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READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE Singer-songwriter Pete Muller is gearing up for his sixth studio album, More Time, out this Friday (May 17th). In advance of the release, Consequence has an exclusive premiere of the opening track, “And (Hold On),” and its accompanying music video. Kicking off with a grooving Rhodes piano riff, “And (Hold On)” was inspired by the “conflict between being an artist and a good husband/father,” as Muller explains to Consequence. “Instead of picking one or the other, I choose to go for both: Hold on to what you want AND hold on to what you got.” The track was recorded in Memphis with producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price) and features contributions from former Wilco drummer Ken Coomer, guitarist Will Sexton, organist Rick Steff, and bassist Dave Smith. “All of them learned the song the day we recorded it, and Will came up with an out-of-the-blue crazy guitar riff that really makes the track come alive,” Muller remembers. “My buddy Eric Donnelly added a killer guitar solo which kicks in after the bridge.” To film the Chris Morgan-directed music video, Muller rented out a classic red 1969 Buick Skylark convertible and took more than two dozen trips on a windy mountain road above Santa Barbara with different passengers including bandmates, friends, and his daughter and her friends. “It makes me smile every time I watch it,” Muller says. Watch the visual below. More Time also features the duet “Run Out of Love” with Lisa Loeb. Other previous singles include the title track and “Turn Away.” Be sure to check out our latest Consequence Crossword, created by Muller himself.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE “‘Turn Away”  is one of my favorite songs on the record,’ Muller explained to us for this exclusive premiere and feature. “When I toured around the country last year, I often opened the show playing it solo, and got a great reception. The song talks about being in a situation (a job, a friendship, or a relationship) that doesn’t quite feel right, or – as the lyrics put it – being ‘caged in my own zoo,’ but because you’ve invested so much already, it’s hard to turn away.” Singer-songwriter Pete Muller has a lot going for him – an album on the way, festival dates this summer, a new Lisa Loeb collaboration, great causes and better friends, and a resume longer than most (both in the music industry and out of it). He’s a special cat in the way he molds his real life introspection into the intricate soft rock melodies of his music. His new single, “Turn Away,” is the pinnacle of that. It sets the tone for the entire Pete Muller era that is underfoot and heading straight for the warm, breezy Jersey Shore nights of summer. We are thrilled to highlight such art, premiere the single and music video, and share the kindred spirit with our audience further. Please check out “Turn Away,” the official video, as well as the conversation below. Right off the bat with a Philly show and a NYC show this summer – how are you feeling? One show will have an almost-out album and one show will have an already-out album, so how will you be approaching each show? We’ll be playing a lot this summer to celebrate the release of my sixth album, one I made in Memphis with Matt Ross-Spang and a group of outstanding musicians, including Will Sexton, Ken Coomer, Rick Steff, and Dave Smith. My band, the Kindred Souls (with Martha McDonnell and Andy Mac), learned the entire album, and the combination of keys/violin/drums/guitar and three-part harmony is really working. For the album release shows (one on each coast), I’ll probably bring in some horns and add to the overall instrumentation a bit. “Turn Away” will be your latest release for this new album and era. What made you want to drop it as a single? I love all the songs on the record, so choosing which ones would be singles was very difficult. “Turn Away” is about when a relationship, job, or friendship (which has previously worked very well for you) isn’t giving you energy anymore, and the challenge of being able to walk away from something that used to resonate. I get a lot of great feedback when I play that song live from people going through something similar. The music video that accompanies the single is serene, simple in nature literally and figuratively. How did it come about and why the black and white? My friend Chris Morgan shot the video on an almost deserted beach when I was performing at the 30A Songwriters Festival on the Florida Coast. He used a drone and a handheld camera, and we both felt the video would be more striking in black and white. Depending on the compression you get from YouTube, it can almost seem like the video was shot in front of a green screen…but it’s all live footage. I’m a big fan of puzzles, and I tried embedding a puzzle in the lyric video to the song – which was made using the same footage. See if you can figure it out! You’re a songwriter through-and-through, so knowing that, we’re curious: do the lyrics come before everything else in your writing/recording process? For me, most of the time a musical riff is what starts a song, and then I try to figure out what emotion is best connected to that riff. I insert a lot of nonsense lyrics in the meantime and try to “feel” what the song wants to be. Once the idea is formed, the rest usually comes pretty quickly. As a multi-hyphenate talent in many fields, you have a lot to pull from inspirationally and personally. How do you find that benefits you, particularly at this time in your career and with songs like “Turn Away” going out into the world? I love creating and performing music. I enjoy when my songs touch listeners, either by inspiring them or by making them appreciate that they’re not the only person that feels a certain way. Writing songs helps me stay in touch with what I’m feeling emotionally, and getting great feedback inspires me to write more, creating a virtuous cycle. The independent music scene is as vital to you as you are to it. What does that community, in person at shows or back home in the studio, mean to you? I love being around people who love music – kindred souls, if you will. Independent music venues create these intimate, accessible, spaces for anyone who loves music, and have given so many great artists their start when no one else would. I am lucky to have another passion that has enabled me to give back to this community and I’m thrilled to be able to do that. The Live Music Society, a charity I created, has helped hundreds of these small venues around the country. That makes me very happy.