John Whooley, violinist Martha McDonnell, and Missy Soltero on Cajón and vocals—doesn’t plan on leaving music behind again. “I have this pretty great life,” she says. “It’s not like I’m happy all the time, but I’ve figured things out, and I like to give back, so when I play music in front of people, I want to lift them up. I want to inspire them. I want people to come away with hope and inspiration, especially given the world that we have now.” Muller adds, “If I can through music, give a little perspective of how to be more compassionate, and how to be more understanding of the fact that it’s a crazy world then that’s my job. I think it’s my job just being a human in the world. How can I give love and compassion wherever possible without being a martyr, without sacrificing myself.”

Songwriter and live arts supporter Pete Muller on songwriting, The Kindred Souls, and new album 'Spaces.' READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE My first attempt to connect with Pete Muller was victimized by modern technology or, more likely, a failure on the part of its user – me. When we connected several days later for our conversation, he was very gracious and understanding of the snafu. He and his band, the Kindred Souls, were in the middle of rehearsals for an upcoming gig at a local restaurant. As rehearsal time for them is at a premium, taking time out for an interview is no small matter. Being gracious and understanding is part of a life lesson Pete has learned along the way. As he told me, “If you always try to focus on love — not as a martyr — But if you always try to be as kind as possible and as giving as possible, help whoever you come in contact with as much as possible, that is what gives you the most energy.” Pete Muller is a singer-songwriter hailing from Santa Barbara, CA. His fifth solo album, Spaces, is out today. The album is about the journey through life, Pete’s life in particular. For example, “I Still Burn” was inspired by his personal journey from California to New York and back. It was a journey in which he lost himself and then found himself again through music. The album also “has quite a few songs about relationships,” he says with a laugh. “As it turns out that is what people like writing songs about.” Yes, it is what people like writing songs about but this album is very much Pete’s story. In song after song he is saying this is what I’ve experienced, this is what I’ve learned. Does that kind of honesty in song make him feel vulnerable? Or does it make him feel liberated. “It’s kind of both,” he tells me. “I think one of my strengths is I like to put stuff out there. I really like to be vulnerable. I like to be authentic and direct. Whether I’m in pain or I’m happy. Here is what it is about. But of course, anything that is your strength can also be your weakness.” Weakness? “I’m married to a lovely woman,” Pete said with a smile, “one who really likes to be private. And when you are a songwriter you end up writing songs about what you know and part of it is your relationships. And there is a song about that on the album – ‘When She Gives Her Love To Me.‘” That particular song starts out with the line, “She don’t like most songs I write.” It is a jazzy, bluesy tune, one telling a story about a relationship between two people who are not always in sync when it comes to likes and dislikes. Yet, it is a tender and devoted relationship, clearly about Pete and his wife. Whatever she may like or dislike, “she gives me all I need when she gives her love to me.” Did she like “When She Gives Her Love To Me”? The answer is in the song. “You know, I thought that she would hate this song. Turns out she likes to sing along.” Why write or play songs so personal in nature? “There are two reasons I play music,” Pete explained. “One is it is the best way I know to get all my emotions out. I started writing songs right around the year 2000. Twenty years ago and I went through a really tough heartbreak. Kind of devastating. It surprised me and I learned a lot… And I started writing songs. That was a way to process the emotion and get it out. To get healed. To get whole again.” So the one reason is songwriting provides a way to help him figure out what he is feeling. The second reason? “I love being able to connect with people and inspire them. And I love that. When people come up to me and say, ‘That moved me,’ that is a wonderful feeling.” The album has a number of