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| Featured Artist Link REALLYMUSICRADIO presentsPETE DROGE
As a teenager, Pete Droge saved his money, planning to move to New York City where he could sleep on a relative's couch while pursuing his musical ambitions. Instead, at eighteen he used the money to purchase his first piece of recording equipment. Now, after countless recording projects in his studio, The Puzzle Tree, it seems clear that a four-track recorder was a far better investment than moving across the country.
"I was in my pajamas most of the time," says Pete Droge of his latest solo release, Skywatching (Puzzle Tree Records/United Musicians). Recorded in Droge's studio on an island near Seattle, Skywatching marks a return to the sensibilities of his 1994 debut Necktie Second. "It's got a pretty laid back feel. This one isn't really trying to rock as much as my last couple of records," he says. While touring extensively with Neil Young, Tom Petty, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow to promote Necktie Second and its follow-up Find a Door, Droge's sound began to expand. "Things just naturally got ramped up with my band the Sinners and those elements, like louder guitars and bashier drums, were brought into the studio for Spacey and Shakin." For Skywatching, a more homespun approach was applied. "The studio is above my kitchen. I cut the basic tracks with the Sinners and engineer Russ Fowler, but most of the record was made on my own, experimenting with weird keyboard and guitar sounds." The introspective process resulted in a more intimate tone on Skywatching. It also benefited from a longer gestation period-something Droge hadn't entirely intended. "I've been developing a multiple personality career, where I'm hopping around from one thing to another. I really enjoy it; it keeps everything fresh." So Droge kept hopping from working on his own songs to producing for others, including Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard. Then he was offered the chance to score a couple of feature-length films, not mention appearing in one. (That's Pete singing at the Hyatt in Almost Famous.) But the core of his craft lies deeper than mere sonic surfaces. "My main goal has become to evoke an emotion and for the song to be based on and created from a genuine and honest feeling," he says. "Because what I found, early on, was that the songs that had the most staying power and that resonated over time were the ones that were created from that spirit of honesty and feeling. And some of the songs that were more exercises in form-if it didn't come from a pure expressive emotional place didn't last long for me." Critics have always agreed, with Rolling Stone noting, "The strength of Droge's personal conviction emphasizes what is true rather than what is merely tried." Musician adds, "Treading that delicate balance between sophistication and simplicity is what makes Droge's music tick." "There's more of a hint of soul music than anything else I've ever done," Droge says of Skywatching. "On Train Love to Stay the drum beat is essentially a blueprint from an Al Green record. Do Be True has a kind of slow R & B groove to it. I've been joking that Skywatching is Northwestern Island soul music." ~Courtesy of Brookes Company and Puzzle Tree Records/United Musicians |
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