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE WITH 'MORE TIME,' PRODUCED BY MATT ROSS-SPANG, MULLER IS NOW STEPPING UP WITH A STARKER ROCK AND SOUL SOUND. Multi-hyphenate creative Pete Muller is releasing the slow bluesy "Run Out of Love," featuring singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb. The song is from his upcoming sixth LP More Time, coming out May 17 via Two Truths Records. Listen to the track below. Muller, while not a household name, has blended a career of art and business since earning a mathematics degree from Princeton University. He first made a name for himself as the founder of hedge-fund company PDT Partners. As a philanthropist, he's the founding board member of the non-profit Math For America and partnered with the City of New York and Berklee College of Music to save and renovate Avatar Studios, formerly known as the Power Station, and re-launched the space as a recording and educational facility. His music endeavors have previously leaned more toward adult contemporary and Americana. With More Time, produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price), Muller is now stepping up with a starker rock and soul sound, due in part to the assembly of musicians present at the Memphis-based recording sessions, including bassist Dave Smith (Al Green, Wilson Pickett), famed Texas guitarist Will Sexton (Joe Ely, Roky Erickson), Memphis organist Rick Steff (Lucero, Cat Power), longtime Wilco drummer Ken Coomer and a host of local legend horn players and background vocalists. As noted in the press release for the album, "It’s perhaps the album's closing track, "Run Out Of Love," that best encapsulates the collection’s spirit, with Muller and Loeb duetting about the limitless capacity for affection. "Even when you think you might be giving too much," Muller sings, "There ain’t no way you can run out of love." Grammy and BRIT winner Loeb has been a mainstay on the pop scene since her breakthrough No. 1 hit "Stay (I Missed You)" from the 1994 film Reality Bites. Loeb – similar to Muller – has had a long and varied career in the entertainment industry. Her most current musical endeavor was 2020's A Simple Trick of Happiness, although her lyrical wheelhouse has included several children's albums, including 2016's Feel What U Feel. She is an author, playwright, recognizable actor (with her distinctive eyewear) and voice-over artist, and can currently be heard on Disney Junior's Firebuds. Muller has several shows coming up and you can purchase tickets here.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE New album of the same name out May 17th On the clock, Pete Muller is a successful hedge fund manager and trader who has used his superhuman skills in applied mathematics to build his fortune. He’s also an ace poker player who occasionally writes the crossword section of the New York Times as well as those mini-meta puzzles in The Washington Post. As a philanthropist, Muller was key in ensuring live music venues remained open during COVID as a board member of The Live Music Society, and partnered with the Berklee School of Music to help save the legendary Power Station recording studio in New York City. But at the heart of Muller’s being is his deep love for music, both as a fan and an accomplished songwriter himself. In fact, he’s got a brand new album coming out this spring called More Time, which was recorded in Memphis with producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price). Ross-Spang’s impact on Muller’s sound is apparent across the entire record, his technique behind the board giving these songs a looser, grittier feel that adds a new wrinkle to the expansive nature of Muller the songwriter and performer. No less prominent is the all-star band assembled for the sessions, including celebrated bassist Dave Smith (Al Green, Wilson Pickett), famed Texas guitarist Will Sexton (Joe Ely, Roky Erickson), Memphis organist Rick Steff (Lucero, Cat Power), longtime Wilco drummer Ken Coomer, and a host of local legend horn players and background vocalists. Rock & Roll Globe is honored to premiere the title track to More Time today on the site. “I recorded ‘More Time’ at Matt Ross-Spang’s Southern Groove studio as a solo piano/vocal,” Muller says of the song, which begins as a ballad before intensifying into a full orchestral crescendo. “There’s an urgency and rawness to that performance that Matt and I love, and despite trying numerous times, we couldn’t beat that version. Sam Shoup added some strings and brass to the track, and we also layered on some percussion and timpani for power and texture.” Watch the video, beautifully filmed by Muller’s friend Gus Black in Santa Barbara’s iconic Lobero theater, below. Its imagery no doubt serves as a compliment to the song’s overarching themes. “Avoiding temptation can save you from getting into trouble,” proclaims Muller. “But it’s good to give in occasionally, otherwise life can get pretty boring. Wouldn’t it be great to have ‘More Time’ before needing to make a choice?” The single will be available on all DSPs tomorrow. For more information on Pete, visit him online at petemuller.com.

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.