very relatable songs. When the band listened to the final recordings all agreed “Gone” was the strongest. “I was the most emotionally raw when I wrote that,” Pete said. It is a powerful song, full of anger, full of determination to learn, and full of heartbreak. The rawness of the pain he felt is palpable. There is a recognition life will get better but for right now, “I’m just gone.” Simple words but ones that everyone at some time or other in their life has felt. Then there is “Tin Palace,” a song reviewed by American Blues Scene in February. The Tin Palace is a real place, one where you can breath, relax, and become your best self. You can experience pleasant moments, sunshine, gentle breezes, and memorable company there. It is a place where sunshine gives way to “raindrops on the rooftop (that) make such a soothing sound.” The song has its origin in a chance meeting with a woman named Wendy at a jam held by Quincy Jones during the Montreux Jazz Festival several years ago. Pete and Wendy struck up a conversation and kept in touch every couple of months or so after that. When Pete was going through “some stuff in my life” Wendy invited him to come to a place called the Tin Palace. She invited some other friends to come visit as well and, true to her word, they all found a way to heal there. Where is the Tin Palace? Pete laughs when he recalls her telling him, “I can’t tell you until I know you are coming.” He went for weekend, found himself healing, and found a subject for a song as well. Although he still cannot reveal where the Tin Palace is, the video was shot there and everything in the song is true – including free sardines for an egret named Tosha. And while we all may not be able to go to the actual Tin Palace, we all need a place where, as Pete says, we can “breathe, relax, and become our best selves.” We also talked about Pete’s work as a board member of the Live Music Society, a charity he helped start. They have supported independent venues struggling in Covid times. He also has partnered with the Berklee School of Music to save the legendary Power Station recording studio in NYC, which has hosted the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, David Bowie, and Bob Dylan. Spaces features Skip Ward on bass, Dave Silliman on drums, Rob Mathes on guitar, and, of course, Pete’s backing band the Kindred Souls. Kindred Soul Missy Soltero shares lead vocals on “Light Up the Night,” a song about loss, seeking redemption, and ultimately hope. It is definitely one of the best songs on an album filled with some of the finest songs anyone could ask for. In addition to Missy – who handles percussion for the band – the Kindred Souls include Aubrey Richmond, on violin and guitar, and John Whooley, a multi-instrumentalist on guitar and sax. Long time Kindred Soul Martha McDonnell joins the band whenever her schedule allows. We will be hearing more from Pete and the Kindred Souls in the months to come. For now, though, Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls will be on tour in May and July. Taking June off? “That’s right,” he said. “When I go on tour it’s typically for two weeks, two and a half weeks and then I come back to see the family for a while.” That is Pete Muller – being as kind as possible and as giving as possible while making spaces for family and those he meets along the way.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE On May 20 Pete Muller will release his latest studio album via Two Truths Records. Rob Mathes (Sting, Bettye LaVette Panic! At The Disco!) produced Spaces, continuing a creative partnership, that began with Muller’s 2019’s record Dissolve. Muller is joined by his touring band for much of the record. Pete Muller and The Kindred Souls were identified as one of the Best Emerging Acts of AmericanaFest 2021 for their vocal harmonies and “upbeat and effusive tunes.” Muller also enlisted Larry Campbell, Charlie Giordano, Dave Silliman and Skip Ward to join him on Spaces. Today we premiere the official video for “Gone” from the forthcoming album. Muller tells Relix, “’Gone’ is one of the rawest songs on the record. When I wrote it, I was really shattered. I knew that I had to let go of my anger, but I wasn’t there yet. I often turn to music to help me heal, and writing. Gone helped me through a time of clenched fists and a heavy heart. Maybe that’s why my bandmates have told me it’s the song on Spaces that moves them the most.”

