My Music Episode 277 - Peter Wise

Peter Wise is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, based in Brooklyn, New York. His sound marries introspective lyricism with bluesy guitar lines, laid back rhythms, anthemic hooks, and soulful vocals. It is both familiar and distinct, combining his love for the early seventies, southern California folk /rock storytelling, nineties Neo-soul and R&B grooves and modern pop / rock melodies to create a style uniquely his own.  His latest single “Only Gotta Start” is the first to be released off of his upcoming 13-track album and sees the rebirth of Wise as an artist, as he enters a new chapter of being unapologetically himself. Written, performed, produced, mixed and mastered entirely by himself, this new track sees Wise taking complete control over the music he creates. “Only Gotta Start” is a song about letting go - letting go of dark thoughts, letting go of pride and ego, and letting go of hurt and frustration. Wise confides, “I was feeling pretty burned out with my life at the time I wrote this song. I felt that, despite being extremely busy and making a concerted effort to move forward professionally and personally, I wasn’t making any forward progress. I really wanted to move on in my life, see progress in my career and progress in letting go of a past relationship.” “Only Gotta Start” is a message of renewal and a reminder to others that when ghosts of the past seem to haunt our present and/or future, all we have to do, and ultimately can do, is make the conscious decision to change our thinking, be grateful for what we do have, and let go of the weight of whatever it is that seems to stop us from moving forward.  Sonically, the new song is inspired by the likes of Bruno Major, Billie Marten and The 1975. Through jangly guitars, warm vocals and an upbeat, feel-good rhythm, Wise never fails to put a smile on your face. The creation of the track also involved some experimental techniques, with the musician sharing, “I found my older sister’s child-sized violin that she had when she first started playing and I tried to make music with that. I’m no violinist, but I found that trying to make music out of an instrument that I had no technical ability with forced me to be much more creative. I ended up finding a way to pick the violin and resample it to add the strings sounds that you hear in the intro and choruses.” The upcoming album touches on a multitude of real, raw and relatable themes, including struggling with getting older, not being who you thought you’d be, and not being able to get over past relationships. A true encapsulation of who Wise is, the release is some of his strongest work to date. He shares, “I’ve discovered the importance of calling myself an artist and working to be that. An artist is someone who takes in the world around them, processes it and creates their interpretation and understanding of themselves, others and the world they live in through their form of expression. That’s what I love most  about music and why I make music: to share with others how I see and  process things.”