READ THE ARTICLE ON AMERICANA HIGHWAY HERE Americana Highways brings you this premiere of Pete Muller’s song “Tin Palace” from his forthcoming album Spaces, due to be released on May 20. Spaces was produced by Rob Mathes with executive producer Pete Muller for Two Truths Records. It was engineered by Alex Venguer (assisted by Matthew Soares, Teng Chen, Regina Averion, and Ben Miller); mixed by Elliot Scheiner (assisted by Aki Nishimura and also mixed by Alex Venguer); and mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk. Musicians on “Tin Palace” are Pete Muller (lead vocals, acoustic and electric piano); John Whooley (background vocals and acoustic guitar); Melissa (Missy) Soltero (background vocals); Martha McDonnell (violin and background vocals); Skip Ward (electric and acoustic bass); Dave Silliman (drums and percussion); Eric Donnelly (electric guitars); Larry Campbell (pedal steel guitar and mandolin); Rob Mathes (main acoustic guitar parts, Hammond B-3 and synthesizer); and Charlie Giordano on accordion. The strings, horns, and choir on the album were arranged and conducted by Rob Mathes with numerous musicians playing. A lot of music videos purport to be beautiful, and to a degree they are, but this one is the real deal. It’s beautiful footage in montage with Pete Muller singing beautifully. The video is perfectly dove-tailed with Muller’s pretty song that takes a deep dive into philosophy and time. His music will inspire you. A few years back a (platonic) musician friend invited me to take a weekend head-clearing break at a mysterious location. That journey inspired this song. The “Tin Palace” is a real place. But it’s a more a state of mind. – Pete Muller Find the music and more information here: https://www.petemuller.com

Click to read the full article here Pete Muller, the math whiz who leveraged his skills to create and manage a massively successful quant-driven hedge fund company that uses complex models to detect and predict inequities in the markets, seems even more invested in his burgeoning singer-songwriter career these days. The piano-playing Montecito resident, who released three solo albums mostly as a side project during a hiatus from Process Driven Trading (PDT) back in the 1990s, has ratcheted up writing and recording in recent years, putting out an album in 2019 that spawned three Top 30-charting Adult Contemporary singles and solidified his band called Kindred Souls, logging 50 live dates across the country. Another new album of Muller’s original material is due at the beginning of 2022 following hot on the heels of this year’s EP called The Sound that boasts fresh and tasty cover versions of songs ranging from Lyle Lovett’s “If I Had a Boat” to Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” and Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” When the COVID crisis closed clubs across the country, Muller co-founded Live Music Society, a nonprofit that gave grants of up to $50,000 to a variety of small venues around the country and produced Empty Spaces, a series of short films documenting the importance of the clubs, including SOhO here in town. With the nightspots now reopening, Muller is back on tour with the Kindred Souls, returning to his hometown club after an excursion to the East Coast and Midwest to perform at SOhO on October 5. He spoke from a stop in Connecticut earlier this week. Q. Folks were mostly slowing down during the pandemic. But it seems that what with the cover album and the next original record already in the can, you’ve been very productive. A. That’s because it’s afforded me the opportunity to have more time for writing. Years ago, I ran an in-person song circle in New York City that met every week for about five years. I revived it and migrated it to Zoom. The rules are that you have to show up with a new song each week. I work well on a deadline, so it was great, because if I don’t have that pressure, typically a song doesn’t come out unless I’m really touched by something deeply emotional. Commitment helps. So, I got 12 good songs out of that. Do any of them directly reflect on the pandemic? “Light Up the Night,” which is on the new record, is about our search for connection to others, but also connecting back to ourselves, to our spirit. It’s going to be the second single. The first one, “The Other Side,” is about having a partner who’s grumpy and you’re trying to get them to the other side where they are happy again. We’ve been having fun in concert getting people to sing along to that one. Most of your songs are about love and relationships in one way or another. Is that how you process the emotions that come up, work things out in the song? Many of them are about the struggle we all encounter in love relationships. That tends to be where a lot of emotions come from. There aren’t all that many emotions but because relationships are so important, the emotion is amplified. But you can’t get too personal, because people have to be able to relate, so I try to make the stories more universal. The goal in everything I’m writing is not only to process or express my emotions but to inspire people, help them to feel and process, and to lift them up. The Sound album you made earlier is all covers, but the material is really varied and the arrangements so surprising. What drives those choices? A lot of times the arrangements start with me and [Santa Barbara-based guitarist/saxophonist] John Whooley sitting around figuring out how we can make it sound different from the original. Maybe it’s [switching genders] on the lead singer and/or changing the tempo, and since we don’t use bass or drums, we have to make it work as an acoustic song. And then we incorporate our trademark four-part harmony, which we try to put in every song. So far, it’s working great. The first two singles made the Top 20. Creativity and working with patterns lie at the intersection of math and music. But it doesn’t seem like there’s space for emotion in math-driven trading, while music without emotion is virtually worthless. Whenever and whatever you’re creating, there’s a huge amount of emotion in it because you’re investing in building something where you know you’re going to struggle and stumble when you try to get things across. The emotions are different but they’re there. I know you don’t want to talk about business or how PDT is doing during the pandemic, but I’m wondering how you can run a hedge fund and have so much time to put into your music, let alone constructing crosswords, surfing and, of course, spending time with your family here in Montecito. I don’t know how you do it. I have worked with and trained excellent people, so I can delegate. I don’t have to make all the decisions, because it’s not an ego thing for me. I’m happy for them to thrive and grow… I take a lot of pride in having built this, but it’s not my identity. Eventually I’m also going to take a lot of pride in handing it over to people that will do it better than I ever did.

Click to read the full article here There’s no denying the wealth of options and choices when it comes to the awesome array of artists and ensembles found at AmericanaFest in Nashville each September. Indeed, with well over 200 concerts and showcases representing a broad sweep of styles and genres under the increasingly vast Americana umbrella, this year’s festival, belatedly returning after 2020’s Covid cancellation, offered as plentiful an array as ever. Of course, one of the real joys AmericanaFest has to offer is not only the opportunity to enjoy more familiar fare, but also to discover new up-and-coming performers who are showcasing their music for the first time. This is, after all, an event dedicated to maintaining a tradition that constantly evolves, expanding its template while offering opportunities for musicians to share their efforts and achieve recognition in the process. Those that stand out do so not only through the strength of their songs, but through their performances and presentation. It’s no easy task, yet the array of talent that rises to the fore bodes well for the future, due to innovation, imagination, craft and creativity. Here, then, is a compendium of the ten best new artists that shared both their skills and savvy at AmericanaFest 2021. Pete Muller and The Kindred Souls Given their four-part harmonies, Pete Muller and The Kindred Souls lived up to their handle with a robust performance at the City Winery. Sharing a series of upbeat and effusive tunes embossed by keyboards, guitar, fiddle and percussion, the group’s vibrant delivery was clearly imbued with populist precepts. Muller himself is the child of immigrant parents and throughout his career, he became deeply involved with educational outreach. Such sincerity shines through.

Click to read the full article here. Smiling broadly, Pete Muller emerges from behind the piano to thank the family, friends, and fans who have gathered at SOhO, the downtown Santa Barbara music venue, on a late spring evening in 2019 to celebrate the release of Muller's new album, Dissolve. The singer­songwriter's fourth record, like its predecessors, features mostly jazz and soul-tinged Americana, songs that explore themes of connection, love, heartbreak, and acceptance in relationships of all kinds. Neither Muller's easygoing stage presence nor the vulnerable nature of songs such as "Scraps of Your Love," "Gentle With My Heart," "Loving and Loathing," "Let You In," and "Kindred Soul" hint at his day job as a pioneering and highly successful hedge fund creator who brought cutting-edge quantitative analysis to the New York finance world in the early 1990s when he created an innovative proprietary trading group at Morgan Stanley he named Process Driven Trading (PDT). After scaling the heights of New York's financial world in the whirlwind late-'90s/early 2000s era, Muller took a step back to reassess his life, traveling in Asia and plumbing the depths of his inner world through music and meditation. He was able to spin PDT off into his own firm in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis while also making a home for himself and his family here in Montecito, where he keeps the company ahead of the competition by managing scores of PhDs and computer specialists while also finding time to create music and surf as often as he can.

SEE ARTICLE ON MEDIUM I BY: RANDALL RADIC Pete Muller is a fascinating person, one of those gifted people whose vast array of talents is intimidating. Not only is he a brilliant singer-songwriter, but he excels at surfing and, if that’s not enough, he’s a quant investing innovator, a philanthropist, and creates crossword puzzles for the Washington Post. Muller isn’t merely talented; he’s super-talented, having just returned from Europe, where he performed at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland, and the Umbria Jazz Fest in Italy. His latest album is Dissolve, and his latest music video/single is “Let You In,” a duet with singer and co-writer Missy Soltero. “Let You In” narrates the significance and difficulty of vulnerability in relationships, simply because exposing one’s self to others is scary. The music video, directed by Lenny Bass, projects a poignant imminence, displaying warm images of couples dropping their guards and beginning to dance, as the smooth textures of the music and delicious vocals take effect. Intrigued by Muller’s marvelous abilities, I sat down with him to discover the source of his panoply of endowments. Mostly, I wanted to find out how a Quant writes such gorgeous music. As you’ll see, he turned the question topsy-turvy. How would you describe yourself? Heartfelt, intense, curious, analytical. I love learning new things and getting good at them. I love being outside, in the mountains or in the water. I love to be inspired. I love creating and solving puzzles. I love creating music and also listening to it. I love teaching and inspiring and watching others grow. What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into? I almost died a couple of times when I was in college — once getting too close to the edge of a waterfall near Killarney, and once getting stuck free climbing a mountainside in jeans near the Matterhorn. I got smarter after that. The stupidest thing I’ve ever done is also related to my favorite story about my Dad. When I was in high school, I decided to steal a Chapin Road street sign for a friend who loved Harry Chapin and was going off to college. I drove 15 miles from my house at 1am and managed to get the pole bearing the street sign out of the ground, but didn’t have an Allen wrench to remove the sign. So I stuck the whole pole in my car (with 5 feet sticking out of the window) and drove back home. Pretty smart, huh? I tried to sneak into the house but my Dad was up. When he saw what I had done, he uttered his most famous line: “I don’t know what I’m more disgusted at, your total disregard for the law or your mechanical incompetence.” He then proceeded to get me an Allen wrench and show me how to use it. What’s your favorite song to belt out in the car or the shower? (I’m Tired of Begging for) “Scraps of Your Love.” My wife sometimes dances around while I sing it. Who is your favorite music artist? There are so many. I’ve been inspired by Brandi Carlile, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and Van Morrison. I love listening to the Avett Brothers, Dawes… I can keep going for a while. How did you get started in music? What’s the backstory there? I took classical piano lessons as a child for five years and then got bored and quit. A friend turned me on to a studio musician (John Amodeo) in a nearby town, who was teaching jazz improvisation out of his house, about 30 minutes away from me. Fortunately, he had a charming wife, so my Dad didn’t mind driving me since he could chat with her while I did my weekly lessons. I only went for a couple of years, but learning to improvise changed my life. I didn’t start writing until after going through a challenging breakup 20 years ago. I had some friends in a band who invited me to a songwriting circle, and I loved the idea so much that I started hosting a weekly one. It lasted five years. Needing to write a new song every week really helped my writing. I only started getting serious about singing five or so years ago. Taking voice lessons with Valerie Morehouse had a huge impact on my being able to express myself vocally. What musicians influenced you the most? John Coltrane has to be close to the top of the list. Kenny Werner’s book Effortless Mastery inspired me a lot. I love the energy Fleetwood Mac created with a strong male/female balance and have tried to make sure our band always has that. You’re also a renowned ‘Quant,’ one of those eggheads who use algorithms to trade stocks. How did a ‘Quant’ ever end up composing such excellent music? It might be more accurate to ask how a musician became a quant. Both disciplines involve understanding complex patterns. Moreover, in addition to music and math, you create crosswords. How does one get started in crosswords? I started solving puzzles — I began with the daily NY Times crossword. Then I tried creating one. I sent it in to Will Shortz, who rejected it, but with an encouraging note. I kept trying. Eventually he accepted one, and then I published quite a few in the Times. After a while, I decided to start my own monthly (music-themed) meta crossword puzzle, which is now carried by the Washington Post. What’s a meta puzzle? A meta crossword is a type of crossword where you have to figure out a final answer after the entire grid is filled in. And you surf, which makes you pretty much a Renaissance Man. Do you consider yourself a renaissance man? I guess I do have quite a variety of things I’m passionate about. Getting in the ocean is quite the healing experience. How would you describe your sound? Americana with some rock/soul vibes. What inspired your new single “Let You In?” I was riding to LA with Missy Soltero (who sings in the band), and she was telling me about this new guy she was falling for, and how scary it was to open up to him. I started riffing on how it’s important (yet hard) to stay vulnerable after you’ve been married. We thought it was something many people could identify with — the need to make yourself vulnerable in order to create/maintain a love relationship, despite the possibility of getting hurt. Missy had been fooling around with the chorus melody on her own, and by the time we got to the gig we had the chorus done. We played it for Whools (fellow band member John Whoolilurie) and he loved it. We had a song. That weekend Missy shared more details about meeting the guy, and most of the story focuses on their courtship…but since I wrote most of the lyrics, I also mixed in details from my life. Your latest album is entitled Dissolve. What’s the story behind the title? I’m a fairly stubborn, independent person, and I married someone who has a similar nature. Relationships require compromise, and when you’re very independent, compromise can require breaking down, or dissolving parts of oneself. There are a number of songs on the record about the relationship struggle (the surrender required to fall in love, the tension of balancing competing interests/desires). A couple of the songs are about people close to me who died — “Alive in Me” is about my Mom and “The Man Behind the Scenes” is about my good friend and producer of my last record, Rick DePofi. I guess death is the ultimate form of dissolving. Dissolving is breaking down, surrendering, letting go of attachments, unhealthy patterns, and accepting the ephemeral nature of our essence. What’s next for you musically? We just got back from doing some really fun dates in Europe — at the Montreux and Umbria Jazz Festivals, and a show in Valencia, Spain. We had such a great time and are all excited to keep playing live. Our next dates will be in Colorado in September. I will also come back to writing soon — I have three songs for the next album and hope to be able to record again early next year.

SEE ARTICLE ON MUSIC-NEWS.COM Pete Muller smiles straight through the clip for “Let You In,” his latest single. It’s not a coy or enigmatic half-grin either; no, his happiness is apparent, even when he’s singing his heart out. Muller is the sort of performer with a smile in his voice – even when his thoughtful, skillfully-written songs get poignant, or downright melancholy, he’s always welcoming. His music radiates joy, and when you stand in Muller’s presence or listen to his songs, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll walk away from the experience with a smile on your face, too. Moreover, the more you know about the man behind the music, the more you’ll marvel at his preternatural composure and equilibrium, the breadth of his knowledge, his inexhaustibility, and the quiet confidence with which he operates. Pete Muller might be one of the most protean figures in modern music. In his songs, he seamlessly combines elements of jazz, folk, pop, country, and classic rock; in his life outside the stage lights, he’s a successful businessman, a skilled surfer, a devilishly clever crossword puzzle creator, a philanthropist, an educator, and a dedicated student of yoga. That same broadmindedness has always been apparent in everything he records – but he’s never managed to integrate the disparate parts of his complicated personality quite as brilliantly as he does on Dissolve, his new set. This album is Muller at his fullest: generous, warm, inspirational, gently passionate, and yes, always smiling, even through the hard times. “Let You In” is a duet with singer and co-writer Missy Soltero, whose performance is just as poised and expressive as ‘Muller’s is. Her powerful alto is a perfect counterpoint to ‘Muller’s conversational delivery, and their musical dialogue is instantly winning and, just as importantly, wholly believable. Both Muller and Soltero appear in Lenny Bass’s delightful performance video for the song, and their chemistry is infectious – before they’re through the first verse, two other couples in the bar drop what they’re doing and begin to dance. Does that sort of thing really happen at Muller’s shows? We wouldn’t bet against it, but if you’re interested in seeing for yourself, he’s providing plenty of opportunities: the Santa Barbara-based singer-songwriter will be on the road all summer, including stops at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland, the Umbria Jazz Fest in Italy, and the iAM MUSIC Fest in Durango, Colorado.

SEE ARTICLE ON PEOPLE The track is the third single from Pete Muller’s forthcoming album Dissolve, which is due out on May 17 This Mother’s Day, Pete Muller is paying tribute to his late mother with a new song that reminds listeners that loved ones never really leave us. On Friday, soulful singer-songwriter released “Alive in Me,” and PEOPLE has an exclusive premiere of the music video. The evocative clip was shot by director Chris Morgan in an abandoned estate located in Santa Barbara. “Alive in Me” is the third single. from Muller’s upcoming album Dissolve, which is due out May 17. The date has particular significance to him — it would have been his mother’s 91st birthday “My Mom was a large influence on my work ethic, my desire to help others, and my quasi-Buddhist nature. She was the only doctor in a small Brazilian town before she moved to the U.S., met another immigrant (my Dad was Austrian), and had two kids,” he explains. “They were married for 58 years. My Mom practiced medicine in New Jersey well into her 70s. I wrote this song just before she passed last year, and I love that I get to remember her every time I play it.” Muller recently wrapped a multi-city U.S. tour where he showcased “Alive In Me,” and was deeply touched the reaction it received from audiences everywhere. “People responded the most to this one,” Muller said of the song. “After the show they would come up to me and share their own stories about losing their parents or their loved ones.” Though music had always been a part of his life, he enjoyed a lengthy diversion as a successful hedge fund manager, drawing on his mastery of mathematics. Dissolve, his fourth album, finds Muller blending his jazz training with his love of classic songwriting. Produced by Emmy-winning, Grammy-nominated Rob Mathes (Sting, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon), the disc captures the emotional insights and perspective forged by Muller’s journey from the peaks of the financial world to prestigious performance venues like the Montreux Jazz Festival — where he will appear again this summer. “To dissolve is to live with an open and strong heart,” he says, “to give everything we have while accepting the transience of all things, to let go of things that don’t resonate with our true nature…to embrace as much of reality as we can comprehend, always choosing love over power, and honoring those who have inspired us.” Muller will celebrate the album with a performance at New York’s Joe’s Pub on May 16 and at SOhO in Santa Barbara, California, on May 21.

SEE ARTICLE ON AMERICAN SONGWRITER We’re happy to premiere Pete Muller’s video for “Let You In,” directed by Lenny Bass. Featuring Missy Soltero, who co-wrote the song with Muller, it’s from his upcoming album Dissolve, coming out on May 17. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t seem to know you’re supposed to do only one thing in life. He famously does many, and with remarkable success. A math whiz-kid who grew into a full-fledged math genius, he played jazz piano and studied math at Princeton, and then brought his natural creativity and obsessive nature to the art and science of hedge fund management, ultimately climbing to the very top of that world. There, in the stratosphere of the investment world, he put his music away and focused on finance. As Forbes explained, Pete’s brilliance came in his use of “complex math and computer-automated algorithmic models to buy and sell stocks, futures and currencies based on statistical correlations and aberrations that can be found in the market.” At a time when others were sinking, he soared. But after ten solid years in this world, he missed the music, and began to find his way back into it. While still working in finance, he began performing in New York City subways. Though he had written songs for awhile, he realized it took some real work to develop into a serious songwriter. He organized a weekly songwriter group in New York City to workshop songs, and he gradually expanded and sharpened his songwriting skills. By and by Muller became a traveling musician and songwriter while still working as an investing maven. He played around the world, released three albums of his own songs, and even played the Montreux Jazz Festival. He also moved to Santa Barbara, where he and his wife are raising two children, and where he can go surfing regularly. He’s on tour now with Stephen Kellogg, and is about to release his fourth album of original songs, Dissolve, featuring the singles “San Diego” and “Let You In.” He’s also been a champion for music education for years, and has made a major impact in the world of creative philanthropy. He purchased the iconic Power Station recording studio in NYC and donated it to the Berklee College of Music. A believer in music’s ability to heal and inspire, he’s joined forces with a different charities with each album release. But there’s more. A lifelong lover of crossword puzzles, he not only solves them but creates them himself. Even in this field he’s ascended to the highest heights for any cruciverbalist: the New York Times, where his puzzles have been accepted 17 times for publication. But that world, like the music business for songwriters, is not easy, and each of those publications came with many more rejections. These days all his puzzles are published monthly at https://pmxwords.com/. You can learn more about him at www.petemuller.com.